Alvin Ailey dance class brings moves to Chapel Hill

Keeping up with three professional dancers is not an easy task. But about 30 students took up the challenge Monday, following the fluid motions of the dancers from Ailey II.

Ailey II, a branch of the New York-based Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, taught a master class in Gerrard Hall in its signature contemporary style.

The one-and-a-half-hour class consisted of a warm-up and two routines.

One Ailey II dancer choreographed and led the combination, while the other two dancers assisted in the demonstration.

Robyn Levine, a junior, said she appreciated being taught something new.

“I didn’t have much experience with that style of dance, so it was really challenging and fun to try something different,” she said.

The class was a combination of modern and contemporary dance with certain aspects of ballet technique.

Ailey II is a company composed of young dancers who join in hopes of advancing to professional companies. They perform residencies at major universities as a part of a community outreach program.

This master class is part of a new series of dance classes offered through UNC’s Office of the Executive Director for the Arts.

Memorial Hall features performances from numerous styles of dance, and master classes are meant to be an extension of this experience. Students have the opportunity to practice the styles of dance themselves in class after viewing the performances. The classes are open to people of all skill levels.

“The response to these classes has been positive, and I hope to offer a master class for each major company that performs at Memorial Hall this semester,” said Reed Colver, director of campus and community engagement.

Erin Hanehan, an intern with the Office of the Executive Director for the Arts, said that the master class option is a grassroots experiment this year.

“Students will hear about the master classes through listservs and Facebook events and can sign up through an e-mail registration system,” Hanehan said.

This was sophomore Missy Fournier’s first master class, but she said she would be interested in signing up for future classes.

Colver said she hopes that the positive response will continue and that the master class series will continue into the fall semester. Monday was the third class offered in the series.

“It is a rare opportunity for student dancers to work with professional dance companies, and this was an ideal situation where things came together perfectly,” Colver said.



Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.