much. so, you know, you end up trying out for the school play. so then i did that and it was also something for some reason i could do. because i was, like, oh, other >> charlie: welcome to the program. we begin this evening with julianne moore, the actress who than school, seemed to be the stars in "still alice." one thing i could do, and people >> i think that's what's great about acting is that you have -- tend to be drawn toward the things that come easily to them. it forces you all the time to >> charlie: exactly right. because it came easily, i put yourself in someone else's was, it's just, like, reading. shoes and say, you know, what's i can do this. most universal? it was sort of one step after what do i understand that i know another and suddenly i'm, like, this other person understands? oh, i think i want to be an how do i enter into that life actor. just because i liked it. >> charlie: what's the best and try the understand it? advice you ever got about acting? >> i'm trying to think, what's >> we conclude with robert the best advice? battle, artistic director of the just be persistent. it's not like what i heard. alvin ailey dance theater. >> this company, when we think it's what i saw. about arts and education before >> charlie: be persistent in it became somewhat of a buzz terms of learning more, getting word to rays funds, i was a the right roles, inhabiting more mission for alvin ailey that everybody had a seat at the characters? >> just working. work, work, work. table. he wanted this to connect with you know, take opportunities, just keep moving forward, all people, that it wasn't a because i notice the actors i highbrow art form. so he believed in that, and i admired were always working and working in different genres and think that spirit judith jamison different places and nothing

carried -- seemed to bother them and they >> charlie: and you carried. just worked. yes. >> charlie: julianne moore and >> charlie: i assumed meryl robert battle, when we continue. streep. who else? >> oh, gosh. well, i mean, meryl, meryl was on the cover of "time magazine" when i was a teenager. i held it up because i had a subscription. i showed my father. i said, you see this? i said, i want to be like her. she's an actress and on the cover of "time magazine." >> charlie: yeah. so, my gosh, meryl, i think >> and by bloomberg, a provider vanessa redgrave. of multimedia news and information services worldwide. >> charlie: what's great about her and meryl, too, she's still doing it! >> that's what i mean! there's an example of someone captioning sponsored by rose communications like that who's worked from the time they were young and continues to work in tons of different venues. oh, my gosh, it's a great thing, from our studios in new york you know. city, this is charlie rose. >> charlie: do you consider yourself a late bloomer at all, either in terms of not so much >> charlie: julianne moore has always disappeared into her roles but perhaps neverore so the skills but being appreciated than in her new film called "still alice." she plays a linguistics professor confronted with early

for the range because most people will say as one director onset alzhemer's disease. said about you, you know, she the magazine writes moore guides brings intelligence, gravidas, us through the tragic arc of how it must feel to disappear and an inner self. through one's own eyes, that's the kind of thing they patriciaing one of her most powerful performance also. say about meryl streep, too. the trail for "still alice." >> that's nice, thank you. >> welcome, dr. alice howland >> charlie: but you also seem (applause) >> thank you. i hope to convince you that by to have a wider range, a bigger observing these baby steps into canvas now. >> i think my career has always the... into -- been incremental. >> where the hell were you? i was talking to somebody the other day about when i did my i hope you enjoyed that because you completely blew our dinner first movie, which was 29. plans. >> charlie: a soap opera. >> i need to talk to you. a soap opera. i did a lot of off off broadway, i have something wrong with me. a lot of televisions, movies of the week, pilots. >> what's going on? >> i don't care how cheap a oh, boy... psychology, i still hate these you going to break up or -- stupid cr flowers. no. i have alzhemer's disease. early onset. >> what? i can see the words hanging in front of me, and i can't reach them and i don't know who

