STG Presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Featuring Two Seattle Premieres

Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Seattle's Paramount Theatre with three performances April 27-29, 2018. the company will perform two Seattle premieres and a total of five works by a wide range of choreographers. Alvin Ailey's timeless and inspiring American masterpiece Revelations will provide the finale for all three programs, which will take place at 8pm on April 27-28 and at 2pm on April 29.

Seattle premieres include Untitled America by MacArthur "genius grant" winner Kyle Abraham and r-Evolution, Dream. by veteran company member Hope Boykin. Untitled Americais a haunting work that shines a light on the impact of the prison system on African-American families. Abraham's large-ensemble work is set to a soundscape of soul, ambient, percussive, and electronic music mixed with spoken word narration by former prisoners. Inspired by the sermons and speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Boykin's r-Evolution, Dream. is a large ensemble work that melds creative storytelling, new music by Ali Jackson (Jazz at Lincoln Center), and historic and original writings recorded by Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton).

the company will also perform a new production of Talley Beatty's Stack-Up, returning to the repertory in honor of Beatty's 2018 centennial. Inspired by the lives of Los Angeles' disparate inhabitants and set to a throbbing 1970's beat and a graffiti landscape décor adapted from a painting by prominent American artist Romare Bearden, this brutal-yet-poignant piece features a stage pulsating with street life and physical pyrotechnics as an aloof drug pusher and two displaced lovers are destined for collision. Billy Wilson's The Winter in Lisbon will also be featured, paying tribute to jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie's brilliance as his music sets the tone for a sizzling ballet in which the dancers challenge, tease, and pursue romance against a backdrop of rhythm and color.

Alvin Ailey's acclaimed American masterpiece Revelations will complete each evening's performance. 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 African-American cultural heritage 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.

Join STG in celebrating Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at a special party following the opening night performance on April 27, 2018. Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres by Tom Douglas Catering, refreshments, and the opportunity to meet Robert Battle, Artistic Director of this world-renowned dance company. Featuring DJ Palaceer (Shabazz Palaces). Select main floor seats include admission to the after-party. Performance + Party = $135 per ticket. Space for the after-party is limited. Click here to reserve your spot today!

TICKET INFORMATION:

Tickets are on sale now starting at $35 (not including fees). Seating is reserved. For more information visit stgpresents.org.

ABOUT Alvin Ailey AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," grew from a now-fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Founded by Alvin Ailey, recent posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the nation's highest civilian honor, and guided by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, the company is now led by Robert Battle, whom Judith Jamison chose to succeed her on July 1, 2011. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents - as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms - promoting the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year-end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate), and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey's permanent home-the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world -named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.

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