Rushing Toward Greatness - dancer Matthew Rushing of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Interview

Dance Magazine, Nov, 1999 by Susan Elia

Technical virtuoso Matthew Rushing reveals why dancing for the Ailey company is such a personal and an artistic revelation.

To speak with Matthew Rushing is to realize that nice guys can indeed finish first. Soft-spoken, gracious, and modest, he will often credit his mother, teachers, choreographers, and colleagues for his success with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. A longtime favorite among professionals, Rushing is now beginning to garner critical acclaim and a devoted following among audiences for a virtuosity that ranges from subtle characterizations to dazzling pyrotechnics. In his debut in the company's revival last winter of Geoffrey Holder's 1967 The Prodigal Prince, he was likened to a young Dudley Williams--highest praise in the Ailey community.

Although they never met, Rushing cites Ailey as an enormous influence: "I can't describe to you how he affected my life. I remember, in high school I was so overwhelmed by his talent, by his vision, by his company that I actually memorized all the dancers' bios in the program and memorized a hundred names of dancers, past and present, with the Ailey company. My teachers were really supportive of my dance career; if I finished my schoolwork early, they would let me go to the chalkboard and write all the one hundred names. That's just an example of how much I loved this man."

Rushing's colleagues are unanimous in their praise of his talent and determination. Choreographer Geoffrey Holder, who cast him in the lead role of Hector Hyppolite in the Prince revival, is rapturous: "As an actor he went to town. He's a brilliant technician, but his intelligence is what you see on the stage."

With characteristic modesty Rushing says, "I actually don't know how I got cast. I know in the past Mr. Holder and his wife, Carmen de Lavallade, would always come to the season, and they always had nice things to say to me. And I didn't have much to say to them ... my mouth would just drop open! So, working with Mr. Holder was amazing. I was very intimidated by the piece; I had heard so much about it and Miguel Godreau, who had originated the part. Even before I was in the company, I always researched the company, and Miguel he was amazing! I've seen tapes. I wasn't expecting anything; I didn't know if I was ready to do it. But after a while I didn't have any fear because I knew the process was in Mr. Holder's hands and I just went with the process."

Roger Jeffrey, a dancer-choreographer who took class with Rushing at the company school, fondly recalls what most impressed him about Rushing: "His dedication and hard work. When you watch him perform, you see someone who totally believes in what he's doing. He's totally committed, and you know he's invested some time--he can actually be held accountable for the work he has done and the process there. He's been able to investigate his role ... It's not just about a turn and a kick and a jump; it's also about bringing people into the story--like a book, you can open it at page one and know that there's a through line."

Rushing began his dance career in Los Angeles. "I started dancing because my mother put me in an after-school recreational program to keep me off the street. I told my mother, `I really like this dance thing,' and, well, she knew all the stereotypes out there and all the obstacles that I would have to go through, and she wanted to make sure this was what I really wanted to do. So she took me to my first performance, the Ailey company at the Wilshire Theatre. I was twelve or thirteen, and what I really remember is Revelations. I could hear the dancers breathe. I was mesmerized. So once I saw these beautiful people, I knew that this was what I wanted to do."

Rushing continued and intensified his dance training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. "The magnet school for the performing arts was one of the first on its level in Los Angeles. It was located on a university campus, which had a lot of advantages. The training was really different from a studio environment. For one, in Los Angeles a lot of dance is really commercial--you know, Hollywood. But within the School of the Arts, I really received a huge introduction to so many different idioms--and there was a great sense of integrity within the arts. I started choreographing there, too.

"When I was in eleventh grade, I auditioned for the Ailey company. I wanted to get a full scholarship so that I could train and eventually get into the company. So one of my dance teachers, Curran Brown, flew with me to Berkeley, California--that's the farthest I'd ever had to fly--and I auditioned for the company there. When I auditioned, [artistic director Judith] Jamison was there, as well as the head of the school, Denise Jefferson. Afterwards, they offered me not only a full scholarship but a place in the second company. So, actually, I missed my high school graduation. I flew directly to New York to spend a summer on scholarship--I knew no one and I was on my way to pursuing my dream. It was exciting, but it was really scary."