This Aspiring Dancer Had Never Seen a Professional Dance Performance Until TDF

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Rosario-Richardson was particularly captivated by Ailey’s signature work Revelations, which explores the turbulent history of African Americans to a score of spirituals, gospel and blues. “I had an emotional reaction,” he recalls. “In the first part of the dance, ‘Pilgrim of Sorrow,’ you could see how they didn’t have a word in society. Then at the end, in ‘Move, Members, Move,’ it was all happy and they were just enjoying themselves and having a good time. I was able to feel that from them. It was one of those performances where you just dance with them.”

His mother, Jessica Rosario, remembers her son coming home from that Ailey performance elated. “He was definitely inspired,” she says. “Being able to specifically see an Alvin Ailey performance, he got to see dancers like him, minority dancers doing what he wants to do. So he was like, that can be me one day. A career in the performing arts, it’s just so hard. TDF is one of the many resources that has taken his passion one step further.”

Rosario-Richardson’s new familiarity with the troupe came in handy when one of his high school dance instructors suggested he apply for The Ailey School’s Summer Intensive a few months after attending that first performance. “On my birthday I had to go audition for four hours!” he says. “I got accepted and I did that for July. In the middle of that, Ailey had another audition for their year-round program, and I got in and got a scholarship. It was helpful to have seen them on stage.”

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TDF MEMBERS: At press time, discount tickets were available for select Alvin Ailey dates at City Center. Go here to browse our current offers.

Top image: Antonio Rosario-Richardson dancing. Photo courtesy of Jessica Rosario.

RAVEN SNOOK