>> it was a big surge. i am and i don't know what i'm >> charlie: in some ways going to lose next. that's great. >> it's like a mouse chewing through a wall one tiny bite at scope. a time but eventually you've millennium. hedge hog. eaten the whole wall. >> charlie: it not only buis experience, it builds talent i'd like to see you go to because you continue to learn and continue to be exposed to college. >> you can't use your situation new ideas, new people. to just get me to do anything >> yep. >> charlie: all of that you wasn't me to. becomes a part of who you are. >> and there's nowhere to go. >> why can't ei? it's not fair. don't have to be fair. i mean, i always say that it's i'm your mother. i hate this is happening to me. interesting about life and death >> but we have to keep the important things in our life and we're always in such a going. >> merry christmas. we have to try or we're going hurry, like, let's get to this part and that part. to go crazy. but if your hurry through it >> i'm going to get the last all -- >> charlie: you don't appreciate it. >> and you don't want to get to the very end. year out of myself. i think everything you have to >> please don't say that. i am not suffering. do has to be something you're i am struggling. enjoying doing at the time. >> charlie: that's been true struggling to be a part of for you. >> it has been. things, stay connected to who i just try to be in the place once was. you're in. >> charlie: any direct regrets about it all? to live in the moment, i tell >> i sometimes regret that i didn't go to graduate school for myself, is really all i can do. acting. >> reporter: like yale.

live in the moment. like yale. i didn't go to juilliard or something. because i think, like, wow, that >> i spoke with julianne moore could have been -- i had a earlier this year in new york. terrific undergrad education, and i thought that might be here is that conversation. >> there's a lot of buzz about interesting to have a graduate this film. you went to toronto with the education and have that more film and all of a sudden there breadth of knowledge. >> charlie: but you look at was no distributor and now this as something you will do for the rest of your life. there's a distributor because >> yeah. there was a sense of that this >> charlie: there's no end point. it's a sense that it's fulfilling for you. was a really special role. >> right. >> charlie: and you continue to do it. >> oh, thank you. >> yeah. >> charlie: hunger games: >> charlie: and that it was the right actress at the right markinmockingjay and still alic. time for the right character. >> well, we felt so fortunate. i mean, when you go to a film festival without a distributor, >> i just can't take it anymore, you never know what's going to happen. we had a 4:30 screening on a jacob, i'm so tired and it's so pathetic. >> charlie: the director -- monday which was not particularly auspicious. he's a lovely person, very so you go hoping people will see family oriented, highly the movie and respond to it. when we all walked out afterwards and heard the response from the audience, we intelligent amazingly prepared were so delighted. >> charlie: we have a chance. and incredibly precise about yeah, we felt like we had a everything he does but so soft chance. >> charlie: tell me about the film and your character. spoken and really easy days and sometimes one or two takes.

>> well, the character's name is >> charlie: what i think would alice howland, and she is a be great about being a director is if you've read a script you 50-year-old professor of linguistics at columbia love is to see what an actor university and she's been adds to your own sense of married since she was quite young in her early 20s and has character because they had to whatever the says with their own interpretation. three adult children. she started having children very >> my husband said something really interesting to me the young as well. she starts noticing little slips other day. he says when an actor surprises in her memory and doesn't you and you've written something mention it to her husband or and they start doing it, he said, you get so excited and you anyone. gradually begins to realize feel like they're holding something serious is going on. she goes to a neurologist and is dynamite. which i thought was a really wonderful way to put it. >> charlie: i heard mike diagnosed with ear early onset t nichols say what do you want from an actor and he answered 50. >> charlie: that means what? the question by saying i want them to surprise me the same way when you're diagnosed with i want my architect to surprise me. >> that's great. i think it's about creativity, alzheimer's under age 65, it's considered early onset -- what's and you want to have the shock of creativity. another word for it, too -- i'll i have it when i work with another actor. say early onset alzheimer's. it's generally a different, more they'll start doing a scene and potent form of the disease, maybe you don't know them and you walk in and they do sometimes faster acting, so she something and you get all excited and you're, like, oh my is completely compromised at gosh! thatponent in her life. you know, watching what they do. she ends up having to quit her >> charlie: nominated for an

