Revelations
A Reason To Smile
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The story of an Idaho public school teacher and the fight over her classroom poster this week reminded me of one of the most powerful American dance pieces I have had the good fortune to see.
First, to Idaho.
Sarah Inama teaches sixth grade. Like many teachers, she has adorned her classroom with posters and signs meant to inspire her students. One of those posters depicts hands of various hues with the text “Everyone is welcome here.”
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In January, Inama was told that the poster violates school district policy and that she must take it down. The policy “ensures that classrooms remain neutral.” The school district informed Inama that the poster is considered a “personal opinion” and that “everyone is welcome here” is not something everyone believes.
Though she took down the poster immediately, after reflecting on what happened, she put it back up a few days later. In an email to her principal, Inama explained, “I don’t agree that this is a personal opinion. I feel that this is the basis of public education.”
For now, the poster remains on her classroom wall, but it must be gone by the end of the school year, or she could face repercussions for insubordination.
Now, to what the poster reminded me of and our reason to smile: Alvin Ailey’s dance masterpiece “Revelations.”
In the first movement, the dancers — Black, brown, and white — raise their hands, reaching upward to rise. The imagery and the sentiment are similar to Inama’s poster.
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Ailey, the acclaimed dancer, choreographer, director, and activist, was born in rural, segregated, Depression-era Texas in 1931. He choreographed “Revelations,” his most enduring piece, when he was just 29 years old. It has been described as a fusion of ballet, modern dance, jazz, and Black vernacular set to spirituals, gospel, and blues.
I recommend watching the entire dance. The transcendent finale is more than worth your time.
The enduring classic is one of the most popular and widely seen modern ballets in the world. Since its premier in 1960, “Revelations” has been performed continuously.
Ailey has received just about every accolade and award given to dancers and choreographers. In 1988, he was awarded a Kennedy Center honor given for lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts.
At a time when so much of what we hold dear is under attack, it is important to remember the incredible and enduring work of great American artists — artists the current administration may ignore.
According to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater website, “Mr. Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the African American cultural heritage — ‘sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.’”
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Stay Steady,
Dan
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