Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns under the leadership of new Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack with two programmes showcasing the best of the pioneering company’s repertory.
A star performer on the Ailey stage between 2005 and 2014, Alicia Graf Mack was brought into the company and mentored by Judith Jamison. After Graf Mack’s retirement from performing, she went on to distinguish herself as the Dean and Director of the Dance Division of The Juilliard School before returning to AILEY as only the fourth Artistic Director in the Company’s nearly 70-year history, going back to Alvin Ailey himself. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Legacy / New Works.
Tradition and innovation will be simultaneously celebrated by the acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater company at Sadler’s Wells this September, with two contrasting mixed bills – Legacy and New Works – staged in alternating performances over one week.
The company, which was founded nearly seven decades ago by pioneering American dancer, choreographer and activist Alvin Ailey Jr, returns to London for its first international tour under the leadership of new Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack.
“After performances from coast-to-coast in the United States, I am proud to be leading the company forward on an international tour launching in London,” Graf Mack said. “Our performances celebrating the human spirit through dance will uplift with classic treasures, including the enduring masterpiece Revelations – the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy, and with new works by renowned choreographers as we step into the future with truth and bold virtuosity. The brilliant artistry of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater moves us all, and we are excited to share Alvin Ailey’s gift to the world with audiences at Sadler’s Wells, a special place in our history, and presenting dance that inspires.”
The Legacy programme presents classics by Alvin Ailey including excerpts of the jazz-infused Night Creature; the lyrical, yearning A Song For You; and an excerpt of the transcendent solo Cry. This programme also features Ronald K. Brown’s spellbinding Grace, a rapturous blend of modern and West African dance.
The New Works programme highlights creations by some of the most respected contemporary choreographers, including Medhi Walerski’s intriguing Blink of an Eye; Lar Lubovitch’s ethereal Many Angels; Jamar Roberts’ meditative Song of the Anchorite; and Judith Jamison’s sensual duet A Case of You.
Both programmes conclude with Alvin Ailey’s iconic Revelations, the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy. Since its premiere in 1960, Revelations has been performed continuously around the globe, making it the most widely seen modern dance work in the world.
Nearly seven decades after its founding, the company that defines artistic excellence and Black cultural legacy, continues to propel dance in exhilarating new directions.
NEED TO KNOW
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Legacy / New Works will be at Sadler’s Wells 15-19 Sep
- Find out more on Afridiziak Theatre News
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