For Renee Robinson, Life at Ailey Has Been a Crystal Stair

It’s hard to imagine the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater without Renee Robinson. After all, for 31 years —through three directors, through literally hundreds of ballets and special moments in the Ailey Company’s history—Robinson has been there, most often front and center as one of the company’s leading ladies.

But after December 9, all that will change. Robinson, the last dancer in the company to have been selected by Ailey himself and the only dancer to work with all three of the company’s directors, will end her illustrious career on December 9 during the Ailey Company’s annual month-long season at New York’s City Center Theater.

“It was not an easy decision. I am still having a good time in the company and I did recognize that the dance gods were still blessing me to be able to get out on the stage and be a part of this generation’s voice and not look too bad doing it,” Robinson said. “But I know that with the company I work for the ballets don’t get any easier. There are times when they’re tougher than other times, when the costumes come in smaller and tighter. You ask yourself ‘do I still look good?’ It’s all of those things and none of those things at the same time.”

Of course the Ailey season, which opens on November 28 and runs through December 30 promises many highlights: the world premiere of “Another Night” by up and coming choreographer Kyle Abraham, the company premieres of Jiri Kylian’s “Petite Mort,” Garth Fagan’s “From Before” and Battle’s “Strange Humors”; and a revival of Ronald K. Brown’s “Grace.”  Favorite repertory pieces including Ailey classics like “Revelations” and “Memoria” are also featured throughout the season.

But the Robinson farewell will be a major focus of the first part of the season as the company and the dance world pays homage. Indeed, Robinson will receive a prestigious Dance Magazine Award on December 3 for her years of artistry.

For Robinson, the close of her Ailey career has meant time for introspection. Hers has been a career that she admits she never imagined she’d have when she first left New York University (she was a dance major and economics minor) to try life as a scholarship student at the Ailey school. “When I was younger, being a professional dancer wasn’t really on my radar,” she noted. “I wasn’t closed to the idea but I was thinking I was going to become an attorney.”

The December 9 farewell program—an evening of Ailey classic works—will undoubtedly feature Robinson in the company’s signature piece “Revelations.” The dancer admitted that the legendary piece, set to a score of spirituals, was one of her favorites, but she was reluctant to name just one favorite among the hundreds she’s performed over the years.

“They have all become the favorite. Without the ones that were a little more struggle for me I would not have built that other muscle. I would not have had the experience of stepping outside my comfort zone and being chosen to do a work that was challenging for me,” she said. “Even the works I wasn’t chosen for, I had a chance to watch others in them and watch them grow and learn from watching and informing me about how I move or how I’m doing another ballet even though the ballets could be totally opposite from one another.”

Similarly, Robinson declined to select a favorite era during her years at Ailey, saying that she’d thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working for three very different artistic directors during her tenure at Ailey.

“With Mr. Ailey, I was much younger. My focus was very different just because my experience as a performing artist in this kind of demanding environment was new. I had a lot to learn and basically my early years in the company with Mr. Ailey and around all those great dancers … was about listening, learning, watching, and making sure that I paid attention,” she said. Robinson noted that at that time, newer dancers, no matter how talented, were expected to spend more time in the corps before taking on lead roles.

“I’m glad I came into the company when I did,” she said. “You had a chance to find yourself. You had time to watch the seasoned dancers. I had a chance to listen to Mr. Ailey speak to the seasoned dancers in a way that he did not speak to us and I learned from that as well.”

By the time Ailey died in 1989, Robinson was on her way to becoming one of the company’s leading ladies. The ensuing years under Ailey’s successor, Judith Jamison, saw Robinson continue her ascent to principal dancer status.

“With Ms. Jamison I was always performing leading roles. I was looked at as one of the strong dancers who she could continue to push in certain ways. I was depended upon to also represent the company in a way whether it was to teach or to speak,” Robinson said. “With Miss Jamison, you had to be on your game 24-7. If you went into a studio with her and she was building a work or another choreographer was coming in, you had to bring your excellent game form from day one, every minute of every hour of every day of that rehearsal period.”

Robinson noted that was a particular challenge for her at times she has a tendency to be, “a little bit clunky when I’m learning. I kind of like stumble around. It’s just my process.”Jamison, she said with a laugh, preferred her not to be so, as Robinson put it, “clunky.” But, Robinson said she was grateful that Jamison and others were patient with her as she worked to become more comfortable with various choreographic challenges.

Jamison retired in 2011, handing over the reins to choreographer Robert Battle.

“With Robert Battle, I’m in a different place personally. I’m a much more mature individual which enables me to bring something else to the stage,” Robinson said.

Robinson laughed as she talked about how Battle was surprised by her habit of watching rehearsals, even of ballets she wasn’t in, and asking lots of questions. “I told him I just want to sit in on rehearsals. I just want to listen to what it is about the ballet and I wanted the chance to ask him questions,” she said. “With him, it’s just been great to get to know him and to hear up close what his vision is for the company, hear his excitement, talk to him when he turns around and says ‘What do you think?”

While it’s obvious Robinson’s wisdom is valued at Ailey and in the dance world, Robinson insisted she has no immediate plans to step into a leadership role at Ailey or anywhere else. She recently completed her master’s degree in dance through a special intensive program for seasoned dancers through Hollins University in Virginia developed with the American Dance Festival.

“I don’t have a definite something I can put on paper so to speak about what’s next for me. I know I want to continue to have the opportunity to revisit places I visited as a dancer. I know I want to continue to try and make my Spanish and French better because I’m super interested in being able to speak more than one language. I like to be able to communicate wherever I go,” she said. “My focus for now is on the work. I don’t want to be distracted with my other inner voice saying ‘where are we going next?’ So what I know is that I’ll be dancing until the early part of December and after that I’m open to the universe.”

—Karyn D. Collins