Segerstrom Center For The Arts Welcomes Back Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, 4/18-22

Segerstrom Center for the Arts proudly welcomes the return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in an exclusive Southern California engagement Apr il 18 - 22, 201 8. The Company will dance new programs that feature five works never before seen at the Center and several set to music by legends of the jazz world.

The three Southern California Premieres are - Members Don't Get Weary (2017), choreographed by Bessie Award Winner Jamal Roberts to music of John Coltrane, Victoria (2017) choreographed by Spanish choreographer Gustavo Ramirez Sansano to music by Michael Gordon, and a new production of Mass (2004 / 2017) choreographed by Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle to music of John Mackey. Two works new to Segerstrom Center are Ella (2008) to music of Ella Fitzgerald and In / Side (2008) to music of Nina Simone.

The programming also includes beloved Ailey classics The Golden Section (1983) choreographed by Twyla Tharp to music of David Byrne, Stack - Up (1982) choreographed by Talley Beatty to music of Earth, Wind & Fire, Grover Washington, Jr., Fearless Four and Alphonze Mouzon, and the American Masterpiece Revelations (1960) choreographed by Alvin Ailey. These works are performed in three different programs from April 19 - 22.

In addition, the engagement opens on April 18 with Discover Ailey, a special h our - long moderated performance t hat includes complete performances of Mem b ers Don't Get Weary, Ella and Revelations. Discover Ailey is an ideal introduction to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the Company's energy, artistry and spirit of dance. Tickets starting at $ 19 are specially priced for this unique and informative evening. I n anticipation of the Company's return to the Center, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's stay begins with its popular FREE Ailey community dance event - Revelations Celebration - on Saturday, April 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the new Julianne and George Argyros Plaza.

Visitors of all ages are invited to participate and engage with Company performers, teaching artists, and to enjoy other activities as well. Acclaimed Company teaching artist Nasha Thomas - Schmitt, master teacher for Arts In Education and former AAADT star, will t each the distinctive movements from three of the most well - known pieces in the Company's cornerstone work, Revelations, including " Rocka My Soul, " " Wade in the Water " and " I've ' Been Buked. "

Fans and novices alike are welcome ! Ticket prices for the full performances April 1 9 - 22 start at $ 29. Tickets for Discover Ailey on April 1 8 start at $ 19. Tickets for all performances are now available online at SCFTA.org, by calling (714) 556 - 2787 and at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For i quiries about group ticket discounts, call the Group Services office at (714) 755 - 0236.

Free Preview Talks by Company members will be conducted one hour prior to each performance. The Friday evening, April 20 Preview Talk will be sign - language interpreted. Audiences can also participate in a number of fun and informative pre - show activities. Artists and program are subject to change.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has the power to connect, and believes that now, m ore than ever, we need the power of da nce to bring all people together, united by our common humanity. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is o ne of the world's most popular dance companies and is r ecognized by the U.S. Congress as a vital American " Cultural Ambassador to the World. "

For this, its eighth visit to the Center, Ailey's 32 renowned dancers will move audiences with a diverse collection of dynamic premieres and new productions that shine a spotlight on social issues, celebrate jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Nina Sim one, and Dizzy Gillespie alongside classic treasures that include Alvin Ailey's masterpiece Revelations. This extraordinary company is being led forward by the expansive vision of Robert Battle, whose inspirational story of growing up in Miami's Liberty City and ultimate success despite numerous obstacles, is featured in the vibrant Simon & Schuster children's book MY STORY, MY DANCE : Robert Battle's Journey to Alvin Ailey. Members Don't Get Weary Southern California Premiere Choreography by Jamar Roberts Music : John Coltrane Longtime Ailey dancer and recent " Bessie " Award winner Jamar Roberts makes his choreographic debut on the Company in this world premiere inspired by the blue s. Roberts says, " As a response to the current social landscape in America, Members Don't Get Weary takes an abstract look into the notion of one ' having the blues. ' "

Set to the powerful music of the legendary American jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane, the work aims to inspire the audience, allowing them to momentarily transcend their own personal blues. Victoria Southern California Premiere Choreography by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano Music : Michael Gordon Gustavo Ramirez Sansano ' s Victoria pairs the Spanish choreographer's audacious, athletic movement style with the propulsive drive of "Rewriting Beethoven's Seventh Symphony " by award - winning composer Michael Gordon to create a work that feels vital and thrillingly of - the - moment.

Mass Southern California Company Premiere Choreography by Robert Battle Music : John Mackey Mass features a score by John Mackey, who has collaborated on multiple occasions with Robert Battle - including his 2015 world premiere Awakening. Commissioned for The Juilliard School in 2004, the movement in this work showcases Robert Battle ' s signature ritualistic choreography.

The Golden Section Choreography by Twyla Tharp Music : David Byrne The Golden Section by Tony Award - winning choreographer Twyla Tharp is a sizzling work set to a propulsive score by David Byrne. It shatters the limits of human physicality with breathtaking leaps, finely - honed partnering and explosive joy. Stack - Up Choreography by Talley Beatty Music : Earth, Wind & Fire, Grover Washington, Jr., Fearless Four, Alphonze Mouzon Set to the background of a throbbing 1970s beat (Earth, Wind and Fire, Grover Washington Jr., Fearless Four, and Alphonze Mouzon) and a graffiti landscape, patrons in a crowded disco dance with attitude, sass, and fierce despair in this classic work by Talley Beatty. Inspired by Los Angeles ' urban landscape and the lives of its disparate inhabitants, Stack - Up depicts the emotional ' traffic ' in a community that is stacked on top of each other. Tough, brutal yet poignant, the stage sizzles with street life, break dancing and physical pyrotechnics as an aloof drug pusher and two displaced lovers are destined for collision.

The Company returns Stack - Up to the stage for Beatty's 2018 centennial. Ella Center Premiere Choreography by Robert Battle Music : Ella Fitzgerald Originally created as a solo, this high - energy comical dance by Robert Battle was reinvented as a duet for Ailey's December 2016 Opening Night Gala benefit, An Eve ning of Ailey and Jazz. As celebration of her 2017 birth centennial, using a live concert recording of " Airmail Special " by Ella Fitzgerald, Ella matches the iconic singer's virtuosic scatting with lightning - fast, articulated movement in an irresistible to ur - de - force that leaves audiences (and the dancers) breathless. In / Side ? Center Premiere Choreography by Robert Battle Music : Nina Simone T he vivid emotions of Nina Simone ' s " Wild is the Wind " play out in Robert Battle ' s gripping solo.

The bold, unrestrained style that has become his signature is evinced in this visceral cry of pure physicality. The piece, originally commissioned by Dance New Amsterdam, was created as part of its annual series " In the Company of Men, " a celebration of the spirit of male dancers in New York in light of the AIDS epidemic. The Winter in Lisbon Choreography by Billy Wilson Music : Dizzy Gillespie The Winter in Lisbon is a sizzling, sensu ous ballet celebrating four decades of Dizzy Gillespie ' s brilliant music.

Choreographed in 1992 by Billy Wilson, and restaged for the 2017 centennial of Dizzy Gillespie's birth, the work pays tribute to Mr. Gillespie, the consummate jazz musician, creating an atmosphere in which the dancers challenge, tease and romance against a backdrop of rhythm and color. Revelations 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. An American classic acclaimed as a must ? see for all, Alvin Ailey ' s signature masterpiece is a tribute to his heritage and genius.

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, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing 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. "

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