oscar four times. teaching position, spends time do you feel good about this with her husband, dealing with film? >> yeah, i feel great. her children and she is in i feel really grad fide that cognitive decline pretty people are so moved by it. rapidly. >> charlie: so you have there the arc of a character. >> yeah. and about, you know, who she, is that's what's been wonderful because that's what we wanted. what her essential self is, you you know, it's very human. know, who are we when we lose we wanted people to feel its how we define ourselves. this is someone who's primarily humanity. we wanted people to connect and understand and have seans of been defined by her intellect what this disease was like. and she's questioning about who >> charlie: let me do a round she is when that's no longer her robin. say what comes out of your mind. strong point. self image. >> charlie: and what do i do when i can no longer do what i >> good. (laughter) used to do. >> yes, how does she present >> charlie: obsessions. herself, fight the decline and preserve her relationships. furniture. >> charlie: what are the >> when i was a little girl, earliest moments you remember? second grade, my teacher told me >> the first thing i remember is my mother told me i wasn't butterflies don't live a very long time, they live, like, a supposed to take off my shoes month or something. i was so upset and i went home and go down this hill, we were living in panama, and i took off and told my mother. my shoes and ran down the hill she says, yeah, but, you know, they have a nice life. and got a big sticker, like a they have a really beautiful big, you know, thorn in it or life. >> charlie: and how did you something and i came running prepare? back up and asked to take it out

>> it was pretty expensive. of my foot. >> charlie: achievement. what's been the biggest i was so struck by the achievement for you? generosity of everyone i spoke i assume family. to. i spoke with the national >> yeah, beyond family, i think my career. alzheimer's association and they my family has been -- i can't put me in touch with three women believe i'm so lucky that i have i skyped with across the nation this wonderful group of people around me. my husband and my two beautiful and i talked with them about children. their experience. one is a woman who was diagnosed so, yeah, i think my -- i thank my stars for that every day. at 45. >> charlie: but career because she looks like me. she ran an o.r. it's something you made and created yourself? >> yeah. i have gone from being a kid who she started noticing when having liked to read, who tried out for difficulty learning a computer the school play and got parts -- program. >> charlie: diagnosed at 45? felt lucky to get parts in a 45. i spoke to them and went to school mount sinai and talked to researchers and clinicians. i took the memory test they give to people when they come in wondering what's going on. my results were normal, thankfully. then i went to the new york alzheimer's association and talked to people in support groups there, some women who were unbelievably helpful. when i asked them what they wanted to see depicted, what

wouldn't i know -- >> charlie: what did they say? they talked about the isolation, how difficult it was to find people who understood what was happening, the feeling of people not knowing who they were because people who didn't know them when they were so-called normal functioning didn't feel like they understood how to communicate. there was one woman who said she had always been so defined by her ability with language and her intellect, once it was gone, it was difficult for her to speak to people when they didn't treat her as someone who had mother-daughter bond, what we're trying to communicate and how we miscommunicate early in the possessed that intellect. film, even though both are so so what i came away with was how well intentioned and you're watching them just miss each other. so it's not about them having a combative relationship. hard people worked to it's just about them somehow not seeing things the same way. but it's not for a lack of love communicate and to kind of and that's what you see, you watch these two people who are maintain where they were. kind of like this, manage to it's not that sense of fading away. come, you know, meet attend of people don't fade away. the movie. they continue to kind of move >> charlie: if you weren't doing what you do, what would forward, i think. >> charlie: and then there are you do? can you imagine what profession terrible moments when someone might serve the same kind of -- living with alzheimer's can't >> creative -- well, that's the

thing, being an actor. even recognize a child. there's so much we get to >> yes. >> charlie: friends of mine experience. sometimes i think, well, what if said it was the worst moment of their life. i were a librarian, you know, >> it's really awful. would that be enough? i don't think there's anything it might be because of all the people fear more than the lack of recognition. stories. we have access to all these the interesting thing to me is stories. it's not just about memory loss. sometimes i think, you know, i love furniture, i love interior there is a different kind of design, would have i liked that? neurological reaction. i always thought i would have people have spatial issues. they may not understand which liked to be a doctor, the way a doorknob turns. mystery of medicine, trying to a sense of dislocation. figure something out. there are many symptoms we and then people, you talk to so really don't know a lot about. many people. >> charlie: and you go to >> charlie: requires a sense interesting places. of empathy, doesn't it? >> yeah. >> yeah. >> charlie: you don't like to >> charlie: someone once said cook, though. you have empathy. >> no, bart does the cooking. i think it was your husband. >> did he? he's cooking right now and i'm >> charlie: yes. he said, she's got empty. going to go home and eat. >> charlie: is he, really? >> i think that's what's great about acting is that you have -- yeah. but i clean. i do the cleaning. >> charlie: you do the it forces you all the time to put yourself in someone else's laundry. >> the organizing. >> reporter: the family schedules and all that? shoes and say, you know, what is >> yes, the doctors' appointments and this and that most universal? what do i understand that i know and the other thing, yeah. >> charlie: so if a young this other person understands? actress comes up to you and says so how do i enter into that life suppose you were giving a last and try to understand it?

