Pauline Adamek
The astonishing modern dance company based in New York City, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. The company is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate artistic director Matthew Rushing.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is set to kick off a four-year exclusive Southern California residency at The Music Center, with two programs celebrating the company’s storied 65th anniversary. Performance dates are March 20–24, 2024.
Above photo: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Revelations. Photo by Paul Kolnik.
From the press release:
The Music Center continues its 21st season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center with a tremendous seven-performance engagement by the illustrious Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater that will captivate audiences over five days, March 20–24, 2024, at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The New York-based company will begin its exclusive four-year Southern California residency at The Music Center by showcasing an exhilarating repertory in two programs, blending audience favorites and Ailey classics with three works making their Los Angeles premieres; the two programs will alternate among the seven performance dates.
The first program (Program A) includes the L.A. premieres of both Ode (choreography by Jamar Roberts, 2019) and Are You in Your Feelings? (choreography by Kyle Abraham, 2022) as well as the signature masterpiece Revelations (choreography by Alvin Ailey, 1960); program A will be performed on March 20, 22, 23 (matinee) and 24 (evening), 2024. The second program (Program B) includes the L.A. premiere of new work CENTURY (choreography by Amy Hall Garner, 2023), a restaging of Dancing Spirit (choreography by Ronald K. Brown, 2009) with Revelations as the capstone; program B will be performed on March 21, 23 (evening) and 24 (matinee), 2024.
Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center.
“The diverse pieces that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform, including three works never before seen in L.A., convey the company’s passionate spirit and the dancers’ extraordinary technique. Once again, the Ailey company will showcase its incredible artistry that has made it a cultural phenomenon. I also want to congratulate Ailey on its 65th anniversary, which coincides with The Music Center’s 60th year, and its continued success in inspiring audiences. We will proudly present this company for many years to come, as it shines a light on the power and beauty of the performing arts.”
Photo by Dario Calmese.
In May 2023, The Music Center and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater jointly announced the company’s commitment to perform for four consecutive years at The Music Center’s iconic Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, beginning with the current 2023–2024 season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center. The multi-year residency is the first of its kind in The Music Center’s 60-year history.
Solomon Dumas, Khalia Campbell and Samantha Figgins in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Revelations. Photo by Paul Kolnik.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 7:30 p.m. (Program A)
Thursday, March 21, 2024, 7:30 p.m. (Program B)
Friday, March 22, 2024, 7:30 p.m. (Program A)
Saturday, March 23, 2024, 2:00 p.m. (Program A)
Saturday, March 23, 2024, 7:30 p.m. (Program B)
Sunday, March 24, 2024, 2:00 p.m. (Program B)
Sunday, March 24, 2024, 7:30 p.m. (Program A)
Last company appearance at The Music Center: 2022
Program A:
- Are You in Your Feelings? (2022, L.A. Premiere)
Choreography: Kyle Abraham
Rehearsal Associate: Stephanie Teraski
Music: Various Artists
Costumes: Karen Young
Lighting: Dan Scully
- Ode (2019, L.A. Premiere)
Choreography: Jamar Roberts
Restaging: Ghrai DeVore-Stokes
Music: Don Pullen
Costumes: Jamar Roberts
Lighting: Brandon Stirling Baker
Scenic Design: Libby Stadstad
- Revelations (1960)
Choreography: Alvin Ailey
Music: Traditional Spirituals
Décor and Costumes: Ves Harper
Redesigned costumes for Rocka My Soul: Barbara Forbes
Lighting: Nicola Cernovitch
Program B:
- CENTURY (2023, L.A. Premiere)
Choreography: Amy Hall Garner
Rehearsal Associate: Natrea Blake
Music: Various Artists
Costumes: Susan Roemer
Lighting and Scenic Design: Nicole Pearce
- Dancing Spirit (2009)
Choreography: Ronald K. Brown
Music: Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis, Radiohead, War
- Revelations (1960)
Choreography: Alvin Ailey
Music: Traditional Spirituals
Décor and Costumes: Ves Harper
Redesigned costumes for Rocka My Soul: Barbara Forbes
Lighting: Nicola Cernovitch
ABOUT GLORYA KAUFMAN PRESENTS DANCE AT THE MUSIC CENTER
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, a TMC Arts program, is one of the leading presenters of dance on the West Coast. The celebrated series offers significant works by prestigious ballet and contemporary dance artists from around the world. Now entering its 21st year, Dance at The Music Center is a powerful force, supporting new works and artists-in-residence projects by today’s most influential companies and choreographers. Performances are complemented by special experiences for both ticket buyers and the public with opportunities to learn more about the choreography and the themes explored, including panels, master classes, dance film festivals, interactive experiences and more. The 21st season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center is generously supported by Glorya Kaufman Foundation, Center Dance Arts, Dorothy B. Chandler Program Fund and Elisabeth Katte Harris.
ABOUT CENTER DANCE ARTS
Center Dance Arts is a dynamic community of patrons with a passion for dance. Center Dance Arts members bring dance to life in Los Angeles by promoting The Music Center’s world-class dance performances, extensive educational outreach and free and low-cost community experiences so all may experience the transformative power of dance. For more information, visit musiccenter.org/cda.
ABOUT THE MUSIC CENTER
The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. Celebrating its 60th year in 2024, the $70 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Gloria Molina Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County and on a digital platform called The Music Center Offstage. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Gloria Molina Grand Park, which comprise $2 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on social media @MusicCenterLA.
ABOUT ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, 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. Founded by Alvin Ailey, recent posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—and guided by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, the Company was led until 2023 by Robert Battle, whom Judith Jamison chose to succeed her on July 1, 2011. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents—as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms—promoting the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year‐end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago; The Fox Theatre in Atlanta; Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA, and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate, and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes 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 Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world—named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit alvinailey.org.
Brian Sonia-Wallace
