Ailey II Announces Two-Week New York Season at The Ailey Citigroup Theater

Ailey II, the youthful and gifted second company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will return to its home, The Ailey Citigroup Theater, for a highly anticipated two-week season featuring 14 exciting performances from April 6-17. Ailey II's 2011 New York season comes on the heels of a wildly successful North American tour and an array of critically-acclaimed performances in the United Kingdom, France, Austria, and Germany. The Company has added an additional performance to their two-week run in anticipation of superseding the success of their 2007 and 2009 sold out engagements.

Ailey II Artistic Director Sylvia Waters, a recipient of the 2008 Dance Magazine Award, is delighted to be returning to the Company's home theater. "I'm excited," Waters says. "I know the dancers will kick it up a notch for our home town audiences, if that's even humanly possible!"

Hailed as "second to none" by Dance Magazine, Ailey II is at the peak of its popularity, winning rave reviews and regularly selling out performances all over the world. The dancers are always excited to bring the Ailey spirit home and perform for fans and patrons in New York, known to many as the center of the dance world.

"We have 12 of the most beautiful dancers who are ready to share their incredible gifts as artists with New York City," says Troy Powell, Associate Artistic Director of Ailey II. "They're certainly going to change audience members' perspectives when they leave the theater."
This season, Ailey II presents two dynamic programs showcasing six unique ballets. Program A will feature three premieres: The Corner, a full ensemble work by Kyle Abraham combining contemporary hip hop vernacular with post modern movement; Doscongio, Robert Moses' signature work set to two movements of Chopin's Sonata for cello and piano (op. 65); and Shards, Donald Byrd's 1988 work originally staged on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, set to music by Mio Morales. The program will also include Carlos dos Santos' Proximity, which explores the dynamics of relationships between four strangers and the natural energetic shifts and differences between them.

Program B will feature: Echoes by Thang Dao, depicting the echoes of memories of his family escaping Vietnam; Valse, by former Ailey School student and emerging choreographer Sidra Bell; and will conclude with Donald Byrd's Shards.

Program A: Proximity, Doscongio/The Corner/Shards

Program B: Echoes/Valse/Shards

Performance Schedule
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 8:00 pm (Program A)
Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 8:00 pm (Program B)
Friday, April 8, 2011 at 8:00 pm (Program A)
Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 3:00 pm (Program A) & 8:00 pm (Program B)
Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 3:00 pm (Program B) & 7:00 pm (Program A)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 8:00 pm (Program B)
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 8:00 pm (Program A)
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 8:00 (Program B)
Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 3:00 pm (Program B) & 8:00 pm (Program A)
Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 3:00 pm (Program B) & 7:00 pm (Program A)

TICKETS:
All tickets are now on sale at $45. To purchase tickets, visit www.AlvinAiley.org or www.ovationtix.com or call 866-811-4111. Tickets can be purchased on the day of a performance at The Ailey Citigroup Theater box office located at 405 West 55th Street one hour prior to curtain (subject to availability). If available, a limited number of student rush tickets can be purchased at the box office 30 minutes prior to curtain for $10 (cash only). Groups of 10 or more receive a discount on tickets purchased. Visit AlvinAiley.org/GroupSales or call 212-405-9082 for more details.

SEASON REPERTORY

PROGRAM A:
Proximity (2009) explores the dynamics of relationships between four strangers and the natural energetic shifts and differences between them. Choreographer Carlos dos Santos encourages the audience to investigate the purpose of keeping relationships distant while living and working in close, intimate environments. His unique style, which includes Brazilian folkloric, ballet, and West African techniques, is key to creating universal movements that echo the universal theme of his ballet.

Doscongio (1998) Robert Moses' signature solo work is set to two movements of Chopin's Sonata for cello and piano (op. 65). Both fiercely focused and relaxed, the ballet explores the schism in one man's view of himself. The first movement is his moment of public bravura, and the second is his private realization of the fallacy of that image.
The Corner (2010) by Kyle Abraham is set to music by Donny Hathaway and popular rapper Common. The work recreates life on the street corner, utilizing the full ensemble cast of 12 dancers and blending contemporary hip hop movement with post-modern and ballet techniques.

Shards (1988) is a skillfully crafted work created by Donald Byrd, showcasing his eclectic and complex choreography. Set to music by Mio Morales, Byrd expertly combines passion and formality, creating the perfect company premiere for the stunning Ailey II dancers. Originally staged on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1988, The New York Times noted that the choreography was "intellectually stimulating (and)...certainly kept one watching."
PROGRAM B:
Echoes (2008) began as a depiction of haunting memories. But this poignant ballet, by Thang Dao, has since taken on a life of its own, as the echoes of memories.
Valse (2009) invites you into an atmospheric world with a mysterious language of its own. With an intense physicality, the work is rich with lush, spiraling duets that move seamlessly throughout the piece. The music for Valse was composed as a collaborative effort between Sidra Bell and her father, Dennis Bell.
Shards (1988) see above

Official U.S. Tour Sponsor: MetLife Foundation
Ailey II gratefully acknowledges the generous support provided by New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

AILEY II HISTORY

Ailey II is an exceptional company that merges the spirit and energy of the country's best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's most outstanding emerging choreographers. Started in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey's pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training and community programs for all people. Today, it has become one of the most popular dance companies in the United States.

Under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters, Ailey II is comprised of the most promising students from The Ailey School and offers unique opportunities for artists to refine their technique while gaining invaluable performing and teaching experience during their tenure with the Company. Throughout its history, many Ailey II members have gone on to pursue successful careers as dancers, teachers and choreographers with other professional dance companies, on Broadway and in schools. Over 75% of the current members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater were once members of Ailey II.

In recent years, Ailey II's distinctive repertory has included works by dance masters Alvin Ailey, Talley Beatty, Ulysses Dove, Lar Lubovitch, George Faison, Robert Battle, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Artistic Director, Judith Jamison. Ailey II has also performed innovative works by emerging choreographers, including Thang Dao, Carlos dos Santos and Christopher L. Huggins. The Company's 2010-2011 tour consists of performances in 35 cities across the United States and for the first time, an international tour with performances in France, Germany, and the UK. The Company has received numerous honors, awards and proclamations in recognition of its residencies at major colleges and universities as well as visits to elementary, middle and high schools across the US.

"Watching these highly trained dancers doing something you could only dream of doing is a sheer delight."
- The Telegraph, Mark Brown- Feb. 24, 2011

SYLVIA WATERS, Artistic Director
Since Ailey II's inception over 35 years ago, Artistic Director Sylvia Waters has been responsible for the growth and expansion of one of the country's most vibrant dance companies. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance at The Juilliard School, and studied with distinguished faculty members Antony Tudor, Martha Graham, Alfredo Corvino, Ethel Winter, Helen McGhee, Bertram Ross and Mary Hinkson. Following her graduation from Juilliard, Ms. Waters moved to Paris, where she appeared regularly on television and worked with Michel Descombey, then director of the Paris Opera Ballet, as well as Milko Sparembleck, and subsequently performed in Brussels and at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Ms. Waters returned to the United States in 1968 and joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She toured as a principal dancer with the Company until assuming her current position with Ailey II. Ms. Waters has also established a distinguished reputation as a teacher, conducting master classes throughout the US and Europe. She received an honorary doctorate from the State University of New York at Oswego, and she has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. Ms. Waters has received the Legacy Award as part of the 20th Annual IABD Festival, Syracuse University's Women of Distinction Award, the prestigious Dance Magazine Award and a "Bessie" Award. Most recently, she was a Visiting Lecturer at Harvard University during the 2010 spring semester.