Judith Jamison / Cry Tribute with Panel Discussion

Floor 3, Theater

For all Black women everywhere – especially our mothers.

In 1971, Alvin Ailey choreographed Cry as a birthday present for his mother. Created with the legendary Judith Jamison in mind, it went on to become an enduring work of American art.

Join us as we engage in conversation with preeminent artists who performed Cry during their tenure in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater under the artistic guidance of Alvin Ailey and Judith Jamison. Listen to their experiences and memories of learning the work from Jamison who originated the role to legendary status. Hear about the process and profound impact of performing such a legacy work worldwide, the art of embodying this archetypal figure, and why the piece continues to stand out as an iconic work of art.

Excerpt from Cry
1971
Choreography by Alvin Ailey
Music by Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro & Chuck Griffin
Costume by A. Christina Giannini
Lighting by Chenault Spence

“Something About John Coltrane” written by Alice Coltrane, published by Jawcol Music.

Cast:
Jacquelin Harris (Jan 24, 26)

Panelists:
Renee Robinson, Nasha Thomas (Jan 24)
Donna Wood-Sanders (Jan 26)
Moderator: Lakey Evans-Peña (Jan 24, Jan 26)

Renee Robinson began her training in classical ballet at the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet. She was the recipient of two Ford Foundation scholarships to the School of American Ballet and was awarded full scholarships to the Dance Theatre of Harlem School and The Ailey School, where she danced as a member of Ailey II. Robinson was a member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1981 to 2012 during which time she performed principal roles in several of Ailey’s ballets including Revelations, Cry, Memoria, Blue Suite, and others. She danced in works choreographed by renowned choreographers such as Robert Battle, Judith Jamison, Lar Lubovitch, Ulysses Dove, Talley Beatty, Garth Fagan, Kyle Abraham, Ronald K. Brown, Elisa Monte, and Matthew Rushing. She is a Master Teaching Artist with Ailey Arts in Education and is a faculty member at Yale University teaching under the Dancer Studies Curriculum.

Lakey Evans-Peña is an educator, director, and creative leader. Currently she serves as the Associate Director of the Ailey Horton Teacher Certification program. In this role, she integrates her professional performance, teaching and artistic practice in co-authoring the new 32-week Ailey Teacher Certification Program: Ailey Horton Technique.

Evans-Peña received her BFA from the University of the Arts, her MFA from Montclair State University, and was a scholarship recipient at The Ailey School. As a pedagogue and movement maker, Evans-Peña centers individual and collective empowerment through her teaching and creative practices. Her thesis work, Lineage and Legacy of Horton Through The Ailey Lens, Then and Now, examines the ideologies of cultural relevance, equity, and inclusion through the Horton/Ailey lineage, as well as exploring the historical and contextual framework of the Horton technique at The Ailey School. In 2020 she restaged and performed Lester Horton’s The Beloved in Roots & Routes, her self-produced evening length work. In addition to her recent writing work, she moderated a panel for the Library of Congress "Anna Sokolow and the Reimagined Roots of Antifascist Dance" and co-presented an experiential workshop at the National Dance Education Organization's conference in Bellevue, WA.

As an artistic coach and creative leader, she served as assistant to Ronni Favors for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s New York City Center production of Memoria, as well as for the American Dance Festival. In her role as Ailey II’s rehearsal director, she has overseen works by Alvin Ailey, William Forsythe, Francesca Harper, Andrea Miller, Robert Battle, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, and Yannick LeBrun. For more than a decade she has served as an adjudicator for the Ailey/Fordham BFA program, the Certificate Program, and the Summer Intensive.

Ms. Evans-Peña founded and served as the executive and artistic director of the Williamsburg Movement & Arts Center in Brooklyn from 2009-21. In 2015, she co-curated, co-produced, and presented a performance series providing rehearsal and performance space for choreographers at different stages of their careers to present their work. Expanding additional opportunities for equitable arts education, Evans-Peña additionally founded WMAAC Residencies (now renamed WRArts), a 501(c)3 organization which continues to offer a rich array of creative arts community programming. She served as president until 2017.