Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will once again grace the stage at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Mother's Day Weekend with performances from Friday, May 11 - Sunday, May 13. "Movement that'll move you" (New York Magazine) is guaranteed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 20th anniversary engagement at NJPAC - the culmination of the Company's 21-city North American tour. Artistic Director Robert Battle leads Ailey's 32 extraordinary dancers as they continue the Company's legacy of using the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition to uplift, unite, and enlighten. Three diverse and exciting programs spotlighting premieres and new productions by influential choreographic voices will inspire audiences at Prudential Hall, all closing with a stirring finale of Alvin Ailey's always must-see American masterpiece, Revelations. Reserve tickets for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on May 11 - 13 by visiting NJPAC.org or 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) or the NJPAC Box Office.
The Friday, May 11 at 8pm Ailey Jazz program presents the NJPAC debut of Ailey star
Jamar Roberts'
Members Don't Get Weary - his first world premiere for the Company, which he joined in 2002. Roberts says the work is "a response to the current social landscape in America," and "takes an abstract look into the notion of one 'having the blues.'" Set to the powerful music of the legendary jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane 50 years after his death, the work aims to allow the audience to momentarily transcend their own personal blues. Also featured are
Robert Battle's gripping solo
In/Side, set to the vivid emotions of Nina Simone's "Wild is the Wind," and
Night Creature , a bubbly champagne cocktail of a dance fusing
Alvin Ailey's buoyant choreography and
Duke Ellington's sparkling music. One of Mr. Ailey's most popular works and a definitive homage to "The Duke" who said "night creatures, unlike stars, do not come OUT at night- they come ON, each thinking that, before the night is out, he or she will be the star."
The Saturday, May 12 at 8pm Musical Inspirations program features
Robert Battle's Company Premiere
Mass, an ensemble work that gives physical life to a haunting score by frequent collaborator John Mackey, and
Ella, an irresistible high-energy duet with lightning-fast movement that matches the iconic
Ella Fitzgerald's virtuosic scatting in a live concert recording of "Airmail Special." Tribute is paid to modern dance pioneer
Talley Beatty during his centennial with the return of
Stack-Up, set to vibrant 1970s beats (Earth, Wind & Fire, Grover Washington Jr., Fearless Four, and Alphonze Mouzon) and a graffiti background. Inspired by Los Angeles' urban landscape and the lives of its disparate inhabitants, the work depicts the emotional "traffic" in a community that is stacked on top of each other.
For Mother's Day on Sunday, May 13 at 3pm, Celebrate Women spotlights a new production of Urban Bush Women founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's
Shelter - a gripping portrait of homelessness returning to the Ailey stage after 25 years. Set to an inventive score featuring drumming by Junior "Gabu" Wedderburn, poetry by Hattie Gossett and
Laurie Carlos, it includes an updated text by Zollar and Paloma McGregor that references recent natural disasters. Fittingly, the performance will feature
Alvin Ailey's classic tour-de-force solo
Cry, created in 1971 on his stunning muse
Judith Jamison as a birthday present for his mother. The physically and emotionally demanding 16-minute solo is dedicated to "all black women everywhere - especially our mothers." A performance of veteran company member
Hope Boykin's
r-Evolution, Dream. will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 50 years after his assassination. Inspired by Dr. King's sermons and speeches the large ensemble work melds creative storytelling, new music composed by Ali Jackson (Jazz at Lincoln Center), and historic and original writings narrated by Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton).
And of course, the engagement would be incomplete without
Alvin Ailey's American masterpiece
Revelations. Since its creation in 1960, Revelations has been seen by more audiences around the world than any other modern work, inspiring generations through its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring spirituals. Springing from Ailey's childhood memories of growing up in the south and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the African-American and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition. Revelations has been performed as part of Opening Ceremonies of the 1968 Olympics, for six sitting presidents at various events, at the inaugurations of
Jimmy Carter and
Bill Clinton, and at The White House Dance Series: A Tribute to
Judith Jamison, presented by then
First Lady Michelle Obama. Acknowledging its lasting significance after five decades, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution recognizing the artistic and cultural contributions of
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the 50th Anniversary of the first performance of Revelations. Hailed by The New York Times as "modern dance's unquestionable greatest hit," this American masterpiece was choreographed when
Alvin Ailey was only 29 years old, and is as relevant now as ever.
Educational Offerings for the Community
In addition to the performances during the tour, the Ailey organization offers training programs and arts-in-education activities for all, furthering
Alvin Ailey's belief that "the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people."
In collaboration with Newark Public Schools and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,
AileyCamp Newark is an innovative summer program helping underserved youth reach their full potential serving approximately 100 Newark-area middle school students annually. From July 2 - August 10, AileyCamp Newark will use the power of disciplined dance training, creative writing instruction, and personal development and communication workshops to provide a highly motivating experience for at-risk youth. Participants also attend Ailey's NJPAC performances after completing the program, which is provided at no cost to the campers or their families and helps youth develop their self-confidence in an atmosphere of warmth, respect, and trust.
The Ailey School, the official school of
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater offering world-class dance training to students ages 2-25, will hold auditions for the 2018-2019 academic programs as well as the 2018 summer intensive in conjunction with the tour, in New York on Sunday, April 8 and Thursday, April 15. A Horton Workshop will be held on Friday, April 6 prior to the auditions. Annually, The Ailey School trains more than 3,500 students, providing a variety of scholarship opportunities and offering over 400 classes every week. The diversity of its training, together with individualized mentorship, extensive performance opportunities, and support services, is what sets The Ailey School apart from every other dance academy. More than half of the dancers in the
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater studied at The Ailey School. For further information regarding the audition schedule, please click
here.
NJPAC audiences are invited to enjoy the
"Ticket to Dance" promotion during their next visit to New York City. The offer allows audience members to try their first Ailey Extension class FREE with an Ailey performance ticket stub (offer is good for 60 days from the performance date for first time students, and when purchasing a 10-class card for returning students). The Ailey Extension offers more than classes in 25 dance and fitness techniques for people of all levels at Ailey's home, The
Joan Weill Center for Dance - New York's largest building dedicated to dance - which expanded in the fall of 2017 with the addition of
The Elaine Wynn & Family Education Wing. The upward expansion adds three stories to the west side of the building, including four spacious new dance studios, two flexible classrooms, and more. The addition increases Ailey's total class offerings to more than 500 per week, an increase of 20% since the start of the project, making it possible for more students of all levels and ages to "join in the dance."
Nearly 60 years after its founding,
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to move forward under the leadership of
Robert Battle, revealing once again why it remains one of the world's most beloved dance companies. Come see why The Huffington Post proclaimed, "If you haven't seen
Alvin Ailey, you haven't seen dance...the most exciting dance company in the world," and The Chicago Sun-Times called the Company "more electrifying than ever." For more information, visit
www.alvinailey.org.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, beloved as one of the world's most popular dance companies, returns by popular demand to NJ for its Mother's Day engagement at New Jersey Performing Arts Center from May 11 -13, 2018. Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Ailey's extraordinary dancers will move audiences with premieres, new productions, repertory favorites and classics, including the American masterpiece, Revelations. Other highlights include world premieres of Ailey star Jamar Roberts' Members Don't Get Weary and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano's Victoria; the Company premiere of Robert Battle's Mass; and new productions by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and Talley Beatty. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.
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