Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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12 MARCH 2-8, 2016 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WELCOMES Kiran R. Nakkala, MD, MPH (Advance Endoscopist including EUS/ERCP) Dr. Nakkala is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. His interests in Gastroenterology include Endoscopic Ultrasound examination, ERCP, Pancreaticobiliary diseases, GI bleeding, upper endoscopy, colonoscopy and Luminal Stenting for benign and cancerous obstruction of the digestive system. Christian Y. Chung, MD, FACG Rakesh Gupta, MD, FACG J. Wes Jones, MD, FACP, AGAF Sanjeev Slehria, MD Bryan D. Uslick, MD Dr. Nakkala is now accepting appointments. To schedule, please call (910) 323-2477 ~ Option 2 1880 Quiet Cove Fayetteville NC 28304 www.cfcdd.com Alvin Ailey is a legend in modern dance. He was an African-American choreographer who founded the revolutionary dance company the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He popularized modern dance and revolutionized the dance world by bringing diversity to the front and center of the stage. His dance company was intended to truly represent the various peoples of America regardless of the color of their skin, a decision that was groundbreaking at the time. The Alvin Ailey Dance Company still performs, tours and trains new generations of dancers. Some of these up and coming dancers are coming to the Givens Performing Arts Center with Ailey II. Courtney Celeste Spears is currently a senior dance student who is touring with Ailey II. She explains this unique company by saying, "Ailey II is the junior company for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company. It is a smaller company. There are 12 dancers: six female and six male. It was created as sort of a transition for student to give them a taste of the professional dance world. This is a place to use our tools and all of the things we have been learning." In addition to representing the human diversity that America has to offer, Ailey also embraced the many different dance styles and the histories that they are rooted in. This is obvious at any performance by an Alvin Ailey dance company. "What is most beautiful is the diversity of this company. Our repertoire covers lots of different styles, which makes it accessible to everyone. We have a house dance with tennis shoes and sweats. It has a hip hop sort of influence and then we turn around and do a contemporary piece that's really physical and tests out techniques," Spears said. "Then we do some more contemporary ballet like Revelations, which is a masterpiece of modern dance. It is well balanced and we get to see different styles and find ourselves in the movement and the art. It is accessible to everyone. Just come as you are." Ailey's most successful work by far was Revelations. It is his signature piece and always performed on a tour. It is the story of African-American strength and tenacity in the face of slavery. It is deeply rooted in blues and spirituals and overflowing with beautiful emotion. After decades and countless performances it is still captivating audiences in a universal language. But it is important for more than it's beauty. "It is so loved, respected and cherished after so many decades because it is a piece of history that Mr. Ailey left for us," Spears says, "I think it is important to try and relate to the people from the past because they are the ones who set up the platform for us to expand upon. It is so beautiful to see this company that celebrates different cultures. We have to stay connected to what came before us and this is the connective tissue that keeps us together. It is so humbling and grounding to perform this piece because we are not dancing for our own benefit. We are performing for the people who came before us and dreamed of creating this company, who build this and for history." Ailey II will be at the Givens Performing Arts Center on March 3rd at 7:30 p.m. GPAC is located at 1 University Drive. in Pembroke. For more information or to purchase tickets call 910.521.6361 or visit http://www.uncp.edu/giving/ advancement/about-us/givens- performing-arts-center. Ailey II Performs at GPAC by ERINN CRIDER ERINN CRIDER, Staff Writer COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910.484.6200. EVENTS