Made in New York

Photograph: Dave Sanders

WISH
To go behind the scenes—and train—at Alvin Ailey

Wisher Elena Muzzi, 20; student

“The dancers have so much energy, they seem like they’re being shot out of a cannon,” whispers Elena Muzzi. She’s sitting in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s mirror-lined midtown studio, impatiently awaiting the arrival of the performers—some of whom she’s idolized since the age of 13. Elena danced for 18 of her 20 years before throwing in the towel (“It just got too hard”) and moving to New York to study economics and Spanish at NYU.

The company’s artistic director, Judith Jamison, and associate artistic director, Masazumi Chaya, come in and introduce themselves to Elena before settling into black folding chairs nearby. Then, at last, the dancers file in. The room’s low murmur settles as the rehearsal—which today is for Blues Suite (1958), Ailey’s first major work—begins without instruction or fanfare. As if in an ’80s-movie dance montage, the company sports mismatched sweats and leotards, old ballet slippers and bare feet. They use props: black umbrellas, yellow straw fans and fringed shawls, which they gracefully maneuver to accentuate the work’s seductive undercurrent. Jamison watches intently, taking notes in a marbled notebook on her lap as the dancers stand high on their toes, press knees to noses and move with the soulful music. “I told you they have energy,” Elena says gleefully, her eyes following every kick, snap and spin.

After practice, Elena snatches a quick chat with dancer Clifton Brown—he’s been a favorite since 2006, when she saw him in Caught at City Center—before changing into a leotard and dashing to a different room to join a class. Hope Boykin is teaching the Horton method, the signature technique of the Ailey Company.

“Relevée. Inhale. Exhale. Six counts,” intones Boykin, narrating the choreography in fast, breathless sentences. “Over one, and two, and three. Relevée. Why aren’t ’cho smiling? And one, and two, and one. Relevée. And front, and flex, and pointe. Parallel rotate out, close and…” It’s hard to imagine that any of the dancers will absorb the complicated instructions. Amazingly, they all do, and suddenly they’re dancing in sync, interrupted only when Boykin finds fault with their form. (“Put your poom-poom in,” she instructs, “or you won’t be able to caress to the next move. Okay, go.”) Unflustered and graceful, Elena keeps up.

Since then, she’s been back for more. “I liked the teacher a lot,” she says. “She made me less nervous because she was having so much fun.” Based on all the jazz hands, so was everyone else. —Jaime Jordan

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DREAM ON
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…have TONY buy me a condo in a cool, singles-friendly Brooklyn neighborhood.