Clive Barnes, The Post’s late, great dance and theater critic, was always looking for the new and wonderful, and he loved pointing out young performers with potential. In a June 2000 review, he wrote about a dancer/choreographer he called “the promising Robert Battle.” And that, says Battle, “meant everything to me.” Judith Jamison saw that potential, too. Last year, the legendary dancer asked Battle to helm the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, whose “Revelations” he saw as a child in Miami. “It’s been going even better than I expected,” Battle says of his second year at Ailey, whose City Center season runs through Dec. 30. “The dancers have embraced my vision and Judith Jamison is happy, which makes us all happy!” Here’s what’s in his library.
Eilon Paz
Robert Battle
Dancing Spirit
by Judith Jamison
I read this before I met her. When she spoke to me about taking the position at Ailey, I read it again. It’s about her journey and life, and it captures her voice, her height — she writes tall! — and her sense of groundedness, reflected in her dancing. You feel the artist and visionary.
Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance
by Jennifer Dunning
I love this book because it really shows Mr. Ailey’s tenacity and vulnerability. We see him as larger than life, a legend and a genius, but he was a human being who did extraordinary things. He cared so much, and that’s reflected beautifully in this book. The notion of someone being strong isn’t terribly interesting, but the idea that they’re strong in spite of their fears is really powerful.
Black Judgment
by Nikki Giovanni
My mother had a group called the Afro-Americans that did poetry and song relating to the black experience in this country, and that’s how I was exposed to great poets like Nikki Giovanni. The way she captures the anger and conflict of the Civil Rights Movement is reflective of modern dance in a way.
LaBelle Cuisine
by Patti LaBelle
I’ve always been a huge fan. She saw the company when we were in Atlanta and came backstage and said, “You guys dance the way I sing!” This cookbook is delectable. I enjoy the simplicity of the recipes and the stories attached to them. Some of it is the soul food I grew up with — red rice and sausage, greens —with her own twist. Cooking’s therapeutic!
In My Library: Robert Battle
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In My Library: Robert Battle
