Paris-born choreographer Benoit-Swan Pouffer, a former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the current artistic director of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, brings a European sensibility to Ailey II’s repertory with this new work.

A solo set to two movements of Chopin's Sonata for cello and piano (op. 65), Doscongio is both fiercely focused and relaxed.

Jessica Lang created Splendid Isolation II, an adaptation of her work Splendid Isolation, specifically for the Ailey II dancers.

Artistic Director Robert Battle’s athletic work for six men reveals the predatory side of human nature and the primitive thrill of the hunt.

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues--this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

Paris-born choreographer Benoit-Swan Pouffer, a former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the current artistic director of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, brings a European sensibility to Ailey II’s repertory with this new work.

The complex, tightly woven rhythms of Indian Kathak dance are deconstructed and abstracted in this percussive, fast-paced work.

Jessica Lang created Splendid Isolation II, an adaptation of her work Splendid Isolation, specifically for the Ailey II dancers.

Quintet is in its way a small masterwork and one that differed significantly from other Ailey signature works before it. Like Reflections in D, the piece was an imaginative and sensitive reading of its score, and it offered yet more proof of Alvin's distinctive gift for blending serious choreography and themes with affectionate teasing of his characters. In the new piece, however, Alvin explored for the first time the private being behind a highly public face, a subject he would return to repeatedly."
- Jennifer Dunning, Alvin Ailey: A Life In Dance

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues--this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

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. 

Robert Battle’s bravura work mixes humor and high-flying movement in a savvy deconstruction of Indian Kathak dance rhythms. Clear shapes and propulsive jumps mimic the vocalized syllables of Sheila Chandra's syncopated score.

Home, choreographed by bold hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris, is inspired by the stories of people living with or affected by HIV.  Drawing upon poems and images submitted in 2011 to the Fight HIV Your Way contest, an initiative of Bristol-Myers Squibb, Harris created a compelling work that conveys both the chilling isolation and uplifting sense of community many experience.

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.  More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans.

Amy Hall Garner is emerging as one of America's most diverse creative talents, with a career that spans from Broadway to ballet. In her new work,  set to a vibrant score by Karl Jenkins, Garner delivers high energy with a sophisticated edge.

Paris-born choreographer Benoit-Swan Pouffer, a former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the current artistic director of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, brings a European sensibility to Ailey II’s repertory with this new work.

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues--this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

One of the most popular works in the Ailey repertory, Ronald K. Brown’s spellbinding Grace is a fervent tour-de-force depicting individuals on a journey to the promised land. 

Jamaican-born choreographer Garth Fagan – a Tony Award winner for The Lion King – expertly distills the dance traditions of his heritage to display movement in its purest form.  In this ensemble work, undulating torsos move independently of gyrating hips, and arms and legs cut through space with an arresting display of strength.  Tableau-like moments of stillness are juxtaposed against fiery solos.

Equal parts comedic and combative, Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Strange Humors is an eccentric, jocular display for two dancers.  Composer John Mackey, with whom Battle is a frequent collaborator, provides a fiery score propelled by elements of African hand drumming and Middle Eastern folk music.

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.  More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans.

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. 

Robert Battle’s bravura work mixes humor and high-flying movement in a savvy deconstruction of Indian Kathak dance rhythms. Clear shapes and propulsive jumps mimic the vocalized syllables of Sheila Chandra's syncopated score.

Home, choreographed by bold hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris, is inspired by the stories of people living with or affected by HIV.  Drawing upon poems and images submitted in 2011 to the Fight HIV Your Way contest, an initiative of Bristol-Myers Squibb, Harris created a compelling work that conveys both the chilling isolation and uplifting sense of community many experience.

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.  More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans.

Thang Dao’s Echoes began as a haunting depiction of the choreographer’s memories of life in Vietnam and his migration to America. This poignant ballet has grown into a deeply moving reverie that transcends personal history.

Jessica Lang created Splendid Isolation II, an adaptation of her work Splendid Isolation, specifically for the Ailey II dancers.

Quintet is in its way a small masterwork and one that differed significantly from other Ailey signature works before it. Like Reflections in D, the piece was an imaginative and sensitive reading of its score, and it offered yet more proof of Alvin's distinctive gift for blending serious choreography and themes with affectionate teasing of his characters. In the new piece, however, Alvin explored for the first time the private being behind a highly public face, a subject he would return to repeatedly."
- Jennifer Dunning, Alvin Ailey: A Life In Dance

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues--this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

Thang Dao’s Echoes began as a haunting depiction of the choreographer’s memories of life in Vietnam and his migration to America. This poignant ballet has grown into a deeply moving reverie that transcends personal history.

Paris-born choreographer Benoit-Swan Pouffer, a former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the current artistic director of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, brings a European sensibility to Ailey II’s repertory with this new work.

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues--this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.