Alvin Ailey Coming to Arsht

Posted on 27. Apr, 2010 by Howard Salus in Entertainment, The Arts Advances

ALVIN AILEY® AMERICAN DANCE THEATER IN MIAMI MAY 20‐23
FOR FINALE OF 20‐CITY U.S. TOUR CELEBRATING JUDITH JAMISON
ON HER 20th YEAR AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
AILEY’S EXTRAORDINARY ARTISTS TO MOVE AUDIENCES WITH CLASSIC REVELATIONS,
PREMIERES AND NEW PRODUCTIONS FOR 5 PERFORMANCES ONLY AT ADRIENNE ARSHT
CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS OF MIAMI‐DADE COUNTY
Best of 20 Years Special Program Highlights Ailey Repertory from Past 2 Decades
Ronald K. Brown Pays Tribute with World Premiere Dancing Spirit
New Production of Hymn, Judith Jamison’s Emmy Award‐Winning Homage to Alvin Ailey
AAADT’s Matthew Rushing Invites Audiences to Visit the Harlem Renaissance with Uptown
(Miami, FL) April 15, 2010 —Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital
American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” will inspire, enlighten and entertain from May 20‐23 at the
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami‐Dade County in the finale of a 20‐city U.S. Tour
honoring 2009 TIME 100 Honoree Judith Jamison on her 20th year as artistic director. Ailey’s acclaimed
dancers, including Miami natives Amos J. Machanic, Jr., Jamar Roberts and Yusha‐Marie Sorzano, will move
audiences with exciting premieres, dramatic new productions, repertory favorites and classic Revelations.
The celebration will begin on Thursday, May 20th with a Best of 20 Years special program highlighting excerpts
from 12 of the nearly 100 ballets that Jamison has commissioned or revived in the Ailey repertory during her
two decades of leadership.
Among the premieres, Ronald K. Brown pays tribute to Judith Jamison’s profound influence with the world
premiere of Dancing Spirit, which echoes the title of Jamison’s autobiography and is set to music by Duke
Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and War.
AAADT’s much‐admired 18‐year veteran Matthew Rushing invites audiences to visit the Harlem Renaissance
in Uptown, his first solo choreographic effort for the Company. Bringing to life that era’s legends and swinging
glory, the piece is set to the vibrant music of Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Nat “King” Cole and more.
Other highlights include a new production of Hymn, Judith Jamison’s Emmy Award‐winning homage to Alvin
Ailey, and Alvin Ailey’s signature masterpiece Revelations at each performance, a “must‐see” for all people.
‐‐ more ‐‐
Press Representative: Charlie Cinnamon
305.672.1324 / ccinnamon1@aol.com
Ailey Public Relations:Christopher Zunner
212.405.9028 / czunner@alvinailey.org
Adrienne Arsht Center PR:Suzette Espinosa
786.468.2221 / sespinosa@arshtcenter.org
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – 2010 U.S. Tour Finale at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center
“I can’t wait to see South Florida audiences join my extraordinary dancers on this season’s inspiring journey
through the past two decades and into the future,” says Judith Jamison. “We know how to fly, we really do.”
During her 15 years performing with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Alvin Ailey created some of his most
enduring roles for Jamison, enabling her to break down racial barriers and become internationally acclaimed.
In 1989 she became one of only a handful of women in the world to direct a major dance company, at the
invitation of Alvin Ailey before his untimely death.
Jamison has guided the Ailey organization to new heights around the world and into a permanent home – the
nation’s largest building for dance. The Ailey organization has implemented unique programs that help young
people reach their full potential, including public school residencies that use dance to teach language arts and
history, an Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program that is training the inspiring performing artists of the future, and
AileyCamp, a summer day camp for underserved inner‐city youth in Miami and 9 other cities.
One of the most renowned figures in modern dance and a cultural icon, Jamison was recently acknowledged
by The New York Times as “surely the most stellar and admired artistic director of any repertory dance
company in America.” She has received many of the nation’s most prestigious honors given to artists,
including The Kennedy Center Honors (1999), the 2001 National Medal of the Arts and recognition as a 2009
TIME 100 Honoree, the magazine’s list of the world’s most influential figures.
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. For further information, visit www.alvinailey.org.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 20 ‐ 8:00pm evening BEST OF 20 YEARS / REVELATIONS
Friday, May 21 ‐ 8:00pm evening UPTOWN / DANCING SPIRIT / REVELATIONS
Saturday, May 22 ‐ 2:00pm matinee SUITE OTIS / HYMN /REVELATIONS
Saturday, May 22 ‐ 8:00pm evening BEST OF 20 YEARS / REVELATIONS
Sunday, May 23 ‐ 2:00pm matinee UPTOWN / DANCING SPIRIT / REVELATIONS
AAADT’s Jamar Roberts. Photo by Andrew Eccles
TICKETS:
Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater tickets are now on sale through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office at
305.949.6722 or online at www.arshtcenter.org ($25 and up). For information on group discounts, contact
786.468.2326.
Toyota is the Official Vehicle Partner of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
J.P. Morgan is the Art of Learning Sponsor.
American Express is the Official Card and sponsor of “Best of 20 Years.”
American Airlines is the Official Airline of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
The 2010 North American Tour is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts.

