Alvin Ailey’s 23-city North American tour

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, beloved as one of the world’s most popular dance companies, will travel coast-to-coast beginning in February on a 23-city North American tour. The tour will hit major markets such as Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

The 25th season since the passing of legendary founder Alvin Ailey is led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, who continues to expand the company’s diverse repertory with a wide range of important choreographic voices. Exciting premieres and new productions give Ailey’s 30 extraordinary dancers even more ways to inspire audiences. 

Highlights of the season, which launched in New York in December, include: Aszure Barton’s LIFT, Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, Bill T. Jones’ D-Man in the Waters (Part I), Ronald K. Brown’s Four Corners, Alvin Ailey’s Pas de Duke and The River, a collaboration between Alvin Ailey and Duke Ellington.

In addition, encore performances of recent Battle commissions include McArthur “Genius” Award-recipient Kyle Abraham’s Another Night, Ronald K. Brown’s landmark and spiritually-charged Grace, Jiří Kylián’s sensual and visually surprising Petite Mort, Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan’s seminal From Before, Ohad Naharin’s unique and innovative Minus 16, modern dance master Paul Taylor’s Arden Court, and hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris’ soul-lifting Home.

Also, a variety of repertory favorites and classic Ailey works will be performed, including Robert Battle’s thrillingly intense Strange Humors and the always-inspiring must-see American masterpiece Revelations.

The 2014 North American Tour will kick off February 4-9 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. It will end on May 10-11 in Newark, New Jersey after 21 other cities. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.

Photo: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Alicia Graf Mack and Jamar Roberts. Photo by Andrew Eccles.