Photo courtesy of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. Alvin Ailey company member Clifton Brown began his dance career in Arizona. Brown performs with the company three times this weekend at Centennial Hall.

Arizona native Clifton Brown dances with Alvin Ailey company

Arizona native Clifton Brown began dancing out of obligation.

Now a company member of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Brown dances for pure love of the art form.

Brown said he began dancing at age five with the mentality that he "had to do it." In retrospect, he said he finds much to be thankful for from his early dance career.

"Growing up, I went to lots of different places (in Arizona) to study dance - different studios that (have) jazz and tap," Brown said. "I went to ballet schools - Ballet Arizona (in Phoenix) - and in my high schools, (I studied) modern dance, so I got dance education all around. That helped me a lot as far as being versatile."

While Brown does not have a favorite dance form, he said he appreciates different aspects of each dance style.

"I love jazz, but I also love modern - it's a toss-up," Brown said. "I also love ballet because of the strength."

Brown said Alvin Ailey dance encompasses several dance forms, despite being known as a modern dance company.

"It's eclectic because we do different forms of modern," Brown said. "A lot of Mr. Ailey's choreography incorporated techniques (including) neoclassical and contemporary that (have) modern elements in it but classical ballet vocabulary."

He said this "ballet vocabulary" includes classical ballet jumps - jetˇs - and turns - pirouettes.

Dance is not just about movement to Brown but a form of human expression that should be delivered back to the people, he said.

"(Dance) comes from the people, (so) it should be delivered back to the people," Brown said. "Dance is a reflection of life, just like any art form."

He said Ailey used this concept of reflecting life in his own choreography.

"Revelations," one of the pieces included in the company's University of Arizona performances this weekend, demonstrates Ailey's use of life reflection.

"People can relate to (Alvin Ailey dance)," Brown said. "It's not just movement; it has something behind it."

Brown said he prepares for his performances by spending an hour before curtain call meditating on each piece.

"(I) think about what pieces I'm doing and where I'm coming from for those pieces," he said.

While he does not usually have a lot of spare time, Brown said he enjoys using the time he has to explore the cities through which the company tours.

"There isn't a whole lot of spare time for us - we perform seven months out of the year and while we're not doing that we're rehearsing on tour," Brown said.