Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Leaps Back Onto The Paramount Stage

With their trademark technical brilliance and passionate artistry, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Seattle for performances at The Paramount Theatre on March 26 and 27 with a variety of new and classic works, including Alvin Ailey's American masterpiece Revelations.

Paramount audiences will be treated to an All Ailey and a Battle 10th Anniversary program, which includes the Seattle premiere of Artistic Director Robert Battle's work For Four.

"I am deeply humbled to have led this seminal company for a decade, joined by incomparable dancers and choreographers," Battle said. "It's been a journey of discovery extending from the powerful works of our founder, to the important voices of today-an ongoing dance dialogue that shines a light on the strength and resilience of our common humanity around the world."

For the Saturday and Sunday matinees, the Battle 10th Anniversary program features a new production of Battle's Unfold. This sensuous, swirling duet evokes the tenderness and ecstasy in Gustave Charpentier's aria "Depuis Le Jour" sung by legendary soprano Leontyne Price. Audiences will be treated to the Pacific Northwest premiere of For Four, capturing the pent-up energy of a world cooped up during the pandemic, and set to a Wynton Marsalis jazz score written in 4/4 time. Battle's dynamic works Mass, In/Side, Ella, Takademe, and Love Stories (finale) round-out the evening with music by greats such as Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder.

Saturday evening's All Ailey program includes Blues Suite, the founding choreographer's original masterpiece that helped launch the company in 1958. Viewers will experience Reflections in D and Pas de Duke, which celebrate the musical genius of eminent American composer Duke Ellington. A modern-dance translation of a ballet dance for two, Pas de Duke honors two of the most renowned dancers in the world, Judith Jamison and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Reflections in D highlights both Ellington's masterful expression, and the grace of the male dancer in solo performance.

All performances conclude with Ailey's Revelations, acclaimed around the world for sending hearts soaring and lifting audiences to their feet. Since its debut in 1960, Revelations has been seen by more people than any other modern dance work. Audiences remember the powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music that evoke determination, hope, and transcendence. Springing from the choreographer's childhood memories of the south and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of African Americans and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition.

"Alvin Ailey's vision opened the door for generations of artists to use dance to inspire, unite, and enlighten," Battle said. "Despite twists and turns on the road we have all traveled together, we are excited to be returning to our Seattle home at The Paramount Theatre while finding new ways to share artistry that renews our spirit of courage, hope, and joy."

STG has been the presenter of record for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 1996. In addition to the company's powerful performances at the Paramount, the impact of this group in Seattle has reverberated through residencies, master classes, lecture-demonstrations and AileyCamp-a free summer program for middle-school students-90 percent of whom identify as Black, Mixed Race, or as People of Color.

"After an evening of watching Ailey, you will leave the theater and still be thinking about what you witnessed the next day," said Shawn Roberts who leads STG AileyCamp. "It's rare that we get to see such a diverse group of beautiful dancers on stage doing what they love, inspiring all of us in the audience toward greatness."

For more information on Ailey's upcoming performances, visit www.alvinailey.org.

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