lecture, what would you you want i went to a long-term care to say about acting, this facility and i was sitting profession that's been so outside a singing circle and the interesting? window was open next to me and >> well, i mean -- >> charlie: proceed with the woman in front of me turned caution? >> yeah. >> charlie: you've got to love it to do it. around, was a patient there, and she said, you better get out of >> actually, i always say to the draft. people, if you don't like the i said, no, i'm okay. process of sitting down and because she moved out of the doing the scenes and being on draft. i ran into her daughter and told the set or being on stage or whatever, if you don't like the her and she said, that's my mom, doing, don't do it, because she's always worrying about there's nothing snells that's other people. exactly right. somebody once said don't tell me what was interesting was seeing that you want to be a writer. how much that woman was like tell me you want to write. herself, she was worried about people getting out of the draft. >> exactly! >> charlie: you want to be >> charlie: it's a bit of action, too. >> yes. somebody. you want to do something. >> charlie: you watch the film and understand what it's like >> i know you can get so wrapped living with alzheimer's and at up in making stuff that you the same time one of the don't even know -- it's not even executive producers maria like you like the people shriver -- >> yes, she has quite a bit of watching, though we want people to watch, you just like the experience with alzheimer's in actual doing. i used to to have being in her family and i think has made it a mission to educate people acting class. about it and raise awareness and i loved rehearsal and that. i loved going to the film set in hopefully money to fight the the morning and seeing everybody disease. and saying hello and having >> charlie: also playing your

husband -- >> alec baldwin. >> charlie: i'm told that was everybody kind of come together your idea. and bring their own expertise to >> it was my idea. something and figuring out and >> charlie: casting director. shooting the scene. we had worked together on 30 i like all of it. i like that. rock and i adored working with afterwards, i sometimes don't even want to see it, because i him. i would get offered comedies and just like doing it. >> charlie: how many times do i would email him and say, would you watch your best performances? >> twice at most. >> charlie: is that right? you do these with me? yeah. he would read the script and >> charlie: so if you know it's going to be on television or netflix, you're not going to say, i just want to see it one more time? politely decloin. >> no, and sometimes my family will see it and go, look, look! and i'm, like, turn it off! then he would read them and say, do you have a part with me? and i would let him read it and although every once in a while i'll see something, because i'm say it's small part and he said, much older than when i started, i went to see a document riabout i'll do it. i felt so fortunate to have him andre gregory and they had clips there. he has such a huge passion for life. so much vitality, so much from 42nd street and there was a scene with me and wally shaw masculinity to see somebody like that in that kind of a -- in a and i was, like, who was that? real marriage and in a that was a long time ago. relationship of where people have depended on each other to so just seeing how physically see a man try to hold on to that changed i was, that was interesting. >> reporter: thank you for and deal with that loss, i think doing this. >> thank you for having me. it's beautiful what he does. fun to talk to you. thank you.

really beautiful. >> charlie: the interesting thing about you as well is that people say you have chosen roles >> charlie: robert battle is well. here, the artistic director of >> oh, thanks. >> charlie: here you are getting to star in -- co-star, alvin ailey dance theater. the late alvin ailey founded the whatever the word is, in the new company in 1958. he was posthumously awarded the hungry games. two of them coming out. presidential medal of freedom last month. >> alvin ailey was born during mockingjay. >> part one and two. the depression in a small town >> charlie: which is a huge in texas and by the time he was film. but you have chosen films like 27 he had founded a dance company of his own in new york this throughout your career, almost as if you said, this is a city. it became a place where artists role i want to play. of all races had a home, all >> yeah. >> charlie: you know, this is something that i can really add that mattered was talent. value to. the dances he choreographed were >> i never know what i want to a blend of ballet, modern jazz play until i see it on the page, and used blues as well and though. that's what's interesting. sometimes people will say, in african-american history was your ideal world, what do you told in a way it never had been want to play? i'm, like, if i haven't read it, before. the passionate performances that i don't know. transfixed audiencens worldwide. but when i read something, i >> charlie: performances in more than 70 countries. want to do that next. u.s. congress declared him >> charlie: what was it here? cultural ambassador to the world that was when i saw disease from the inside from the and will present 39 performances in its new season beginning

