Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Comes to the Segerstrom Center, 3/27-30

Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents an exclusive Southern California engagement of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater March 27 - 30.

Recognized by the U.S. Congress as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the most creative and inspiring dance companies in the world. Led by Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle, this sixth visit to the Center by the Company will feature two programs that include three works never before performed on the West Coast by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Chroma, D-Man in the Waters (Part I) and LIFT. Metro on-line news reported, "In a fresh evening of dance, Robert Battle breathes new life into Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with works by Wayne McGregor, Bill T. Jones and Aszure Barton ... the program showcases the strength, power and humanity of the charismatic performers in master works by these three talented choreographers." Returning are the beloved Grace and Alvin Ailey's signature American masterpiece, Revelations.

To welcome the return of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Center and the Company will host Revelations Celebration, a free kick-off event on the Arts Plaza beginning at noon on Saturday, March 22. Visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to participate and engage directly with Company performers and teaching artists and in other activities as well. Among the many activities planned, acclaimed Ailey teaching artist Nasha Thomas-Schmitt, master teacher and former Ailey principal dancer, will teach the distinctive movements of three of the most well-known pieces from the Company's cornerstone work, Revelations, including "Rocka My Soul," "Wade in the Water" and "I've 'Been Buked." Fans and novices alike are welcome!

Discover Ailey takes place in Segerstrom Hall on Wednesday, March 26 and features pre-show audience engagement activities as well as complete performances of D-Man in the Waters (Part I) and Revelations. It is a perfect way for new audiences to discover the energy, artistry and spirit of dance and, in particular the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Tickets to the Discover Ailey on March 26 are $29 and start at $25 for the complete performances on March 27 - 29. Tickets are now available online at SCFTA.org, by calling (714) 556-2787 and at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For inquiries about group ticket discounts, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. Free Preview Talks by Company members will be conducted one hour prior to each performance. The Friday, March 28 Preview Talk will be sign-language interpreted. Artists and program are subject to change.

Program A (Thursday, March 27, 7:30 p.m. / Friday, March 28, 7:30 p.m. / Saturday, March 29, 2 p.m.)

Chroma (2006) | First time performed by the Company on the West Coast
Choreographed by Wayne McGregor

The groundbreaking British choreographer's contemporary ballet is full of sensory surprises: sumptuous movement, a driving score by Joby Talbot with orchestrations of songs by The White Stripes, and a luminous set by minimalist architect John Pawson.

"It is as if Mr. Jones' movement invention had simply poured out of him." In this exhilarating work by Kennedy Center Honoree, MacArthur Grant awardee and Tony Award-winner Bill T. Jones (Fela!, Spring Awakening), rigorous formalism and musicality embody resilience and triumph over loss. The piece captures the infectious energy, innocence and will to survive of a beleaguered generation, and though it deals with sorrow, it maintains a defiantly celebratory tone.

Revelations (1960)
Choreographed by Alvin Ailey

This season celebrates five decades of Ailey's timeless masterpiece, Revelations, an American classic called a must-see for all people. Ailey said that one of America's richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the African American - "sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful." This enduring classic is a tribute to that heritage and to Ailey's genius. Using African American religious music - spirituals - this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

Program B (Saturday, March 29, 2 p.m. / Sunday, March 30, 2 p.m.)

The River (1970) | New Production
Choreographed by Alvin Ailey

By turns muscular and lyrical, The River is a sweeping full-Company work that suggests tumbling rapids and meandering streams on a journey to the sea. Ailey's allegory of birth, life and rebirth abounds with water references, from the spinning "Vortex" solo to the romantic "Lake" duet, and from the powerful "Falls" quartet to the joyful "Giggling Rapids." Set to Duke Ellington's first symphonic score written for dance, Ailey's choreography demonstrates his admiration for classical ballet but retains the modern and jazz influences found in all his work. "The River shows Mr. Ailey at his inventive best," declared The New York Times.

LIFT (2013) | West Coast Premiere
Choreographed by Aszure Barton

This propulsive world premiere by in-demand choreographer Aszure Barton accentuates the vitality and physical prowess of the Ailey Company. Driven by the dancers' passion, skill and collective power, the work was created over a 5-week developmental process with the entire Company. The percussive score, composed by Curtis Macdonald, is infused with the infectious energy and heart that she observed in her initial encounters with the Ailey dancers. "The first section of Aszure Barton's LIFT for eleven men is ... a brilliant and powerful work, capable of standing on its own," said Darrell Wood of NY Dance Stuff.

Grace (1999)
Choreographed by Ronald K. Brown

One of the most popular works in the Ailey repertory, Ronald K. Brown's spellbinding Grace is a fervent tour- de-force depicting individuals on a journey to the promised land. According to The New York Times, "Mr. Brown's Grace, however, is on another level ...Grace leads the Ailey dancers to heaven anyway, and they might as well pull us with them even more irresistibly."

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, 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 23 million people in 71 countries on six continents, 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 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.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization and owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Rene?e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony® Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Segerstrom Center for the Arts - Segerstrom Hall
March 27 - 30, 2014

Revelations Celebration
Arts Plaza
Saturday, March 22 noon to 3 p.m.

Discover Ailey (mini-performance)
Segerstrom Hall

D-Man in the Waters (Part I), Revelations
Wednesday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m.

FULL PERFORMANCES:

Segerstrom Hall

Program A

Chroma, D-Man in the Waters (Part I), Revelations

Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m.

Program B

The River, LIFT, Grace

Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m.

Members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will conduct preview lectures one hour prior to each performance. The preview talk on Friday, March 28 will be sign-language interpreted.

Tickets start at $25. The Box Office is located at 600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. or daily online at SCFTA.org or by calling (714) 556-2787.

Information provided is accurate at the time of printing, but is subject to change. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a private, non-profit organization. "Segerstrom Center for the Arts" is a registered trademark.