By BAM
Photos: Paul Kolnik
May 15, 2024/Brooklyn, NY—BAM is excited to welcome back the iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrating its 65th anniversary, June 4—9, bringing its kinetic energy and dazzling technique with two exuberant programs: “Contemporary Visions”—featuring pieces by renowned choreographers Alonzo King, Jamar Roberts, and Hans van Manen; and “All Ailey”—which includes Ailey’s must-see masterpiece Revelations.
The trailblazing choreographer made his debut on the BAM stage as a dancer in 1956 and established close ties to the community when in 1969 the company began a residency at BAM and he established The Ailey School in Brooklyn. Today, the company that changed American dance forever remains a vital force in New York City—and around the globe.
Program A: “Contemporary Visions”
Ode (2019, new production 2023) by Jamar Roberts
Solo (1997, new production 2023) by Hans van Manen
Following the Subtle Current Upstream (2000, new production 2023) by Alonzo King
The Ailey company performs three works by visionary choreographers Jamar Roberts, Hans van Manen, and Alonzo King in a dynamic program of renegade modern dance. With Ode, Jamar Roberts offers a meditation on the beauty and fragility of life in a time of growing gun violence, featuring a score by the illustrious jazz pianist Don Pullen. Legendary Dutch choreographer Hans van Manen divides his dynamic Solo among three dancers in one explosive display of virtuosity and wit. Completing the evening, Alonzo King’s Following the Subtle Current Upstream—abstract and steeped in meaning—finds the Ailey dancers in constant, joyful flow to an eclectic score by Zakir Hussain, Miguel Frasconi, and Miriam Makeba.
Program B: “All Ailey”
Memoria (1979) by Alvin Ailey
A Song For You (1972) by Alvin Ailey
Cry (1971) by Alvin Ailey
Revelations (1960) by Alvin Ailey
This stunning return to BAM’s opera house stage by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater offers a program of signature Ailey works, honoring and celebrating the man who forged a revolutionary path for American dance. Members of Ailey II and talented students of The Ailey School come together with the Company in Memoria, the choreographer’s heartfelt elegy to his dear friend and colleague Joyce Trisler, while A Song for You takes us on an emotional journey with a male soloist through love and longing, set to Donny Hathaway’s somber tune of the same name. Also included in the program is the tour-de-force female solo Cry, created as a birthday present from Ailey to his mother that is dedicated “to all Black women everywhere, especially our mothers.” The evening concludes with the signature masterpiece Revelations, a fervent, transcendent exploration of the soul’s deepest grief and holiest joy.
Prior to the BAM engagement, dance fans are invited to join the free Revelations Celebration Community Workshop on Saturday, June 1 at 2pm. Learn excerpts from Alvin Ailey’s iconic Revelations—in this exciting Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs workshop. Led by former Ailey company members Amos Machanic and Cheryl Rowley-Gaskins, with live music by Ailey percussionist Roderick Jackson, this all-ages workshop invites you to celebrate movement and Alvin Ailey’s must-see signature work with those who shared this inspiring masterpiece with audiences in performances around the world.
In conjunction with this 65th anniversary engagement, the compelling story of the life, work, and legacy of Alvin Ailey is the focus of a large-scale museum exhibition and a short film series. Presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Edges of Ailey (Sep 25, 2024 – Feb 9, 2025) will be a multifaceted presentation encompassing a multimedia exhibition, daily performance program, and scholarly catalogue to offer a richly layered experience for understanding the artist anew. Portrait of Ailey, a new eight-part documentary series, was created by Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters using rare historical film and still images as well as contemporary footage to create a sweeping narrative of Mr. Ailey as a performer, choreographer, celebrity, teacher, social activist, arts advocate, and creator of an enduring institution. Portrait of Ailey’s first two chapters are available on PBS Learning (Alvin Ailey’s Texas Roots; Alvin Ailey’s California Inspirations) with additional episodes rolling out by June and September.
