Ailey II Takes The Stage at The Joyce Theater, 4/13-4/22

After performing for audiences in more than 30 U.S. cities over the past six months, Ailey II, the celebrated second company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will take the stage at The Joyce Theater as part of the 1.2.3. Festival from April 13-22. "After being on the road for the majority of last year, the dancers absolutely love coming home to perform in the epicenter of the dance world," Artistic Director Sylvia Waters says.

The 1.2.3. Festival features the brightest young dance talent from Ailey II, ABT II and Taylor 2 and opens with a shared performance on Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30pm in which Ailey II will perform Divining, choreographed by Judith Jamison, now celebrating her 20th year as artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

This year, Ailey II, recently hailed as "second to none" by Dance Magazine, will perform Carlos Dos Santos' Proximity; Thang Dao's Echoes; Christopher L. Huggins' Essence; and Judith Jamison's Divining, during each of its six performances: Wednesday, April 14, at 7:30 pm (followed by a thirty minute post-performance discussion with Ailey II as part of The Joyce Theater's Humanities series), Saturday, April 17 at 2pm & 8pm, Sunday, April 18, at 2pm, Wednesday, April 21, at 7:30 pm, and Thursday, April 22, at 8pm.

Echoes, featuring the entire company of 12, is loosely based on choreographer Thang Dao's family's journey from Vietnam to America. The work explores how the echoes of memories cascade into the distant past while pervading our awareness of the present. "If Dao meant to say something about people supporting and helping each other, he couldn't have said it in a more eloquent yet elegantly muted way. I wish I could see it again in slow motion," wrote the San Antonio Standard-Express after a recent Ailey II performance in Texas.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater alumnus Christopher L. Huggins' enigmatic Essence is a tour-de-force for a female soloist, who explores a spectrum of emotions in a deeply moving portrait of self-discovery. Huggins gave Ailey II this work in appreciation of the organization's impact on his life and career.

Proximity, created for Ailey II by Carlos Dos Santos, explores the dynamics of relationships between four strangers and the natural energetic shifts and differences that occur. Dos Santos encourages the audience to investigate the purpose of keeping relationships distant while living and working in close, intimate environments. His unique style, which includes Brazilian folkloric, ballet, and West African techniques, is key to creating the universal movements that echo The Common theme of his ballet.

In celebration of Judith Jamison's 20th year as artistic director and visionary leader of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II will perform Divining, the first work Jamison created at the request of Alvin Ailey. Divining is mysterious; its title suggests a search or a quest. The ritualized ballet is set to a score that incorporates North African, Central African and Latin rhythms and includes the full Company. From beginning to end, Ailey II's engagement at the Joyce is a season not to be missed!

TICKETS
To purchase tickets for Ailey II at The Joyce Theater, call JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or logon to www.joyce.org www.alvinailey.org or visit The Joyce Theater box office at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street between 12pm & 6pm Monday through Sunday.

NEW YORK PREMIERE:
Proximity (2009)
Carlos Dos Santos' new ballet, Proximity explores the dynamics of relationships between four strangers and the natural energetic shifts and differences that occur. Dos Santos encourages the audience to investigate the purpose of keeping relationships distant while living and working in close, intimate environments. His unique style, which includes Brazilian folkloric, Ballet, and West African techniques, is key to creating universal movements that echo the universal theme of his work.

NEW PRODUCTIONS:
Divining (1984)
In 1984, Artistic Director Judith Jamison set her ballet Divining on AAADT at the request of her mentor, Alvin Ailey. Jamison wrote in her 1993 autobiography, Dancing Spirit, "Divining begins with runners going out into virgin unknown territory to make sure their leader can proceed safely. The leader then blesses the ground, checking out the spirits that are about, sensing the air, and making sure the ambiance is right before the celebrants gather. Divining is mysterious; its title suggests a search or a quest." The ritualized dance is set to a score that incorporates North African, Latin, and Central African rhythms.

Echoes (2008)
Thang Dao's Echoes began as a depiction of haunting memories, but this poignant ballet has since taken on a life of its own, as the echoes of memories cascade into the distant past while pervading our awareness of the present.

Essence (2002)
Christopher L. Huggins, a former Ailey company member, is a choreographer greatly admired for his distinctively theatrical works. Essence is a tour-de-force for a female soloist, who explores a spectrum of emotions in this deeply moving portrait of self-discovery.
AILEY II HISTORY
Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country's best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's most outstanding emerging choreographers. Alvin Ailey personally appointed former Ailey member Sylvia Waters as Artistic Director in 1974. Under the direction of Waters and associate artistic director, Troy Powell, Ailey II has become one of the nation's most popular dance companies, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community programs.

"The entire company, directed by Sylvia Waters, looks terrific. Clearly, the future is theirs."
- The New York Times

The Joyce Theater
The mission of The Joyce is to advance the art of dance and choreography in all its richness and variety and to encourage, sustain, and educate a diverse audience. The Joyce serves a broad-based national and international dance community, and oversees two of New York City's leading dance venues: The Joyce Theater, an afford able, 472-seat, state-of-the-art theater in Chelsea; and Joyce SoHo, a dance center that offers three fully equipped studios at highly subsidized rates for rehearsals and performances to independent choreographers and nonprofit dance companies.

Photo of Ailey II's Ghrai DeVore in Judith Jamison's Divining. Photo by Eduardo Patino, NY.