WORLD PREMIERES
Dancing Spirit, choreographed by Ronald K. Brown
Ronald K. Brown pays tribute to Judith Jamison’s profound influence with a new work that echoes
the title of Jamison’s Doubleday autobiography edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Set to
music by Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and War, Brown’s evocative choreography uses
movement from Cuba, Brazil and the United States to conjure dancing spirits who embody
Jamison’s elegance, vision, dignity and generosity.
AAADT’s Matthew Rushing In Ronald K. Brown’s Dancing Spirit. Photo by Paul Kolnik
Uptown, choreographed by Matthew Rushing
Take a vibrant tour through the Harlem Renaissance era in all its boisterous, swinging glory. In this
new ballet by the beloved, 18‐year Company veteran Matthew Rushing, legends like Langston
Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Josephine Baker and their contemporaries come alive to the music of
Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Nat “King” Cole and more.
AAADT’s Amos J. Machanic, Jr. in Matthew Rushing’s Uptown. Photo by Paul Kolnik
NEW PRODUCTIONS
Hymn, choreographed by Judith Jamison
Judith Jamison’s moving, Emmy Award‐winning 1993 homage to Alvin Ailey uses
explosive, full company dances and quiet solos to illuminate Ailey’s humanity and the
dancers’ unique qualities. Narrative recollections from dancers are arranged by the
multi‐talented actor/playwright Anna Deavere Smith.
AAADT in Judith Jamison’s Hymn. Photo by Andrew Eccles.
“BEST OF 20 YEARS” highlights program ‐ Over the last two decades, Judith Jamison has
commissioned or revived nearly 100 works, providing unparalleled opportunities for
choreographers both renowned and newly discovered. This season, a “Best of 20 Years”
program features the company premiere of In/Side performed in its entirety, and highlights
from popular ballets brought to or revived in the Ailey repertory by Jamison, representing the
wide range of styles and voices that have contributed to the Ailey canon. Includes excerpts of:
Judith Jamison with AAADT members in “Best of 20 Years” program costumes at Ailey’s home
– The Joan Weill Center for Dance. Photo by Paul Kolnik
The Stack‐Up (1982) (1997 – New Production)
Choreographer: Talley Beatty Music: Pillip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice White, & Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire ‐ “Faces”)
Talley Beatty’s fast and furious jazz choreography sends dancers whizzing across the stage while throbbing to the pulsating beats of
Earth, Wind & Fire. The Stack‐Up is a tough, brutal, yet lyrical examination of what happens when life causes a coming together of
disparate social and cultural elements, offering a glimpse of urban L.A. life.
Grace (1999)
Choreographer: Ronald K. Brown Music: Duke Ellington sung by Jimmy McPhail (“Come Sunday”)
Ron Brown’s signature fusion of African and modern dance styles illuminates the soloist in this excerpt of his spiritual piece about
acknowledging the ‘grace’ within individuals’ everyday lives.
North Star (1978) (1990 – joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Lar Lubovitch Music: Philip Glass (“Ange des Orages”)
Lar Lubovitch’s rippling, fluid choreography uniquely complements Philip Glass’ avant‐garde repetitive score in this quartet from
North Star.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – 2010 U.S. Tour Finale at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center Page 4 of 5
Shelter (1988) (1992 ‐ joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Music: Junior “Gabu” Wedderburn, Text: “Belongo” by Laurie Carlos read by Carl Hancock Rux
Ailey dancers conquer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s intense and complex movement style in Shelter, an intensely moving and passionate
work about homelessness and poverty set to the percussion of Junior “Gabu” Wedderburn, and spoken poetry.
Frames (1992)
Choreographer: Dwight Rhoden Music: Music/Vocalist: Kemp Harris, Words: Dwight Rhoden (“Moonlight”)
Complexions Contemporary Ballet Co‐Founder and Artistic Director Dwight Rhoden’s first work for AAADT in 1992, while a dancer
with the company, is an abstract exploration into the depictions of relationships with angular choreography, and, in this solo,
“Stanza 5 ‐ Moonlight,” gestural movements inspired by intimate emotions.
Bad Blood (1984) (1986 – joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Ulysses Dove Music: Laurie Anderson (“Gravity’s Angel”)
Dancing at an extremely athletic and emotionally visceral level, the dancers in this excerpted duet of Bad Blood reveal the power
and magnetic pull of courtship rites with a ruthless and sharp movement vocabulary.
In/Side (2008) (2009 – joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Robert Battle Music: Nina Simone
The vivid emotions of Nina Simone’s “Wild is the Wind” play out in Robert Battle’s gripping solo using his bold, unrestrained
signature style.
Rainbow Round My Shoulder (1959) (1972 – joined Ailey repertory, 2003 –New Production)
Choreographer: Donald McKayle Music: Traditional, Arranged by Robert de Cormier & Milton Okun
This modern dance classic by Donald McKayle is a portrait of the grueling life of men on the chain gang, punctuated by the dreams of
love, joy, and passion that sustain them. The woman’s solo, “The Dream…” is the representation of the men’s vision of their
mothers, wives, and sweethearts.
Dance at the Gym (1991)
Choreographer: Donald Byrd Music: Mio Morales
Inspired by the group dances in Jerome Robbin’s production of West Side Story, Dance at the Gym depicts the complexity, intensity
and competitiveness of teenage relationships, offering an exploration into the struggles and challenges of young people seeking
companionship.
Jukebox for Alvin (1993)
Choreographer: Garth Fagan Music: Antonin Dvorak
The poignant male solo from Jukebox for Alvin introduces this introspective homage to Garth Fagan’s teacher, mentor, and friend,
Alvin Ailey.
Lettres d’Amour (1998)
Choreographer: Redha Music: Banco de Gaia (“Drippy”) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (“Nuages”)
A dynamic piece about human desire and seduction choreographed by French choreographer, Redha, shows the Ailey dancers have
no limits, as they conquer his edgy and theatrical choreography.
Polish Pieces (1995) (1996 ‐ joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Hans van Manen Music: Henryk‐Mikolaj Górecki
Leading European choreographer Hans van Manen set Polish Pieces on the Ailey Company for its United States premiere in 1996.
This excerpted duet is a highlight from the abstract work, set to a classical score by Henryk‐Mikolaj Górecki.
The Winter in Lisbon (1992)
Choreographer: Billy Wilson Music: Dizzy Gillespie (“Manteca”)
This festive excerpt, from the piece celebrating the extraordinary talent of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie by dance and Broadway
choreographer Billy Wilson, is a vibrant party on‐stage.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – 2010 U.S. Tour Finale at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center Page 5 of 5
AILEY CLASSIC
Revelations (1960)
Choreography: Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional
Alvin Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the
African‐American—“sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful”. This
enduring classic is a tribute to that heritage and to Ailey’s genius. Using African‐American
religious music‐‐spirituals, song‐sermons, gospel songs and holy blues‐‐this suite fervently
explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.
AAADT’s Linda Celeste Sims and Glenn Allen Sims in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Photo by Andrew Eccles.
REPERTORY FAVORITE
Suite Otis (1971)
Choreography: George Faison Music: Otis Redding
The timeless music of pioneering soul singer Otis Redding sets the stage for former AAADT
company member and Tony Award‐winning choreographer George Faison’s playful battle of the
sexes. The yearning sensuality of soul stirring songs such as “Satisfaction,” “Try a Little
Tenderness,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and other favorites burst through this wildly popular
six‐part suite of dances ripe with romance and humor.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in George Faison’s Suite Otis. Photo © Steve Vaccariello.