perspective of theperson who's offering. so often we see it from the december 23rd. point of view of the care take. >> charlie: it's impact on the care taker. >> yes and this was about what it means to experience this loss, how do you represent who that person is throughout all the stages of the disease. >> charlie: have you chosen well 90% of the time? >> yeah, 90% is right. there's maybe 10 or 15 where maybe i didn't choose well. >> charlie: because what happens if it doesn't work? >> if it doesn't work, for example, if i'm on the set and it's not working, i might be miserable and grumpy because there wasn't an experience i wanted to have. >> charlie: if you were grumpy on set we know what's happening. >> yes and sometimes i'm disappointed because it's not become what i wanted it to. >> charlie: do you blame yourself or the director? >> i blame myself. i feel like i'm responsible for

all my choices, my work, every situation, i think that ultimately i'm the only one who can control whether i do something or not. it's not the director's fault. >> charlie: someone said to me most of the time -- someone said to me that you are a literalist, that you really like the script. >> yeah. >> charlie: you know, people who look for the supreme court and look for the original interpretation of the founders. >> yeah. >> charlie: but you are a literalist in the sense that you like the script as written. >> yes, i do. >> charlie: because you -- unless it can be better. >> charlie: yeah. there might be times i've worked with magnificent, really great writers, and then you're, like, oh, no, no, i'm not (technical difficulty) touching this. there might be times where you >> charlie: something tha work with something where the script is not fully formed, and then you say let's figure out there is something in the restrictions. the language. i always say people, if they're but i'm someone who's language shy, they end up being a great specific. i feel every word you use means public speaker. i think movement started with me something, there's power to that as something urgent and

and shape and meaning. necessary. but i have to say, though, it but i want to give the language was through singing soprano when that authority. it's really important to me, i i was little,, and my mother think the words that people choose to express themselves. >> charlie: have you been aggressive about your career or simply let it come to you? played piano for church. that's where i learned to speak >> i don't know that i -- well, in front of people. which had to do poems on easter there's not a lot that we can do >> charlie: i like this in terms of control. i always say the only control an my first poem actually was a actor has is to say yes or no lie. i was about this tiny, really tiny, and i had to stand up in because you can't make someone offer you something. my white suit and say my name is >> charlie: it's such a collaborative meeting. robert battle and i stand 6 feet >> yes, they offer it or they tall and i just came to say don't. however, it is okay, i think, to happy easter day. say you want to play something. (laughter) so there was something in that i've done several times in that -- my career. >> charlie: and you were about >> charlie: tell me the story. four feet or something. it's because of your children you ended up in hunger games. >> yeah, right. i was lying then. and then i studied martial arts >> my son who's 16 now, he will because i grew up in a somewhat be 17 in december, had, you tough neighborhood, liberty city know, read hunger games. in miami, florida. >> charlie: he'll appreciate and, so, i needed to learn how you saying that. >> i know, right? to defend myself. so i started taking martial arts so he read the hunger games which gave me a certain physical books when they first came out and i bought him the third one, confidence. and then i found dance through mockingjay. imitating michael jackson.

i said, here's the third book in my mother would watch old fred the series you like. a couple of years later my astaire and ginger rogers movies and i would imitate that. daughter who started reading the hunger games, we were on i always wanted to please my vacation, i had nothing to read, mother so part of the dancing they were playing ping-pong, and i looked around and picked up my came out of that and eventually found its way to my heart after i saw the alvin ailey american daughter's book and tore through it. i downloaded the others on my dance theater. >> charlie: what happened when you say that? ipad. >> i saw them when we were all i thought these are great. bussed there. >> charlie: before juilliard? they're phenomenal political al before. i'm still in miami going to high school, and we were bussed there allegory. the same way as now, we do outreach where if we're in a i called my manager and told him different city and young people are bussed from there, their to cast me. schools to see a mini >> charlie: you were nominated performance in the morning. for academy award four times, and i sat in this darkened theater and my whole world was many expect five at the end of this. luminated when i saw >> oh, thanks. >> charlie: would you test for it if they asked you? revolutions. alvin ailey's masterpiece created. >> charlie: we'll see some of >> sure. that later. >> charlie: did they? >> yeah, and i saw that and i they didn't. they gave me the part which is just knew that i had to follow nice. this. >> charlie: they said yes. i didn't know i'd follow it all the way to new york and now to the helm of the company, but so

