Ulysses Dove's bold choreographic voice and daring athleticism are embodied by the phenomenal Ailey women in Vespers, a dramatic work full of raw energy and profound grace.

Mikel Rouse's percussive score matches the dancers' insistent drive as they propel themselves across the stage in this ballet that The Village Voice proclaimed "astonishing an exemplary vehicle for six Ailey women, showing off their streamlined power and how coldly they can burn."

Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison is committed to continuing the presentation of Dove's works in the Ailey repertory. "Dove is one of those choreographers whose works we love to keep in the Company's repertory as much as possible," says Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, who restaged the ballet for this new production. "I love to expose new dancers to the genius of Dove's work," Chaya reveals. "At the same time it keeps the ballet from becoming a museum piece' it keeps it alive and new. I want each new dancer to bring this generation's perspective to the steps; I don't want them to dance it exactly the way the original cast did. There has to be life in it." Dove's choreography has been a fixture in the Ailey repertory since 1980, when the former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer set one of his earliest ballets on the Company. Like many of his works, Vespers, which was first performed by the Company in 1987, has a stark, ferocious quality. Whether viewed as a feminist statement against the struggles endured by women or a validation of women's strength and pride, this powerhouse work is certain to captivate audiences with its intensity and passion.

The commissioning of this work was made possible, in part, by generous grants from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund and J.P. Morgan.

Vespers was originally created for the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company in 1986 through a grant from the National Choreography Project.