Donald McKayle, A Great Man, by Loris Anthony Beckles
Donald McKayle, one of the giants of the dance world, is documented in books and video, etc. These are my own “memory snapshots” of him.
When I started dancing at 16, I borrowed every book I could lay my hands on. True, I mostly read headlines, chapter headings and captions. But I had encountered Donald McKayle there!
The first work I remember seeing in the theater was Games. Also, there would have been District Storyville and Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder (though I can’t recall exactly whether it was before or after).
I remember seeing Games when I was in Syracuse Ballet Theatre (1975-1977). The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (AARE) had come to town, and I recognized Clayton Palmer as Sissy Boy in Games. And then, when I was in AARE later, I did that part! It was a wonderful experience learning the dance from Sylvia Waters and Mary Barnett, who had danced in an earlier cast and referred to him as Donny. Among the casts I danced with were Jeffery Ferguson and Diane Maroney as the singers, Renée Robinson, Rodney Nugent, Jasmine Guy, Charles Epps, Paula Brown … Rodney was Jinx, Renee as Big Sis; Charles “Chucky” Epps was Poor Little Johnny; Carl Fields was one of the boys in the race … I remember Jasmine – “go around the corner, and lick. It. Up!!”
”I One day we were rehearsing for [either Emperor Jones or Vever, I can’t remember exactly which] up in one of the Minskoff Studios (1515 Broadway, NYC) and the costume designer showed up in one dark brown and one dark blue knee-high! Of course, all the dancers noticed and were whispering and snickering among themselves. Donald to the rescue! “ Stia, you’re wearing different colored stockings!” We all laughed, including Stia. Donald effectively defused the situation and channeled our focus into the actual business at hand. That was one of the moments I learned leadership from him.”
In 1982, Eugene O’Neill’s Emperor Jones was presented by American Music Theatre Festival. Donald McKayle directed and choreographed it. Cleavon Little made quite an impression visually, though I never learned his lines; it was a line that was said by [another character] as he led Cleavon into the jungle: “Let’s ave a look, Arry me lad”
There was a score by Coleridge Taylor “Perk” Perkinson, the composer and conductor; Miriam Burton and Elaine Beener singing; Warren Smith the drummer, Eli Fountain. The legendary Charles “Charlie” Moore as the Houngan. I do not remember the performances right now, but there was a theater rehearsal at SUNY Purchase. AARE was engaged as dancers in chorus and assorted non-speaking roles. I was the person in jail, reading dice. The only other dancer I remember in that production was Pat Jacobs Macdonald, but of course there were others …!
For some performances, the music was faster than others; one day, a whole repeat was missing! It was always a great, though treacherous, experience working with live music with jazz musicians. Later, after the performances in Philadelphia PA, Donald would extract the dances [from Emperor Jones] and create Vever for AARE, with Desiree Sewer-Vlad as the High Priestess, Michael Joy as the emperor, and myself as The Houngan, (Witch Doctor), the role Charlie had done. One of my costumes was an amazing (and amazingly simple) skirt of ties. Some of us (dancers) were engaged to use their muscle memory to set tempos during the recording of the music at a studio in Manhattan.
1984: Then there was Collage with music by L. Subramaniam and costumes by Lea Vivante, which premiered in Kansas City MO at the same season as my Anjour, which was a solo for Dudley Williams.
It seems like the next time I saw Donald was at the IABD in San Diego CA 2001. Of course, It was great to see him. And his company from University of California at Irvine (UCI) performed one of his newer works.
Later, when Donald was at UCI, I emailed him asking his suggestions on a title of a collection of reviews of Black Dance that I was assembling. His suggestion was Footprints of Erzulie, a much more sage and colorful title than the one I had come up with.
“Probably the last time we saw each other was at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual arts in Dallas TX. He was working with the dancers there, and I stopped in to say hello. I hope our paths will cross again. I did get a glimpse of him, via his work, when Southern Methodist University (SMU) presented an evening dedicated to African-American Choreographers. It featured work by Alvin Ailey, Eleo Pomare and Donald McKayle.
I continue to be fond of and respectful of this great man!”