Former Alvin Ailey Director Robert Battle Brings “Awakenings” To Contemporary Dance Oklahoma

NORMAN, OKLA. – OU Dance brought the former director of one of the most prestigious dance companies in the world to Norman this spring to share his choreography to one of his iconic pieces with students for this year’s Contemporary Dance Oklahoma.

Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 2011 to 2023, interacted with students enrolled in the School of Dance’s Contemporary Dance Oklahoma, a year-long required course all OU modern dance majors take each year, with a final performance held in the spring.

“In the course, we give them the experience … of working with choreographers, going through rehearsal processes, then transferring that onto the stage through technical rehearsals, costume fittings, lighting, design, and then actually performing,” said Roxanne Lyst, associate professor of dance and creative director of Contemporary Dance Oklahoma. “We consider [OU’s dance program] to be a professional degree, because these are things they’re going to need to know once they leave here.”

Just as the annual production is a fundamental component of modern dance students’ education at OU, so is regular contact with dance legends like Battle a part of the OU dance program.

This year’s production has five pieces, three of which are choreographed by OU Dance faculty: “Clear the Air,” by Leslie Kraus, assistant professor of modern dance; “Bittersweet Symphonies,” by Austin Hartel, associate professor of modern dance; and “The Arrangery,” by Lyst.

Choreography for the two other pieces this year brought Battle and one other legendary dance figure to OU to work with students in preparation for the production. In addition to Battle’s “Awakenings,” Alfred Dove came to OU to restage his brother and renowned choreographer Ulysses Dove’s dance “Vespers,” described as “a ballet encapsulating the mettle of women confronting life’s tribulations.” The Ailey Company connects Battle and Dove’s works, as well; pieces from both have been featured by the company.

Contemporary Dance Oklahoma closes with Battle’s “Awakenings,” which Lyst said symbolizes Battle’s own journey taking on leadership of the Ailey Company in 2013. It features male dancers and a male solo, and Battle’s visit to campus offered a unique opportunity for OU Dance’s male students to see their professional potential embodied in a person like Battle.

“He [told the class] when he was making ‘Awakenings,’ he didn’t have any narrative in mind,” Lyst said. “But as the piece came about, he realized it was a reflection of himself and his journey in what he calls a reluctant leader … so in the piece, you’ll see a male soloist as a reflection of him kind of leaving the group and starting to form this leadership role.” “I was in the audience opening night between Alfred and Robert … and it was just a great feeling that, these are two internationally acclaimed pieces with the stager (Alfred) and choreographer here who have worked with dancers all over the world. And they were here at the University of

Oklahoma,” Lyst continued. “They were so pleased. We teach these dancers so we know how great they are, but Alfred and Robert were like, ‘Oh, they’re great!’”

With Battle and Dove on campus, OU dancers also had the opportunity to see greater representation in their program with two successful African American male dancers who have shaped their field. The Ailey Company also changed the landscape of modern dance by centering African American dance and experience, which was showcased globally, in part as a diplomatic mission by the U.S. government.

“Battle talked about how he found joy in the arts because his family didn’t have a lot. The arts were where he found his love,” Lyst said. “For our male dancers, especially, to see someone come from humble beginnings, as they may have, then become artistic director for one of the most widely recognized programs in the world, it made them feel like, maybe I can do this.”

Battle was named Brackett Visiting Distinguished Chair for the School of Dance, teaching OU students in person during visits to the Norman campus. Battle is only the third director since the Ailey Company’s inception in 1958 and worked for over a decade to shape the its creative direction.

Deemed a “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” by Congress in 2008, the Ailey Company grew from a performance of African American dancers in New York City. The esteemed company has performed for 25 million people across 48 states, 71 countries and six continents. The Ailey Company “celebrates the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage.” The company’s school is widely recognized as a training center for aspiring professional dancers, but it also tours globally and engages in community outreach and education.

Lyst said the appeal of the Ailey Company and its impact on the arts world can be connected to its focus on people and community.

“I’ve heard Mr. Ailey say, either on video or audio recordings, that it was his mission since dance came from the people and it should always be given back to the people. It’s always about the people and making sure the people are involved.”

The OU Modern Dance students will give back to the people this weekend on the final performance of this year’s Contemporary Dance Oklahoma. Showtimes are 8 p.m. May 2 and 3 and 3 p.m. May 4 in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased here.