yeah. be it. francis is so great, generous >> charlie: you said you knew and so prepared and articulate. you had to follow it. we had a meeting and i said, did you instantly try to set this is how i see her and how yourself on that course? >> partly by instinct, i think. i'd like to see her develop i was already taking dance because she's on the page, she's classes but it made me take it a a littl little bit of a cipher i little more seriously when i saw said i want to see a real people on the stage who looked like me, a dance that had to do political evolution with the with my upbringing in the church character. and realized in movement, a he agreed with me and i got the dance that had to do with the job. my kids were so happy. history i was learning about my people. my mother had a group called the >> she won't be able to handle afro americans where they did it. the games destroyed her. >> we need to unite these poetry and song relating to the black experience so when i saw people. >> she's not facing this revelations, i felt like my life rebellion. they'll follow her. >> charlie: your character and up till now was realized in that dance. so i think something about that drove me, and, so, juilliard tim's are flu shot the main came to do auditions and i characters. >> no, they're ancillary. >> charlie: to the young auditioned. i got a full scholarship and stars. >> young, wonderful actors. went on to juilliard, and there's something interesting about that, too. juilliard, which is on 65th, i when i read the bach, i felt this is political allegory with believe, the ailey company at adolescent overtones. that time was rehearsing on

61st street in amsterdam. so in the summer i would go and it comes down to idea of whether or not you have free will. study at the ailey school in the summer program. so i was getting closer and >> do we, in the world, have closer to this vision that i had free will. >> charlie: which is what and then it just continued to teenagers are about. >> it's the first time they're grow that way. going to be, like, i'm going to i ended up dancing with a make my own choices. >> charlie: what's going to smaller company after that, happen to me. >> am i in control and am i a and -- called the parsons dance moral person. company. i started to choreograph for the >> charlie: these are all the questions. second company, ailey two. >> these are all the questions in mockingjay. >> charlie: yeah. so i think as an actor, a judith jamison saw my work and person, a parent, it's interesting to be in that kind asked me to do something for the of situation and to be ancillary first company and brought me back again and again and and to know that you're eventually asked me to take the representing the adult world in company after she -- a sense. >> charlie: was what year when and that -- that was really fun, you first came in contact with them when you were at juilliard? compelling. >> charlie: you actually >> this was 1990, '90, '91. performed with phillip see moree >> charlie: so ailey had been dead about a year. >> yes. i just missed him, literally. hoffman. >> yes, in magnolia. >> charlie: but because of >> charlie: it's hard to take judith jamison and so much and the loss of someone with so much ththe presidential medal of freedom which you received talent. you can't necessarily understand their pain.

>> no. >> charlie: but you can posthumously you get to know understand the loss of such an about the work and the man. enormous talent. what was it about him lease >> i think we were all devastated. emerged a sensational definer? i think everybody was completely >> i think he personified this devastated by his passing. he was to tremendously talented notion of what we think of as and so empathetic and so really the good of humanity. special and clearly -- i mean, you know, he was a humanitarian. in retrospect, clearly in pain he was completely open, open to which is heartbreaking. different languages, different i felt we all wished there was sounds, different music, poetry, something that could have been done. >> charlie: or you could have and open to the poetry in each individual. reached out and made a he was all about giving, an difference. >> yeah. >> charlie: when you look at your life, why did you become an actress? >> because i like to read. opportunity to express because i love to read. themselves and there was >> charlie: the curiosity something valid and freeing in that. coming from books led you to he made ate repertory company film or acting? >> you know, i think i was -- i when he first started. love roading because i like these days it's not just the stories about people. i like the feeling of being choreography and one person, but inside the book. he had that as a vision early on i like the transformative thing i think because he was all about that literature does. opportunity. when i started acting i felt, this company, when we think about arts and education, before when it's working, when it's the it became somewhat of a buzzward best it can be, you feel like to raise funds, it was a mission

