Ailey honors the modern dance tradition with Arden Court, a bucolic masterpiece by Paul Taylor.  It is the first work by this illustrious dance master to enter the Ailey repertory. Set to a series of excerpted symphonies by baroque composer William Boyce, Arden Court allows for the Ailey dancers to be at once both playful and majestic. 

The addition of Arden Court to the Ailey repertory holds personal significance for Artistic Director Robert Battle, who studied with two principal Taylor dancers at The Juilliard School and held the famed choreographer in high regard as his own dance career progressed. “Arden Court was the first Taylor piece I ever saw performed,” said Battle, “and it unlocked my understanding of him, and how he contrasts the dark and light in emotions…He has the language of a great poet in his dances.”

Generous support for this Company premiere was provided by Harlan B. Levine, M.D. and Natasha I. Leibel, M.D. and The Ellen Jewett & Richard L. Kauffman New Works Endowment Fund.

Original production by the Paul Taylor Dance Company was made possible by contributions from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mobil Foundation, Inc., and the New York State Council on the Arts.