Alvin Ailey – American Dance Theatre at Den Norske Opera & Ballett

Alvin Ailey and a group of young Afro-American dancers went on stage in New York in 1958 and performed a memorable mix of genres as their answer to the white companies and performance venues who tried to shut them out. Since then they have achieved worldwide renown with their extraordinary dancers and a signature style that mixes blues, soul and jazz with a physical, energetic and vividly colourful dance expression. The company is a leader in its genre and its dancers are important ambassadors for Afro-American culture.

They have performed before tens of millions of people in over 70 countries around the world. On its last visit to Oslo Opera House in 2011, the company performed to full houses.