you're inside the book. you're, like, i'm in the story, for alvin ailey that everybody in this little bubble, and had a seat at the table. he wanted this to connect with you're telling stories of who we are as human beings, what we can all people's that it wasn't a accomplish, ho how we can help h highbrow art form. he believed in that and i other and damage each other. believe that spirit judith behavior is fascinating. jamison carried. >> charlie: and you carry. >> charlie: i'll tell you a story about me. yes. >> charlie: there have been >> okay. only three. >> charlie: it's something about you that makes you think you may have gone through the alvin, judith and you. same thing. >> amazing. >> yeah. >> charlie: my parents had a >> charlie: this is judith country store and i had to work jamison talking about alvin ailey and revolutions. this is back in 2008 at this there. but it was a world of adults. very table. so you had to understand their world, tuck to them about their world and the most important here it is. thing you could do is ask smart >> it was to celebrate the questions because you didn't african-american culture. experienced in the modern day of have experience they cared a lot this country. that rolls off my tongue very about. but they cared about politics easily but that's exactly what and sports and goes pip and what's going on in the community. it is. >> like you tell me what's he was specific about what we important. >> charlie: yes. were supposed to be about that it seems to me, someone, your it became universal and we see a dad was in the military, a judge? work like revelations which i >> uh-huh. my mother was a psychiatric know you've seen, one of our social worker. >> charlie: they moved around 20-something times. classic works, butio i so it and so you have to adjust to different circumstances? realize revelations is about all

>> different people, different of us, not just the cultures, different whatever. african-american experience, but so, yeah, i think you're always all of us. thinking, like, who are you? it's about childhood relations, you know, what do you like? life, death, hope, spirit, joy, you learn that that behavior is not character. >> charlie: and you become all of that, and alvin ailey observational, too. you observe with a keen eye. encompassed the fact that dance >> yeah. but i like to know, like you should be something more than just the performance, but that were talking to people in the it should be inclusive. store, i was, like, what's going so we include you. on with you? where are you from? what's that accent? are you married? >> charlie: you never become but we should be responsible to the people whom we serve. unpopular by asking people to the communities we serve questions about themselves. around the world. >> charlie: tell us about >> that's true, right? >> charlie: i learned that revelations, and why it is such early on. >> that's great. a huge piece of work. >> charlie: even true about teenagers. people, when you're moving from >> i think so much i think that place to place. >> yeah. >> charlie: once you decided, is in great art is this notion of trying to express a personal was it instant love, once you experience that through this had a chance to go on stage and masterpiece turned out to be a hear your voice and react to universal expression that had to another character and say words do with hope. and hear applause? i think it was very significant >> right. it was i read, pretty that he used spirituals, you know, that was called negro

spirituals. of course, we don't always say that, but that's the truth. but those songs were more than just songs. i think they were political. they were, of course, social. they spoke of triumph over despair. but also i think there was something important in that because you think about the civil rights movement or before the civil rights movement, to identify with these songs, some of the people who committed some of the atrocities of oppression would call themselves christian. so i think there was something about these spirituals and seeing these people who were african-american identify with their own christianity or spirituality that had to do with recognizing that i'm human, too. >> charlie: it's interesting that the presidential medal of freedom was awarded to alvin ailey and, at the same time, to

the three civil rights workers who had been killed so brutally in mississippi, posthumously as well. >> yes. and how significant was that for me that moment. i think about revelations. i think i had my own revelation standing there, receiving this award on mr. ailey's behalf. of course, looking at president obama, who is african-american, the first black president. i thought of the man who raised me, my great uncle willie horn, born 1904, died my second year of juilliard, i think of segregation, some of the things he experienced i looked out and looked at judith jamison who meant so much to little black girls who wanted to dance, there was something so significant about that moment it was overwhelming. >> charlie: lik take a look at

