Ailey Launches 27-City North American Tour Led by Robert Battle

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," will visit 27 cities in the United States and Canada from February 2^nd to May 27^th for performances that launch nationwide the next era in Ailey history led by dynamic Artistic Director Robert Battle. The tour will kick off on February 2^nd in Toronto, ON, followed by a week-long engagement at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center.  In addition to Miami, FL, the hometown of Robert Battle, the tour will visit Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Berkeley, CA; Costa Mesa, CA; Chicago, IL; Montreal, QC; Boston, MA; Newark, NJ; and other cities throughout the country.  Following critically-acclaimed sold out performances in New York City, Ailey's extraordinary dancers will move audiences in a series of premieres, new productions and repertory favorites. 

Season premieres include Paul Taylor's classic Arden Court (1981), marking the first time a work by this American modern dance master is performed by the renowned Ailey dancers.  Set on the company under the supervision of Mr. Taylor, Arden Court features a sumptuous baroque score by William Boyce and technically challenging choreography with striking duets, solos and a men's sextet that showcases the dancers' skill and musicality.

Bold hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris created Home, a new work set to a soul-lifting score of gospel house music.  The work is inspired by stories submitted to the "Fight HIV Your Way" contest for people living with or affected by HIV, an initiative of Bristol-Myers Squibb.  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presented the New York premiere on a day of major significance, both World AIDS Day and the day Alvin Ailey passed away from the disease 22 years ago. 

Minus 16 (1999), by the renowned American-Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, will feature the Company in a work unlike any other in the Ailey repertory as it challenges the dancers to improvise and invite audience members to join them onstage.  Using Naharin's acclaimed "Gaga" method, Minus 16features a delightfully eclectic score ranging from Dean Martin to cha-cha, from techno-pop to traditional Israeli music. 

Takademe (1999), one of Mr. Battle's first creations and a pivotal work in his career, is a savvy deconstruction and abstraction of the tightly woven rhythms of Indian Kathak dance.  Containing humor, fast-paced movements and propulsive jumps, this company premiere is set to Sheila Chandra's syncopated vocal score.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will present a new production of the ethereal female solo Journey (1958) by Joyce Trisler (1934-1979), a friend and colleague of Alvin Ailey's in the Lester Horton Dance Theater and an early member of the Ailey company.  The accompanying score for cello and trumpet is Charles Ives's haunting "The Unanswered Question." 

In homage to the artistry of Alvin Ailey, the tour will also feature a new staging of Streams (1970), Mr. Ailey's first full-length dance without a plot.  A gorgeous exploration of the architecture of bodies in space, the landmark work contains stunning solos, duets and group passages that reflect the powerful score by Miloslav Kabelac. 

Repertory favorites include Robert Battle's The Hunt, Ulysses Dove's Episodes and Urban Folk Dance, and Alvin Ailey's Memoria and Night Creature.  Mr. Ailey's beloved masterpiece Revelations, an American classic acclaimed as a must-see and recognized by a U.S. Senate resolution, will provide the inspiring finale for all performances. 

"This is the beginning of a new adventure-for the company, for me and for our audiences," stated Robert Battle, who became Artistic Director on July 1, 2011.  "It gives me great pride to build upon the inspiring legacy of Alvin Ailey and Judith Jamison.  I'm excited for people across the country to witness the world's most amazing dancers as we take the next step in Ailey's inspiring journey." 

Ailey's mission of bringing dance to the people will also reach young people through special student performances and master classes.  Revelations: An Interdisciplinary Approach curriculum program will be implemented in public schools in Clarksdale, MS; Los Angeles, CA; and Mesa, AZ, as well as in Miami, FL thanks to the support of Chase.  Utilizing Alvin Ailey's signature work, Revelations, the program is an inspirational framework for a comprehensive study of language arts, social studies, and dance. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater inspires all in a universal celebration of the human spirit, using the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition.  Join Ailey's unparalleled dancers for an electrifying performance that will reveal once again why Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has brought audiences around the globe to their feet night after night with an incomparable sense of freedom, spirit and joy.  

Detailed 2012 US Tour programming information and schedule is below (subject to change). For further details on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Ailey organization's performances, training programs and educational activities, visit www.alvinailey.org.  

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