Editor’s Note: Read the related stories—
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Presents NEW WORKS Review — Full Spectrum Emotional Palette
And
City Center Hosts Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Review — Adding Variety to Classic Ailey
A spokesperson says---
“...diverse programs of new works, repertory favorites, and classics that have inspired and uplifted fans for decades—including the touchstone of inspiration Revelations, the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy. The company will continue to break ground with new works by contemporary choreographers that promise to propel dance in exhilarating new directions with five world premieres—Jazz Island by Maija García, Embrace by Fredrick Earl Mosley, Difference Between by Matthew Neenan, Song of the Anchorite by Jamar Roberts, and The Holy Blues by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar in collaboration with Samantha Figgins and Chalvar Monteiro. The season, programmed jointly by Ms. Graf Mack and Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, will also feature the company premiere of Medhi Walerski’s Blink of an Eye and a new production of Judith Jamison’s A Case of You..."
WORLD PREMIERES
Jazz Island
Choreography by Maija García
In García’s first work for Ailey, a Caribbean folktale comes to life through ancestral rhythms and divine intervention. Inspired by Geoffrey Holder’s “Black Gods, Green Islands” and featuring an original score by Etienne Charles, this theatrical staging explores the spiritual dimensions of human drama and the connective force of love across the Afro-Caribbean diaspora.
Embrace
Choreography by Fredrick Earl Mosley
Embrace examines the ups and downs of human connections—messy, beautiful, and everything in between. Set to popular songs by Stevie Wonder, Kate Bush, Des’ree, Ed Sheeran, and P!nk, this world premiere explores what it takes to love deeply, heal fully, and embrace the journey with open arms.
Difference Between
Choreography by Matthew Neenan
Matthew Neenan’s choreographic debut with AILEY features his signature wild abandon and gestural playfulness. In this world premiere, acclaimed singer and composer Heather Christian contributes her raw power to an intricate world of strange tensions, potent griefs, and quiet loves.
Song of the Anchorite
Choreography by Jamar Roberts
Renowned Ailey choreographer Roberts gives a fresh take on the 1961 solo Hermit Songs, Alvin Ailey’s reaction to a set of medieval religious texts and the haunting song cycle by Samuel Barber that they inspired. The result is a powerful meditation on passion and devotion danced to music by jazz trumpeter Avishai Cohen.
The Holy Blues
Choreography by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Samantha Figgins, and Chalvar Monteiro
The Holy Blues—the first collaboration among Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Samantha Figgins, and Chalvar Monteiro—takes its title from Alvin Ailey’s journal in which he wrote, “My roots are also in…the holy blues—paeans to joy, anthems to the human spirit.” The work is inspired by the Ring Shout and The Door of No Return. The soundtrack encompasses gospel music and the blues—the sacred and the secular—which serve as passages to the divine during times of trouble and strife.
COMPANY PREMIERE
Blink of an Eye (2011)
Choreography by Medhi Walerski
In an intriguing piece that probes the relationship between dance and music, Walerski lays bare the strength and vulnerability inherent in the creative process. The timeless beauty of J.S. Bach’s violin sonatas and partita anchors the athletic movement that is both precise and expansive.
SIGNATURE MASTERPIECE
Revelations (1960)
Choreography by Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional Spirituals
More than just a popular dance work, Revelations has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans and acclaimed as a must-see for all. Alvin Ailey’s signature masterpiece is a tribute to his heritage. Using African American spirituals, the work fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul. Seeing Revelations for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience. Audiences cheer, sing along, and dance in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”
2026 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
|