this. this is revelations. you don't need the say anything. you feel it all. here it is. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> charlie: you have said that seeing revelations is as important as knowing who martin luther king was. >> mm-hmm. >> charlie: these are two essential things. >> yes. >> charlie: to understand america. >> absolutely. i think about martin luther king, i think about his i have a dream speech. i think about what he was really doing in that speech was holding, as mr. ailey said, and what he tried to do with his own work is hold up a mirror to our society so people could see how beautiful they are. i think there's something in revelations that does that. when i specially became artistic director, we were on tour in russia, and i had never been to russia and certainly not with the american dance theater. and there we are in one of these wonderful old theaters, and you feel so far away from home, and then the curtain goes up on

revelations, and by the time we hit rock my soul in the bosom of abraham, you see russian people in the aisles dancing and fraying to and froe and on beat, too, i might add, there's something about that that lets us know we're more alike than unalike. >> charlie: you said about revelations it's really about everything that the human being endures. >> yes, yes, absolutely. you know, it starts with i have been rebuked and scorned. who wasn't felt that in some way? we have something called in our arts and education program, we have something called the revelations curriculum where we use revelations as a way to look at, you know, english and social studies and humanities. so sometimes we have -- using i have been' buked, i have been

scorned, we use somebody who's never studied dance and they use their own words, i have been dissed. so no matter what your religion, your color or street across the ocean, people connect to that humanity. >> charlie: this is odetteta. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ this little light of mine

♪ i'm going to let it shine >> charlie: you took over three years ago. >> yes. >> charlie: is it mission different or does it simply build on the tradition that's been created? >> it builds on the tradition, the tradition of always discovering new voices. celebrating our history, celebrating the history of modern dance, and then giving opportunity to these marvelous dancers to do their stuff, if you will. so mr. ailey sort of laid it out in the beginning and it still works. you know, so -- and that way, for judith jamison and myself, she always says we're standing on shoulders and it feels that way. >> charlie: how is she? she is great. she is divine. >> charlie: all that. absolutely. we do revelations live, having it sung live for a few of the performances.

so she was just at city center rehearsing with the musicians and singers. >> charlie: you've said, i'm interested in your conversations around how we view these dancers and their abilities. >> yes. >> charlie: you know, looking at people who come to the theater. >> yes, absolutely. and i think i try that with certain choices that i make for the repertory. for instance, this season, it starts tomorrow. >> charlie: yes. this season bringing in european choreographer schecter, his work will be new to the company, and it will sort of shed a different light on what these dancers are capable of. i love things that are outside of the box, unexpected. you don't have the last name battle and not have something unexpected every now and then. >> charlie: yeah. that's been fun for me because these dancers can do

almost anything. i watch them in the studio, when the audience doesn't get to see the amount of rigor it takes to do what they do to produce that amount of grace, so i'm driven by these magnificent dancers. >> charlie: this is something you choreographed yourself. >> mm-hmm. ♪ ♪

♪ >> charlie: where did that come from in your head? >> imcame from a lack of space, not in my head, but i made it in a living room in queens many, many years ago and so that's why most of the dance doesn't travel and now it traveled all over the world because of the alvin ailey american dance theater. gosh, somebody handed me this music, a cassette tape of this music by sheila shandra and i just thought it was so incredible. of course, i've always admired indian dance. it's so complex and communicative, and, so, that's what it reminded me of. listening to this also reminded me of ella fitzgerald.

i love jazz and ella and scatting. it's a different version of scatting syllables. i can hear words in these syllables that seemed to not say anything. i could hear it, you know, so i was trying to interpret that. but in this dance, i see all of those things i talked about. i see the martial arts. i see the influence of michael jackson. you know, i see the influence of singing. sometimes the mouth is moving or the eyes. so that was the inspiration for that dance. >> charlie: much success to you. >> thank you very much. >> charlie: we've had on this program a long association with alvin ailey and the theater company in terms of shows we've done and judith being here. it's a great pleasure. i'm sorry alvin ailey didn't live to see the idea that the president of the united states, an african-american, would put around his neck the highest honor that this country can give. >> yes. >> charlie: so thank you. thank you. >> charlie: thank you for joining us. see you next time.

for more about this program and earlier episodes, visit us online at pbs.org and charlierose.com. captioning sponsored by rose communications captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

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