Troy Powell

Troy Powell (born January 27, 1969 in Brooklyn) also known as Troy O'Neil Powell is an American dancer, choreographer, educator, and director. He is a former principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and former artistic director of AAADT's second company, Ailey 2.[1] Powell was fired in July 2020 after an independent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the Ailey School concluded that he had engaged in "inappropriate communications" with students who were interested in joining the Ailey 2.[2][3]

Early life

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Powell met Alvin Ailey at the age of nine when Ailey came to his school to teach a masterclass. Unknown to Powell at the time, the class was actually an audition for a scholarship to attend the first children's program at The Ailey School. Though he lacked formal dance training, Powell was handpicked by Ailey to join the program.[4] During his time at school, Ailey served as a mentor and father figure to Powell.[5][6] In 1987 he graduated from LaGuardia High School of The Performing Arts with a concentration in dance. The following year he was invited by Sylvia Waters to join Ailey 2, which was then known as the AIvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble.[7][8]

As a member of AAADT's second company, Powell danced in a wide range of ballets by Ailey and other commissioned choreographers.[9][10][11] During his time with Ailey 2, Powell was singled out for his dancing by Jennifer Dunning who wrote in her review for the New York Times that "he performs as if filled with the dance, with an infectious though private look of delight that has a Nijinsky-like radiance to it."[12]

Career

Powell was invited to join the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1991 by Judith Jamison, who had assumed artistic directorship of the company following Ailey's death in 1989. During his tenure with the AAADT, Powell toured across the globe performing principal roles in Ailey's Blue's Suite,[13] For 'Bird'-With Love,[14] Masekela Language,[15] The River,[16] Night Creature,[17] Phases,[18] and the Sinner Man trio in Revelations,[19] Ulysses Dove's Episodes,[20] Hans van Manen's Polish Pieces,[21] George Faison's Suite Otis,[22] Talley Beatty's Stack-Up,[23] Earl Mosely's Days Past, Not Forgotten,[24] Billy Wilson's The Winter in Lisbon,[25] Donald Byrd's Dance at The Gym,[26] and in Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's male casting of Shelter.[27]

After presenting his choreography for Passages at the 1996 Ailey Gala,[28] Powell was commissioned to create a ballet for the main company. The piece, Ascension, debuted in 1998 and was dedicated by Powell to the memory of his mother.[29] In an interview with the NYTimes, Powell praised Judith Jamison for continuing Ailey's tradition of providing opportunities to people of colour to choreograph and showcase their artistry.[30] In tandem with his career at Ailey, Powell also danced with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, which was founded by his Ailey colleagues Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson,[31] and performed as a Principal Guest Artist with Batsheva Dance Company, Dallas Black Dance Theatre,[32] and Fred Benjamin Dance Company.[33]

Director of Ailey 2

In 2001, after performing with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 10 years, Powell left the company to join The Ailey School as a master Horton technique teacher and to become the resident choreographer of Ailey 2.[34] His ballets for Ailey 2 have included The Tyner Project,[35] Fragments,[36] First Circles,[37] Point of Departure,[38] How Small a Thought,[39] External Knot,[40] Hope (How They Rise),[41] Reference Point,[42] and Ebb and Flow.[43] In 2003 he was appointed associate director of Ailey 2.[44][45] Following the retirement of Sylvia Waters in 2012 he was designated artistic director of Ailey 2, making him the second person to lead the company in its 38 year history.[46][47] In 2015, Powell produced Ailey 2 in the company's first solo season at the Joyce Theatre.[48]

As part of the 2019 Ailey Spirit Gala—which commemorated the 50th anniversary of The Ailey School—Powell choreographed a biographical ballet that followed his journey through the Ailey institution, from entering the school to joining the first company.[49] He used students from The Ailey School along with members of Ailey II and the main company to choreograph the piece which he titled, Testimony. AAADT leading dancer Solomon Dumas danced as the adult version of Powell. Powell stated that Dumas' status as the first graduate of AileyCamp to join the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a company member, made their stories mirror images of each other.[50] Powell dedicated Testimony to Alvin Ailey, crediting him as "a lifesaver" who "gave me these two feet that I’m standing on."[51]

Media

Powell appeared on season 14 of America's Next Top Model the episode Let's Dance as a guest coach and choreographer, teaching the models how to pose in different styles of dance.[52] He was featured on the Polish edition of So You Think You Can Dance as a guest choreographer in 2012, teaching the contestants choreography from his ballet External Knot.[53]

