AAADT Announces International Performances In Paris, Copenhagen & Athens

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital American
"Cultural Ambassador to the World," has scheduled 2009 international performances in Paris, France, from July 6 - 25; Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 15 - 20; and Athens, Greece, from September 24 - 27. On the heels of a 50-city global 50th Anniversary tour led by renowned Artistic Director Judith Jamison, the repertory will include a mix of beloved classics, contemporary favorites and innovative new works and mark the debuts of four new AAADT members. Upon announcing the Company's return to Paris, after a sold-out and extended 2006 month-long engagement, Jamison said, "I am so proud to share the extraordinary artistry of my dancers with international audiences. Ailey's performances continue to inspire people of all backgrounds around the world."

In addition to the beloved masterpiece Revelations, classic works by Alvin Ailey will be featured, including Night Creature (1975), Ailey's homage to the music of Duke Ellington, and Memoria (1979), a loving celebration of choreographer Joyce Trisler set to the sublime music of Keith Jarrett. International stage premieres are scheduled for Camille Brown's The Groove to Nobody's Business (2007), an imagining of the meeting of strangers on a subway, and Mauro Bigonzetti's Festa Barocca (2008), a dramatic work to Handel's music involving the entire company. Performances will also include Twyla Tharp's The Golden Section, Maurice Béjart's Firebird, George
Faison's Suite Otis and Robert Battle's Unfold (detailed performance schedule attached).

Four new AAADT members will join the Company onstage for the first time in Paris: Megan
Jakel (Waterford, M.I.), former Ailey II member and honor graduate of Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program; Josh Johnson (San Fernando, C.A.), a former Ailey II member and Ailey School fellowship student; Michael Francis McBride (Johnson City, N.Y.), an Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program senior; and Samuel Lee Roberts (Quakertown, P.A.), a founding member of Battleworks Dance Company who trained at The Juilliard School.

Following past popular excursions to Barcelona, Paris, and Shanghai/Beijing, Ailey Partners will be able to get a glimpse of life on tour by joining the Company in Copenhagen as it performs at the famed Tivoli Concert Hall. Participants will be able to watch a rehearsal, tour the theater, enjoy VIP seating on Opening Night and interact with the dancers at exclusive events.

Following the international engagements, AAADT will return to the New York City Center stage for an annual holiday engagement from December 2, 2009 - January 3, 2010. The five-week season will mark Judith Jamison's 20th year as Artistic Director.

AAADT was founded in 1958 by legendary choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey with the goal of honoring and enriching the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition. Since its inception, the company has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 48 states, in over 70 countries and across six continents. For further information, visit: www.alvinailey.org <http://www.alvinailey.org>.