Ailey 2 is Back in the UK For a 12-Venue Tour Opening in September

As Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater departs the UK following performances at the Edinburgh International Festival and Sadler's Wells, the incredible young dancers of Ailey 2 will embark on a 12-venue tour presented by Dance Consortium.

Ailey 2, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this season, is known for bringing together the creative vision of exceptional choreographers with the spirit, energy and talent of the next generation of dance artists. The result is captivating performances of grace, strength and soul, shot through with the unique Ailey spirit.
 
The company's new artistic director Francesca Harper has put together an exhilarating repertoire featuring four works: excerpts from her own Freedom Series and William Forsythe's Enemy in the Figure along with The Hunt, choreographed by Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Revelations¸ Alvin Ailey's 1960 masterwork and a signature piece of all the Ailey companies.
 
Revelations was choreographed by Ailey when he was just 29 years old. A life-changing work, it has been seen by more than 23 million people in 71 countries, more than any other modern dance work. Using African American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Revelations explores the deepest reaches of the soul. Ailey said that one of America's richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the African American and this enduring classic is a tribute both to that heritage and Ailey's genius.
 
The company will perform the intensely propulsive central section of William Forsythe's 1989 work, Enemy in the Figure. The choreography is driven by Thom Willem's percussive and rhythmic electronic score which also influences the radical use of light and shadow in its design. This excerpt puts the formidable dance skills of the Ailey 2 dancers on fine display, giving their craft and vitality an invigorating framework.
 
Robert Battle is Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. His 2001 classic The Hunt is a primal ritual with a distinctly urban feel fuelled by a thundering percussion soundtrack by Les Tambours du Bronx. This athletic work, originally choreographed for six male dancers, will be performed by an all-female cast for the first time in the UK. It explores the relationship between modern sports and the rites of the gladiators, revealing the predatory side of human nature and the primitive thrill of the hunt. Battle found inspiration for the work in his background in martial arts.
 
Francesca Harper created her futuristic work Freedom Series on the company in 2021. Inspired by her Ailey homecoming, she has created a landscape of memories, a hybrid world where the past strives to influence the future. Developed in collaboration with the Ailey 2 dancers, Harper's work examines identity and community. This excerpt is danced to a montage of acoustic and electronic sounds. Freedom Series' unexpected twists and turns bring tender moments to its intrinsic ferocity.
 
The dancers of Ailey 2 for the 2023/24 season are: Andrew Bryant; Spencer Everett; Jaryd Farcon; Maya Finman-Palmer; Patrick Gamble; Alfred L. Jordan II; Kiri Moore; Corinth Moulterie; Kali Marie Oliver; Tamia Strickland; Kayla Mei-Wan Thomas; and Maggy van den Heuvel.
 
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey 2 have built powerful legacies which have impacted generations. New Ailey 2 artistic director Francesca Harper embodies this heritage. She took her first dance steps at The Ailey School, the official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where her mother Denise Jefferson was director from 1984-2010. Harper aims to bring fresh perspectives to Ailey's legacy, while nurturing new creative voices and propelling the company forward.
 
The company has an extensive community outreach programme. For this Dance Consortium UK tour, the programme includes masterclasses, open rehearsals and workshops alongside special projects being hosted by member venues as part of the Ailey Project UK.
 
Dance Consortium is a group of 19 large-scale theatres with a mission to bring the best international dance to stages across the UK and Ireland.

Tour Dates

Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 September at 7.30pm
The Marlowe Theatre CANTERBURY
The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS
Tickets: 01227 787787 / www.marlowetheatre.com
 
Friday 22 and Saturday 23 September at 7.30pm
Mayflower Theatre SOUTHAMPTON
22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1GE
Tickets: 023 8071 1811 / www.mayflower.org.uk

Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 September at 7.30pm
Theatre Royal PLYMOUTH
Royal Parade, Plymouth PL1 2TR
Tickets: 01752 267222 / www.theatreroyal.com
 
Friday 29 and Saturday 30 September at 7.30pm
MILTON KEYNES Theatre
500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 3NZ
Tickets: 0333 009 6690 / www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
 
Tuesday 3 & Wednesday 4 October at 7.30pm
BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome
Hurst St, Birmingham B5 4TB
Tickets: 0844 338 5000 / www.birminghamhippodrome.com
† 0844 calls will cost 4.5p per minute plus the phone company's access charge
 
Friday 6 & Saturday 7 October at 7.30pm
NORWICH Theatre Royal
Theatre St, Norwich NR2 1RL
Tickets: 01603 630000 / www.norwichtheatre.org
 
Tuesday 10 & Wednesday 11 October at 7.30pm
Royal Concert Hall NOTTINGHAM
Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND
Tickets: 0115 989 5555 / www.trch.co.uk
 
Friday 13 & Saturday 14 October at 7.30pm
The Lowry, SALFORD
Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ
Tickets: 0161 876 2015 / www.thelowry.com
 
Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 October at 7.30pm
Alhambra Theatre BRADFORD
Morley St, Bradford BD7 1AJ
Tickets: 01274 432000 / www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
 
Friday 20 & Saturday 21 October at 7.30pm
HULL New Theatre
Kingston Square, Hull HU1 3HF
Tickets:  01482 300306 / www.hulltheatres.co.uk
 
Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 October at 7.30pm
Newcastle Theatre Royal
100 Grey St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BR
Tickets: 0191 232 7010 / www.theatreroyal.co.uk
 
Friday 27 & Saturday 28 October at 7.30pm
Eden Court, INVERNESS
Bishops Rd, Inverness IV3 5SA
Tickets: 01463 234234 / www.eden-court.co.uk

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