Ailey II Returns to The Ailey Citigroup Theater for Two–Week Season
Ailey II, the celebrated second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, returns to its home, The Ailey Citigroup Theater, for a highly anticipated two-week 2022 season featuring 10 performances from March 23 – April 3. The gifted 12-member ensemble will treat New York audiences to three dynamic programs featuring works by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle, William Forsythe, Ailey II Artistic Director Francesca Harper, Ailey company member Yannick Lebrun, and Andrea Miller.
Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best early-career dance talent with the passion and artistry of today’s most outstanding choreographers. Trained at The Ailey School—and the daughter of the late Denise Jefferson, director of The Ailey School 1984-2010—Francesca Harper brings fresh perspectives to Mr. Ailey’s legacy during her inaugural season.
“It is a privilege to return to the home that shaped me as an artist to accept the honor of leading Ailey II into its next era,” said Artistic Director Francesca Harper. “Ailey II’s mission lies in generating space for human narratives expressed through the strength, grace, and versatility of the next generation of gifted young dancers. As exemplified in this year’s diverse repertory, I am looking forward to bringing in new choreographic voices and programming works that further an ongoing cultural dialogue and contribute to social transformation.”
The New York engagement opens on Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. with Pulse, bringing audience members to the edge of both excitement and wonder with physicality that moves beyond its familiar limits, to insistent, complex rhythms. With works by Francesca Harper, William Forsythe, Robert Battle, and Andrea Miller, all artists known for taking chances, Pulse remind us to take risks and of the undeniable power that lives within us when we do. The program features company premieres of William Forsythe’s Enemy in the Figure and Francesca Harper’s Freedom Series.
On Thursday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m., Ailey II celebrates Robert Battle’s 10th anniversary with a special performance paying homage to his visionary leadership and Ailey journey. The evening spotlights Battle’s New York premiere Searchlight. With his signature musical sophistication, Battle juxtaposes the tension of Steve Reich’s “It’s Gonna Rain, Part II” with the healing quality of Renée Fleming and Christoph Eschenbach’s “Nacht Und Träume, D.827,” finding equilibrium between the extremes just as the dancers find perfect balance in motion. Other works by Battle featured on the celebratory program include The Hunt, Takademe and company premiere Alleluia.
Dichotomous premieres on Friday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. with an evening of works curated in the spirit of contrasting elements and voices. From the mellifluous tone of Kathleen Battle’s voice to the powerful drums of Tambour du Bronx, the program encourages audiences to find inspiration and connections within works that at first glance seem to exist in different worlds. Dichotomous includes Robert Battle’s Alleluia, Searchlight and The Hunt, William Forsythe’s Enemy in the Figure, Francesca Harper’s Freedom Series, and Yannick Lebrun’s Saa Magni, a passionate duet filled with the angst and fear that comes along with the mourning process.
The program New Lens debuts on Sunday, March 27 at 3 p.m. examining dance under a fresh and intimate lens. From the vigorous physicality of Andrea Miller’s Psūkhe to Yannick LeBrun’s Saa Magni and Francesca Harper’s elliptical galaxy in Fly, we get a deeper glance into some of the dance world’s current Contemporary voices whose works embody bold, daring, and fresh perspectives.
Tickets starting at $59 are on sale now for the Ailey II 2022 Season, and can be purchased at www.alvinailey.org/aileyinnyc or by phone at 212-405-9082.