Ailey Women Find Bond in `Love' - Renee Robinson and Carmen de Lavallade expand "Sweet Bitter Love" for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Dance Magazine, Dec, 2000 by Karyn D. Collins

Robinson says it's a role she's evolved into as she learned more about herself. Among the lessons: the power of humor (she laughs a lot) and the importance of appreciating your own gifts and accepting your limitations. "I'm interested in helping dancers realize they have everything they need in their bodies and helping them see all their greatness," she says.

For both Robinson and de Lavallade it's all about spirit. Robinson says the spiritual aspect is what will keep her dancing for the foreseeable future. De Lavallade, reminiscing about the ageless performances of dancers she has known, says, "The lesson they taught was that your performance, your art, has to do with the spirit. If the spirit is there, it will come through no matter what your age is."

Karyn D. Collins is dance critic and entertainment writer for the Asbury Park Press and Gannett-NJ in Neptune, New Jersey.