Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to Perform at Prudential Hall, 5/8-10

By: Feb. 11, 2015
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New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is proud to present its annual Mother's Day engagement of America's premier modern dance company, Alvin Ailey on Friday, May 8th, 2015 at 8PM, Saturday, May 9th, 2015 at 8PM and Sunday, May 10th, 2015 at 3PM.

The Alvin Ailey organization is one of the world's leading modern dance companies and a global ambassador of American culture and a show not to be missed, be sure to reserve your tickets now at www.njpac.org or 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722)

Alvin Ailey Experiences:
Friday - Shopping
Saturday - Pre-Performance Pampering & Spa Treatments
Sunday Brunch at Nico

For more information, visit www.njpac.org/events/detail/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater-2.

Alvin Ailey is an EVENT and NJPAC is happy to enhance your experience by offering added on specials on Friday, it's Shopping in the lobby, Saturday-Pre-Performance Pampering & Spa Treatments; Sunday Brunch at Nico. For more information, go to www.njpac.org/events/detail/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater-2.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at New York City's 92nd Street Y. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance.

Today the company has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents - and to millions more through television broadcasts. Elegant, electrifying, and marvelously athletic, this always dazzling company arrives with programs that include some of their newest works as well as company classics like Ailey's masterwork, Revelations, set to African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues.

Artistic Director Robert Battle recently visited the White House and accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the nation's highest civilian honor - on behalf of Alvin Ailey. Bestowed 25 years after the passing of the Company's legendary founder, President Obama proclaimed that "through him, African-American history was told in a way that it had never been told before -- with passionate, virtuoso dance performances that transfixed audiences worldwide." Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's national tour begins at the start of Black History Month and carries on the legacy of uplifting, uniting and celebrating the human spirit as Ailey's extraordinary dancers bring life to a wide variety of premieres, new productions and classic works.

ODETTA a world premiere choreographed by renowned Ailey dancer Matthew Rushing. The tribute is set to the musical repertoire of celebrated singer and civil rights activist Odetta Holmes, who was known as "the voice of the Civil Rights Movement" and anointed as "the queen of American folk music" by Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Pleasure of the Lesson, the Company's first collaboration with Robert Moses, will also be presented on tour for the first time. Known for his sophisticated and sexy choreography, the new work was created with a cast of ten dancers for the Company's 2014 Koch Theater engagement.

Recommended for grades 6-12.

Alvin Ailey Experiences Exclusively at NJPAC:

Pre-Performance Pampering
The Wellness Lounge in South Orange is partnering with NJPAC on a feel-great package designed to complement dance performances. An NJPAC Wellness Happy Hour Experience offers a sampling of Thai massage, foot bath, reflexology, acupuncture and ear candling for your group. "Wellness and Dance," an interactive experience that explores the relationship between dance and well-being, is the perfect warm-up for performances like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In addition to alternative therapy treatments, the lounge offers lifestyle sessions (Pilates, for example), wellness education and organic foods and beverages. Packages are $1,500 for groups of 15 people, $1,850 for 20 and $2,500 for 30.

Mother's Day Brunch Buffet
Sunday, May 10
11am to 2pm
NICO Kitchen + Bar
Prior to the Sunday performances, come early and treat Mom to the full "Ailey experience" - an exquisite Mother's Day Buffet at our own NICO Kitchen + Bar. $35 per person; children (age 14 and under) $20 (gratuity not included).

Shopping Indulge yourself and the ones you love! Shop at a unique boutique of products and services from local vendors, featuring gift items to make Mom feel like a queen! Snap a memory picture at our free photo station. These and other attractions are found in the lobby prior to all performances of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

ALVIN AILEY/AAADT HISTORY - Alvin Ailey was born in Rogers, Texas in 1931. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), America's Cultural Ambassador to the World, grew from a now fabled March 1958 performance at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA in New York that forever changed the perception of American modern dance. In 1960, he choreographed Revelations, a masterpiece of American modern dance and a signature piece in the Ailey repertory, based on the religious heritage of his youth growing up in south Texas. Led by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, AAADT has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on 6 continents, including two historic residencies in South Africa, earning the reputation as one of the most popular international ambassadors of American culture. On July 1, 2011 Robert Battle, became Artistic Director at the request of Judith Jamison, who became Artistic Director Emeritus. Born in Miami, FL, Battle attributes his early interest in dance to seeing an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater student performance featuring Revelations performance as a teen while studying at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. With the encouragement of his teachers, he went on to The Julliard School and later established his own Dance Company, Battleworks, and choreographed for a variety of Companies. Ailey's repertory includes his ballets Strange Humors, In/Side, Takademe, The Hunt, and Love Stories (a collaboration with Ms. Jamison and Rennie Harris). Battle expanded Ailey's legacy in exciting new directions, broadening the repertory with dynamic new choreographic voices

In the spring of 2011, Battle announced the inauguration of a major new Ailey program - New Directions Choreography Lab. Designed to serve the entire field of dance & assist choreographers in developing their work, the program grants resident fellowships to four emerging and mid?career artists each year, offering a stipend, the use of gifted dancers from The Ailey School, creative mentorships and rehearsal time at The Joan Weill Center for Dance. Unlike other programs, the focus is solely on the process of choreography as a creative experience, free from all restricting expectations or deadlines.

  • In March 2005, Ailey opened a permanent home, The Joan Weill Center for Dance! Ailey's building-New York's largest dedicated to dance - a 77,000 square foot facility, with eight floors, 12 dance studios; a 5,000 square foot performance space with flexible seating for 295; library; costume shop; physical therapy facilities; lounges and administrative offices.
  • In addition to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Joan Weill Center for Dance houses the operations of
  • Ailey II (1974) a second company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers (70% of AAADT were once members of Ailey II); Troy Powell became Artistic Director in June 2012 when Sylvia Waters retired.
  • The Ailey School, (1969) one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world. Over 70% of the first company received their training from The Ailey School;
  • Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of 100,000 young people each year, helping them reach their full potential with programs like -
    • AileyCamp, a unique summer day camp program for at-risk children in ten cities across the United States;
    • AileyDance Kids, which presents dance classes and cross-curricular lessons to over 4,000 public school students in New York and New Jersey; and,
    • Revelations: An Interdisciplinary Approach, a curriculum-based initiative which uses Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's signature piece to teach academic subjects in classrooms across the country.
  • The Ailey Extension - created The Ailey Extension program to expand on the legacy of Alvin Ailey who believed that "dance came from the people and should be delivered back to people."
    • Since its inception in April 2005, over 85,000 students have taken classes through The Ailey Extension program.
    • The Ailey Extension offers approx.. 80 classes weekly in a variety of 25 techniques, including: Horton, Pilates, West African, Afro Cuban, Ballet, Capoeira, Theatre Dance, Middle Eastern, Zumba Latin Fitness, Samba, jazz, and hip hop just to name a few.
    • Visit www.aileyextension.com for more information and a schedule of classes (audience members can take their first class for free with a tickets stub from an Ailey performance)
  • Alvin Ailey said: "Dance is for everybody. I believe that dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people." Today, the Ailey organization is one of the world's leading modern dance companies and a global ambassador of American culture, deftly weaving performance, education, and community programming using dance to celebrate the human spirit and inspire, enlighten and unite people of all backgrounds.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey -- where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. As New Jersey's Town Square, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted over eight million visitors (including more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.

Visit www.njpac.org or call 888.GO.NJPAC for more information. Get Social! Find @NJPAC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and use #NJPACmusic for updates, photos and more.



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