The Artist Series Presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 5/18

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," will inspire, enlighten and entertain Jacksonville at the Times Union Center's Moran Theater on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 7:30PM, continuing the celebration of the legendary Judith Jamison's 20th year as artistic director.

Acclaimed for their beauty, passion and power, the dancers of Ailey will move the audience with an exciting premiere, dramatic new production, and a revered repertory classic. Choreographer Ronald K. Brown pays tribute to Judith Jamison's profound influence with the world premiere of Dancing Spirit, set to music by Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and War.Other performance highlights include Robert Battle's In/Side, a gripping solo that plays out to the vivid emotions of Nina Simone's "Wild is the Wind," Night Creature, the definitive Ailey homage to the exuberance of Duke Ellington's jazz, which remains one of Mr. Ailey's most popular works, and Alvin Ailey's signature masterpiece Revelations, a must-see for all people.

"I can't wait to see [the audience] join my extraordinary dancers on [the performance's] inspiring journey through the past two decades and into the future," says 2009 TIME 100 Honoree Judith Jamison. "We know how to fly, we really do."

One of the most renowned figures in modern dance, Jamison is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, a National Medal of Arts and many of the nation's most prestigious honors given to artists. Dedicated to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture, her autobiography, Dancing Spirit, was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and published by Doubleday. Jamison recently led a 50-city tour celebrating Ailey's 50th Anniversary and was acknowledged by The New York Times as "surely the most stellar and admired artistic director of any repertory dance company in America."

Founded by Alvin Ailey in 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's inspiring performances, seen in over 70 countries on 6 continents, honor and enrich the African American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition, uniting people of all backgrounds in a celebration of the human spirit through the universal language of dance.

Alvin Ailey AMERICAN DANCE THEATER will be performed at the TIMES UNION CENTER'S MORAN THEATER Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 7:30PM for one performance only. Tickets range in price from $40.50 to $100.50. Discounts are available for groups of 10+, 40+, or 60+ by calling (904) 632-3228.

To order by phone with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover call The Artist Series Box Office at (904) 632-3373 (toll-free outside of Jacksonville 1-888-860-BWAY.)

Tickets are also available online with Instant Seat Selection by visiting the
The Artist Series' website, www.artistseriesjax.org.