Outside of suburban moms telling you how much they enjoyed La La Land, the most talked-about movie this Oscar season is most likely Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight. Chronicling the life of a young, closeted black man growing up in Florida, the film’s stunning visual storytelling and a jarring original score perfectly complement the heartbreaking script. It should also be noted that the protagonist, Chiron, is played by three different actors at three different stages of his life, all of whom offer award-worthy performances and make the audience feel as if they’re actually watching someone grow up. Long story short: Moonlight is good.
Piggybacking on that goodness is a beautiful new dance tribute from New York’s Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The piece—choreographed by Alvin Ailey artistic director Robert Battle and directed by Anna Rose Holmer—utilizes the film’s visual elements (blue and purple lighting, intimate close-ups) and the aforementioned original score to create something just as haunting and memorable as Moonlight itself.
The three dancers, Jamar Roberts, Christopher Taylor, and Jeremy T. Villas, obviously represent Chiron at the three stages of his life, and transform the character’s internal struggle into outward poetic motion. Once again, in case it isn’t clear: Moonlight good. This dance good.