Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Will Have a Multi-Year Residency at The Music Center

The Music Center and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater jointly announced that the esteemed New York-based dance company, adored by Los Angeles audiences for more than two decades, will perform for four consecutive years at The Music Center's iconic Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, beginning with the 2023-2024 season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center. The multi-year residency is the first of its kind in the nearly 60-year history of The Music Center's dance presentations.

"This unprecedented multi-year partnership forged between The Music Center and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a perfect match. Since debuting on our stage 25 years ago, the company's powerful performances have consistently moved and brought boundless joy to countless Angelenos and performing arts lovers," said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. "Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's commitment to social justice, reflecting the complex times we live in, and to unparalleled artistic skill makes the company an extraordinary partner to The Music Center. It is an honor to have Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater make The Music Center its Los Angeles home for the next four years. Angelenos and audiences of all ages and backgrounds will have more opportunities to experience firsthand why the company is such a cultural phenomenon."

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater first appeared at The Music Center in 1998 with groundbreaking performances of George Faison's 1971 work Slaves, Ulysses Dove's 1984 Bad Blood and Ailey's 1960 Revelations. Since its debut at The Music Center, the acclaimed company has returned to perform for Los Angeles audiences an impressive 11 times (2001, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019-2021).

"I'm proud that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is joining with The Music Center on this extraordinary partnership bringing the work of Alvin Ailey and today's most significant choreographers to Angelenos," said Artistic Director Robert Battle. "For more than 20 years, the company has returned to the stage of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion time and time again, and we are thrilled it will be the home to share the magic of Ailey with audiences annually for years to come."

Aside from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's triumph in bringing Los Angeles audiences to their feet, the relationship between the highly revered dance company and The Music Center runs deep. The company's Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing is a native of Los Angeles. As a high school student, Rushing competed in The Music Center's Spotlight program in 1991, a free nationally acclaimed performing arts competition, scholarship and artistic development program for Southern California teens. Rushing excelled through the rigorous yearlong program to become a Grand Prize Finalist in the non-classical dance category; he had the enviable opportunity to perform in front of a live audience inside The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. After receiving a scholarship to The Ailey School, he quickly became a member of Ailey II and then Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1992. In addition to becoming renowned as one of the great male dancers on the American stage, he also choreographed four ballets for the company, including: Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance and ODETTA (2014), a celebration of "the queen of American folk music" called the voice of the Civil Rights Movement.

"It is a surreal experience to have Ailey and The Music Center, two great institutions that had an incredible impact on my life as an artist, come together to bring artistry, spirit and grace to Angelenos," said Rushing. "I'm proud and moved by this full circle."

In addition to participating in the Dance at The Music Center series, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is partnering with The Music Center's programming division, TMC Arts, to create special events, talks, festivals, master classes and in-school residencies that provide opportunities for the public to learn about the choreography and engage in artistic and cultural experiences related to the company's work. Most recently, in 2023, the Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs visited multiple middle schools in the county for a weeklong arts-learning experience. The program began with a professional development workshop for educators, followed by classroom workshops for students that examined the work and historical impact of Alvin Ailey, a writing project on students' self-reflection and a discussion on the choreography of the Ailey masterpiece Revelations. Later this year, The Music Center will work with the Ailey company to offer an AileyDance for Active Aging workshop to older adults at a local senior facility.

Ailey Executive Director Bennett Rink said, "We are delighted to announce this long-term agreement with one of the nation's most important performing arts institutions, The Music Center. Los Angeles is the city where Mr. Ailey trained as a dancer and launched his career. Although the company he founded is proudly rooted in New York, every visit of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to Los Angeles is in some way a homecoming."

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform on March 20-24, 2024 during The Music Center's 2023-2024 season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center. Additional details about the company's works, as well as the entire upcoming dance season, will be announced soon. Learn the latest news and updates about the upcoming season by following The Music Center on social media @musiccenterla.

For more information about The Music Center's current 20th season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, visit musiccenter.org.

For more information about Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, visit alvinailey.org