Courtney Celeste Spears is keeping company with legends. She was selected by her company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and among a number of dance legends photographed for Harper’s Bazaar’s August issue.
Spears was part of an elite group of dancers that included Savion Glover, American tap dancer, actor, and choreographer; Misty Copeland, who in 2015 became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre; Xin Ying, principal, Martha Graham Dance Company; Stella Abrera, a former American Ballet Theatre principal; Lloyd Knight, principal dancer Martha Graham Dance Company,Tatian Desardouin, Passion Fruit Dance Company; Melissa Verdecia, Ballet Hispanico; Tiler Peck, New York City Ballet; Calvin Royal III; American Ballet Theatre; and Vinson Fraley, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company among other dancers who showcased fashion while highlighting their individual expressions of movement for the story “Dance Is Finally Back” by Siobhan Burke, which speaks to dancers being back on stage performing in front of live audiences after a year of solo practices and virtual performances. And for some of the field’s biggest stars, choreographing the future of an art steeped in tradition means leaving some things in the past.
“I received an email from our [public relations] director at Alvin Ailey, Christopher Zunner, who let me know that Harpar’s Bazaar was putting together a portfolio of dancers for their August issue and had invited me to be photographed. I just about screamed!” Spears recalled.
“When I got there, Savion Glover was filming his video component. Savion Glover is a legend in his own right, trailblazing through the dance industry with his tapping feet. I was a little star struck. I walked in and saw a rack of top designer clothes, a full makeup and hair station, the entire crew, and a call board of some to the most iconic dancers currently in our industry like Misty Copeland, Xin Ying, Stella Abrera, Sascha Radetsky, Lloyd Knight and Vinson Fraley … and then I looked and saw a photo of me.”
Spears was awed.
“I couldn’t believe the company I was in. I still don’t know how I got in that room, but God is amazing.”
For the shoot, Spears who is resplendent in a red FY21 Dior Heart dress was styled by Samira Nasr, Harper’s Bazaar’s first woman of color to be appointed editor-in-chief and photographed by Amy Troost.
The idea was for Spears’ photo to jump of the page, so she says she just started moving and jumping and trying things with the skirt of the dress.
“It’s easy to get in your head about getting the perfect photo, so I just tried to let go and trust myself. Once I started doing that, we got the shot. It was a surreal moment.”
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