Robert Battle, Artistic Director
Masazumi
Chaya, Associate Artistic Director
Alvin Ailey American Dance The ater grew from a now-fabled
performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York
City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern
dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance.
The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 23 million
people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six
continents as well as millions more through television broadcasts.
In 2008, a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Company
as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world,” one that
celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience
and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance
heritage. When Mr. Ailey began creating dances, he drew upon his "blood
memories" of Texas, the blues, spirituals and gospel as inspiration, which
resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed
work, Revelations. Although he created 79 ballets over his
lifetime, Mr. Ailey maintained that his company was not exclusively
a repository for his own work. Today, the Company continues
Mr. Ailey's mission by presenting important works of the past and
commissioning new ones. In all, more than 200 works by over
80 choreographers are part of the Ailey company’s repertory. Before
his untimely death in 1989, Alvin Ailey designated Judith Jamison as his
successor, and over the next 21 years, she brought the Company to
unprecedented success. In July 2011, Ms. Jamison passed
the mantle to Robert Battle. In announcing his appointment as Artistic
Director, Ms Jamison stated, “Combining an intimate knowledge of
the Ailey company with an independent perspective, Robert Battle is without
question the creative force of the future.”
Anointed
Former Ailey company member
Christopher L. Huggins makes his first contribution to the Ailey
repertory with a new piece set to music by Moby and Sean Clements. Huggins
is acclaimed for crowd-pleasing dances that rev up dancers and audiences alike
with high-speed movement, unexpected patterns and kinetically charged gestures.
His latest work is sure to confirm his reputation as a choreographer in
great demand.
Cry
Alvin Ailey’s extraordinary solo pays
tribute to “all Black women everywhere–especially our mothers.” A powerful
soundtrack by Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro and Chuck Griffin accompanies
the woman on a journey from oppression and sorrow to freedom and
triumph.
The Hunt
Robert Battle’s exhilaratingly
athletic tour-de-force for six men reveals the predatory side of human
nature and the primitive thrill of the hunt. A thundering
percussion soundtrack by Les Tambours du Bronx drives the explosive
movement that runs the gamut from modern sports to the rituals of
the gladiators.
Revelations
Alvin Ailey said that one of
America’s richest treasures was the cultural heritage of
the African-American – ”sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but
always hopeful.” This enduring classic is a tribute to that heritage and to
Ailey’s genius. Using African-American traditional spirituals, this suite
fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in
the soul.
Celebrating Revelations at 50, a short film by Emmy
Award winning producer and director Judy Kinberg, will be shown before each
performance of Revelations. With rare footage of Alvin Ailey and
selections from a new interview with Judith Jamison, the film introduces the
history and significance of the ballet over the last half
century.
Running time: 2 hours 16 minutes