Alvin Ailey returns to BAM for first time in more than a decade
The iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings its passionate energy and dazzling technique back to BAM for the first since 2010 with two exuberant programs of recent works, and classic audience favorites: Brooklyn Bonds—featuring rarely performed pieces by renowned choreographers Kyle Abraham, Ronald K. Brown, and Twyla Tharp; 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, under the leadership of artistic director Robert Battle, the company that changed American dance forever remains a vital force in New York City—and around the globe.
Program A: Brooklyn Bonds includes Dancing Spirit (2009) by Ronald K. Brown; Roy’s Joys (1997) by Twyla Tharp; and Are You in Your Feelings? (2022) by Kyle Abraham.
In this showcase of modern masters with Brooklyn connections, the Ailey company puts its
soulful spin on recent and rarely performed pieces by acclaimed choreographers Kyle Abraham,
Ronald K. Brown, and Twyla Tharp. Brown’s Dancing Spirit embodies the elegance and influence of the great Judith Jamison. In Roy’s Joys, the company showcases Tharp at her rollicking best in a sultry work set to the silky jazz of Roy Eldridge. Completing the program is Are You in Your Feelings?, a triumphant new work by Abraham that celebrates both Black culture and the youthful spirit that perseveres in us
all. Program A will be performed June 6, 8 & 10 at 7:30 pm at the Howard Gilman Opera House.
Program B: All Ailey includes Night Creature (1975) by Alvin Ailey; Cry (1971) by Alvin Ailey; Survivors (1986) by Alvin Ailey and Mary Barnett; and Revelations (1960) by Alvin Ailey.
As part of its eagerly anticipated return to the BAM stage, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
stages four revered classics by the visionary himself: from a buoyant Duke Ellington collaboration
to an impassioned tribute to the profound courage of Nelson and Winnie Mandela, set to the
visionary jazz of Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln. Also included in the program are the 16-minute
solo Cry, a birthday present from Ailey to his mother that is dedicated to “all Black women
everywhere,” and the landmark Revelations, which has enraptured audiences since its creation in
1960. Program B will be performed June 7 & 9 at 7:30 pm, June 10 at 2 pm, and June 11 at 3 pm at the Howard Gilman Opera House.
Tickets for Alvin Ailey’s return to BAM begin at $35. Click here to purchase and learn more.