Written by | Ray Cornelius
When Ailey II goes on tour this fall, audiences may notice a lil southern twang to their intricate dance moves. That’s because the company is using Atlanta choreographer—Juel D. Lane.
Lane, an alumnus of Tri-Cities High School and Youth Ensemble of Atlanta (YEA), was selected to participate in the 2015-16 Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation New Directions Choreography Lab that was curated by the company’s Artistic Director, Robert Battle.
The program enables chosen dancers and choreographers to explore new ideas, take creative risks and find their voices by removing constraints of time and space, immediate financial burdens and deadline pressures. For Lane, this was an absolute dream come true.
“Ailey II Artistic Director, Troy Powell, invited me to create a new work for the company and I happily accepted. I’m truly excited to share my voice to an establishment that I’ve always admired and showed that brown bodies are transcendent geniuses on and off the stage,” said Lane in a statement. He currently dances with Bessie award winning Camille A. Brown & Dancers and is a graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Ailey II has become universally renowned as one of the world’s finest dance companies and continues the legacy of its founder, Alvin Ailey.
RC can’t wait to see what Lane has put together for this season. If it’s anything like his past work, we are in for a treat! Click here for tickets to their Atlanta engagement on 10/21 at the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State at 8 p.m.
Photo Credits: Shocphoto x Kendrick Daye + Alvin Ailey
