Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2022 Holiday Season Engagement Continues This Week

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2022 holiday season engagement continues this week with the debut of an All New program featuring season premieres and new productions, and three Ailey & Jazz performances featuring live music played by some of the most promising young instrumentalists in the jazz scene today.

Ailey & Jazz Live Music Program

Audiences are in for a treat on Friday, December 16 at 8pm when Ailey & Jazz showcases four ballets featuring live music by the rising stars of the Future of Jazz Orchestra, curated by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Made up of 15 outstanding jazz players ranging in age from 15-25, the talented musicians will partner with Ailey's extraordinary dancers for three special performances this weekend. Ailey & Jazz includes three of the 14 ballets Alvin Ailey created that celebrate the musical genius of Duke Ellington - Night Creature, Reflections in D, and Pas de Duke - along with Robert Battle's exuberant For Four set to Wynton Marsalis's delicious jazz score. One of Mr. Ailey's most popular works, Night Creature is the perfect fusion of Ailey's buoyant choreography and Ellington's sparkling music. Reflections in D is a strong yet serene solo which highlights the grace, artistry, and power of the male dancer. A modern dance translation of a classical pas de deux, Pas de Duke was created in 1976 honoring two of the most renowned dancers in the world, Judith Jamison and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Robert Battle's For Four takes four amazing dancers and adds Marsalis' jazz score - written in 4/4 time - to capture the pent-up energy of a world cooped up during the pandemic. The conclusion of this remarkable program is Ailey's timeless must-see masterpiece Revelations.

Performance Dates: Dec. 16 eve, Dec. 17 mat, Dec. 18 mat

All New Program

On Thursday, December 15 at 7:30pm and Saturday, December 17 at 8pm fans can check out several of this season's premieres and new productions during an All New program featuring Jamar Roberts' In A Sentimental Mood, Paul Taylor's DUET, Alvin Ailey's Survivors, and MacArthur Genius Kyle Abraham's world premiere Are You in Your Feelings?. An intimate scene from the domestic life of a couple becomes an exploration of love and desire during Roberts' In a Sentimental Mood. Taylor's brief and beautifully shaped DUET portrays a love, perhaps not new, but rather tried and true. A new production of Survivors, Ailey's impassioned tribute to Nelson and Winnie Mandela, presents a portrait of people transformed by injustice and uplifts who resist oppression in any form. Scored to a "mixtape" of soul, hip-hop, and R&B, Abraham's newest work is a celebration of Black culture, Black music, and the youthful spirit that perseveres in us all. This vibrant piece explores the connections among music, communication, and personal memory.

Performance Dates: Dec. 15 mat, Dec. 17 mat

• Read Robert Battle talk about the new production of Survivors in Andscape.
• Read about Are You in Your Feelings? in The New York Times.
• Hear Robert Battle and Kyle Abraham discuss this season's performances on WNYC.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's electrifying engagement at New York City Center continues through Christmas Eve, making for a fun seasonal group outing and a fantastic holiday gift for loved ones. Each ticketholder can also receive a special gift from Ailey Extension's "real classes for real people" when they take advantage of the "Ticket to Dance" promotion by submitting their performance ticket for a free dance or fitness class of their choice before February 28, 2023. Ailey Extension offers more than 40 classes a week online and in-studio at The Joan Weill Center for Dance - New York's largest building dedicated to dance - in a wide variety of techniques including hip-hop, ballet, West African, Zumba, Broadway Jazz, and Horton - the modern dance technique seen in many of Alvin Ailey's works including Revelations.

For more information, visit alvinailey.org.

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