ABOUT THE ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador
to the World,” grew from a now fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American
dance. Today, led by Judith Jamison, now celebrating her 20th Anniversary as Artistic Director, 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,
promoting the uniqueness of the African‐American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American
modern dance tradition. Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. is the umbrella organization which includes Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater; Ailey II (1974) a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School,
(1969) one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs which
brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension, a program offering dance
and fitness classes to the general public that began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home – the nation’s largest building
dedicated to dance ‐ named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, located at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more
information, visit www.alvinailey.org.
ABOUT THE ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS OF MIAMI‐DADE COUNTY
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami‐Dade County is one of the world’s leading performing arts organizations
and venues. Made possible by Miami‐Dade County’s largest ever public/private‐sector partnership, the Center plays host to three
resident companies (Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy) in addition
to numerous South Florida arts organizations that perform in its theaters regularly. Since opening in 2006, the Center has emerged
as a leader in offering and presenting world‐class programming that mirrors South Florida’s diversity, as a catalyst for development
in Miami, and as a host of impactful community and educational programs.
Designed by world‐renowned architect Cesar Pelli of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, the venue is comprised of the 2,400‐seat Sanford
and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House, the 2,200‐seat John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall, the black box Carnival Studio Theater, a
restored Carnival Art Deco Tower, the Peacock Foundation, Inc. Studio, the Peacock Foundation, Inc. Education Center, and the
outdoor Parker and Vann Thomson Plaza for the Arts. Events impresario and restaurateur Barton G. Weiss brought his signature
style to the Center in 2009 with PRELUDE BY BARTON G, a full‐service upscale restaurant open five days a week.
Visit www.arshtcenter.org for more information.

Tags: dance, music, theatre