Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, gets to travel to all kinds of exotic locales for his job—but he definitely has his favorites. As the company opens its winter season in New York City, we got Battle to dish on his travel obsessions.
OUR SOURCE
New York-based Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—the company performs at New York City Center from December 4 through January 5; from February to May they’ll do a 23-city North American tour.
THE DISH
“People know I’m a rib man. I have to give a shout-out to Kansas City; I do like Arthur Bryant’s, but there are a bunch of bottles of Gates Bar-B-Q sauce in my office right now [1325 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd.; 816-923-0900].”
THE HOTEL
“The Hotel Adlon in Berlin. It’s the one where Michael Jackson dangled the baby over the balcony, but that’s not why I love it! It’s such a beautiful, luxurious hotel, and you can see the Brandenburg Gate right from the windows [49-30-2261-0; doubles from $300].”
THE THEATER
“Of course we love performing for our hometown audience at City Center and Lincoln Center, but I love the Kennedy Center in D.C., too—the deep, dark reds, the architecture, the boxes. And I love when the President and First Lady come to see us and we know they’re sitting right there watching.”
THE POST-SHOW DRINK
“A martini at Milos, near City Center. I order it up with olives, a little bit dirty. They do it perfectly—other places overdo it and you have to pinch your fingers and say, ‘Just a little bit dirty!’ and they never get it right, but Milos knows [125 W 55th St, martinis from $13].”
LAST TRAVELED TO
Paris. “It was really special because I’d never been before. Every street you turned down had this feeling of history and art.”
NEXT TRIP
“Ailey is touring to South America, to Brazil and Argentina. I’ve performed in Brazil before, and I love it. The audience’s love of dance is palpable—it’s so much a part of the culture, the way of life, and you really feel it.”
THE CARRY-ON MUST
Louisiana Hot Sauce. “You never know where you’re gonna be when you need to spice things up.”