References
  1. "Troy Powell". Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. 2010-02-09. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  2. "Troy Powell, Artistic Director of Ailey II, Has Been Fired for Sexual Misconduct". Observer. 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  3. Casey Tolan, Ashley Fantz and Alessandra Freitas. "Former Alvin Ailey dancers accuse ex-director of misconduct". CNN. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  4. Peters, Jen (June 11, 2019). "Ailey School Celebrates 50 Years of Developing Dreams". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  5. "Q&A with Troy Powell, Artistic Director of Ailey II". The Good Men Project. 2013-03-23. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  6. "Alvin Ailey Is Finally Getting His Flowers — 30 Years Too Late". www.out.com. 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  7. "Notable Alumni | Alumni & Friends of LaGuardia". alumniandfriends.org. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  8. "Dance". www.laguardiahs.org. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  9. Dunning, Jennifer (1990-06-14). "Review/Dance; New Ailey Center Celebrates With 9 Works and Money". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  10. Sun-Sentinel, CAROLYN JACK, Special to the. "ALVIN AILEY REPERTORY GROUP REFLECTS ITS FOUNDER". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  11. Anderson, Jack (1989-06-18). "Reviews/Dance; Alvin Ailey Students Showcase Their Strengths". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  12. Dunning, Jennifer (1989-04-11). "Reviews/Dance; Ailey Junior Ensemble Challenges Main Company". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  13. Dunning, Jennifer (1993-12-18). "Review/Dance; Cotton Fields, Hazy Bars In an Early Ailey Classic". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  14. Anderson, Jack (1996-12-09). "Parker Plays, With or Without a Sax". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  15. Anderson, Jack (1998-12-19). "DANCE REVIEW; Dry Toes In Watery Fancies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  16. Anderson, Jack (2000-12-04). "DANCE REVIEW; Pawing And Poking To Ellington Melodies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  17. Dunning, Jennifer (1996-08-09). "Exuberant Motion And Rollicking Jazz". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  18. Dunning, Jennifer (2000-12-09). "DANCE REVIEW; Saluting the Ailey Junior Troupe". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  19. Anderson, Jack (2000-12-01). "DANCE REVIEW; Upward, Downward and Upward Again, the Ailey Toasts a New Season". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  20. Anderson, Jack (2000-12-25). "DANCE REVIEW; Furious Erotic Encounters And a Turbulent Tribute". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  21. Dunning, Jennifer (2000-01-01). "DANCE REVIEW; Lovers Who Burn the Air Around Them". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  22. Dunning, Jennifer (1998-12-31). "DANCE REVIEW; A Bit Older, Sassier and Sexier". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  23. Dunning, Jennifer (1997-12-08). "DANCE REVIEW; A Whirlwind of Energy Despite Loss". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  24. Kisselgoff, Anna (1997-12-22). "DANCE REVIEW; Memoir of a Rebellious Youth's Coming of Age". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  25. Anderson, Jack (1996-12-16). "Winter Weather Tempered By Sassiness and Passion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  26. Dunning, Jennifer (1994-12-20). "DANCE REVIEW; A Return To Quiet Rage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  27. Dunning, Jennifer (1995-12-08). "DANCE REVIEW;Men Replace Women In a Classic Ailey Work". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  28. Dunning, Jennifer (1996-01-31). "DANCE REVIEW;A Gala Tribute by and for Members of the Ailey Company". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  29. Kisselgoff, Anna (1998-12-14). "DANCE REVIEW; Abstract Images Evoke a Tragedy From Real Life". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  30. Tracy, Robert (1999-11-28). "DANCE; Open Wide the Doors: Memories of a Mentor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  31. Dunning, Jennifer (1995-01-17). "DANCE REVIEW; Making a Unified Whole With Music and Design". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  32. Dunning, Jennifer (2004-08-27). "DANCE REVIEW; All Shapes And Sizes, Exuberant And Driving". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  33. Kisselgoff, Anna (2001-05-11). "DANCE REVIEW; Energy and Originality Take Varied Jazzy Forms". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  34. "Troy Powell". Dance Teacher. 2014-11-01. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  35. Dunning, Jennifer (2002-09-26). "Scenery for the Dancers Provided by the Band". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  36. Dunning, Jennifer (2002-03-27). "DANCE IN REVIEW; Up and Coming At the Ailey". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  37. Dunning, Jennifer (2002-08-13). "DANCE REVIEW; Ailey's Young International Graduates Show How to Sizzle". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  38. Dunning, Jennifer (2004-04-03). "DANCE REVIEW; Descending Into the Soul With an Intense Lyricism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  39. Dunning, Jennifer (2005-05-16). "Junior Ailey Troupe, Mature at 30-Year Mark". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  40. Nast, Condé. "1.2.3 with Alvin Ailey's Second Company". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  41. Macaulay, Alastair (2009-04-19). "Engaging, Youthful Individuals at Ailey Citigroup Theater,". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  42. Tribune, Chicago. "Ailey II moves the same spirit". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  43. "Ailey II—The Next Generation at NYU Skirball Theatre". amsterdamnews.com. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  44. "'Revelations' revealed". Los Angeles Times. 2006-02-19. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  45. "Ailey Power". Dance Spirit. 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  46. Bloom, Julie (2011-08-24). "Sylvia Waters, Longtime Artistic Director, to Retire From Ailey II". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  47. Seibert, Brian (2013-03-17). "Onstage Patter, Before the Feet Move". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  48. Seibert, Brian (2015-03-18). "Review: Ailey II Displays Acrobatic Tussles Between the Sexes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  49. Times, The New York (2019-06-08). "The Week in Arts: Alvin Ailey Goes Back to School; 'Younger' Returns to TV Land". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  50. Barber, Elizabeth (2019-07-15). "Dancing a Memoir at Alvin Ailey". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  51. "The Alvin Ailey School Celebrates 50 Years With a Moving Gala Performance". Vogue. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  52. "Ailey 2's Troy Powell to Appear on America's Next Top Model". Broadway World. March 24, 2010. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  53. Desk, BWW News. "STAGE TUBE: Ailey II Appears on Polish SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
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