Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

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1 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Press Contact: ANNOUNCES Christopher Zunner, NEW YORK CITY CENTER 50 TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON Five-Week Celebration of Five Decades of Inspiring Artistry with World Premieres, New Productions and Special Programs Live Onstage Performances Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in Ailey & Ellington Sweet Honey In The Rock in a New Work by AAADT Member Hope Boykin World Premiere by Mauro Bigonzetti New Productions of George Faison s Suite Otis and Alvin Ailey s Blues Suite Anniversary Highlights Special Program Celebrating the Genius of Alvin Ailey December 3, January 4, 2009 (New York) August 12, 2008 Artistic Director Judith Jamison announced today that the 2008 New York City Center 50 th Anniversary Season of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) will celebrate five decades of inspiring artistry with live onstage performances by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis in Ailey & Ellington and by Sweet Honey In The Rock in a new work by AAADT company member Hope Boykin; a world premiere by Mauro Bigonzetti; three new productions of classic works; and Anniversary Highlights, a special program celebrating the genius of Alvin Ailey. The five-week season at New York City Center, from December 3, 2008 through January 4, 2009, will launch with a 50 th Anniversary Gala celebrating the Ailey legacy with Honorary Chair and Honored Guest Oprah Winfrey. The one-night-only program will culminate in Alvin Ailey s beloved Revelations with live music featuring Jessye Norman, Ella Mitchell, Richard Smallwood and Yolanda Adams. For one extraordinary week, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will join the Ailey dancers in Ailey & Ellington, a joyous live music celebration of America s two great art forms modern dance and jazz music. Featuring works from Alvin Ailey s legendary collaboration with the great Duke Ellington, the program will also include excerpts of works to Ellington music by Talley Beatty and Louis Falco. - MORE - AAADT NEW YORK CITY CENTER th ANNIVERSARY SEASON Page 1 of 5

2 AAADT company member Hope Boykin s world premiere Go in Grace is an innovative collaboration with Grammy-Award winning female a cappella musical group Sweet Honey In The Rock, who will perform their original score live onstage with the dancers. Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti, praised for his fresh and inventive sensibility, brings his distinctly European flair and dramatic style to the Ailey repertory for the first time with a world premiere ballet. New productions of historic works from the Ailey repertory will be shared with today s audiences: Alvin Ailey s masterpiece Blues Suite, first seen at the Company s premiere performance in 1958, brings to life blood memories of rural, Depression-era Southern Texas poignantly evoking the sorrow, humor and humanity of the blues; Suite Otis (1971), by Tony-Award winning choreographer George Faison, is ripe with the romance and humor of young lovers out on the town in a sizzling suite of dances to the timeless songs of Otis Redding; and Alvin Ailey s Masekela Langage (1969), a searing portrait of oppression, was recently revived for the anniversary year. A retrospective of Alvin Ailey s phenomenal choreographic career will be presented in a new Anniversary Highlights special program that includes excerpts of favorite works and rarely-seen gems spanning each decade, from Blues Suite, the dance that launched the Company in 1958, to Opus McShann, his final piece thirty years later. The program will also include his masterpiece Revelations in its entirety. In addition, the legendary Ella Mitchell and members of the Riverside Church Inspirational Choir will sing eight stirring performances of Revelations, conducted by Eric Reed. Kenny Brawner and the Brawner Brothers Band will perform live onstage for Blues Suite on four special nights. Each performance throughout the season will open with a short film, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 50 A Golden Anniversary Celebration, commemorating the Company s rich 50-year history. Ailey s 18-month 50 th Anniversary celebration includes International and U.S. performances in 50 cities along with special commemorative merchandise, including: Hallmark Ailey greeting cards; Ailey/Celebration Calendar and Ailey Ascending, a photographic art book, by Andrew Eccles; Ailey Movado Museum Time Piece; A Young Ailey Dancer, a children s book by Valerie Gladstone and Jose Ivey; and an Ailey Barbie Doll. The Prudential Foundation is the sponsor of AAADT s 50th Anniversary New York Season. WORLD PREMIERES Go in Grace Premiere: Friday, Dec. 5 eve (Dec. 5, 10, 11, 13 mat, Jan. 2, 3 eve) Choreography: Hope Boykin Music: Sweet Honey in the Rock Company member Hope Boykin weaves a gentle, affecting tale of community, family and growth that illustrates the African proverb it takes a village to raise a child. To a commissioned score composed and performed live onstage by Sweet Honey In The Rock, Boykin casts the dancers and singers as members of a society who unite to move a young girl forward in wisdom and grace. Rooted in a deeply held commitment to create music out of the rich textures of African American legacy and traditions, this Grammy-Award winning female vocal ensemble possesses a stunning vocal prowess that captures the multifaceted sounds of blues, spirituals, traditional gospel hymns, rap, reggae, African chants, hip hop, ancient lullabies and jazz improvisation. New Bigonzetti Premiere: Friday, Dec. 12 eve (Dec. 12, 13 eve, 14 eve, 24, 27 eve, 30, Jan. 2) Acclaimed Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti, praised for his fresh and inventive sensibility, brings his distinctly European flair to the Ailey repertory for the first time. With a highly dramatic style, complex partnering and seamless integration of classical and modern styles, Bigonzetti showcases the Ailey dancers emotional intensity and technical prowess. AAADT NEW YORK CITY CENTER th ANNIVERSARY SEASON Page 2 of 5

3 NEW PRODUCTIONS Blues Suite (1958) Premiere: Thursday, Dec. 4 eve / Live Music Premiere: Saturday, Dec. 13 eve Choreography: Alvin Ailey (Dec. 4 / Dec. 13 eve, 16, 26, 28 eve) Music: Traditional With the rumble of a train and the toll of distant bells, a cast of vividly-drawn characters from the barrelhouses and fields of Alvin Ailey s southern childhood are summoned to dance and revel through one long, sultry night. Ailey s masterpiece, first seen at the Company s premiere performance in 1958, poignantly evokes the sorrow, humor and humanity of the blues, those heartfelt songs that he called hymns to the secular regions of the soul. Suite Otis (1971) Premiere: Tuesday, Dec. 9 eve (Dec. 9, 13 mat, 14 eve, 24, 27 mat, 30, 31, Jan. 2, 4 mat) Choreography: George Faison Music: Otis Redding Otis Redding s timeless music sets the stage for George Faison s playful battle of the sexes. The yearning sensuality of soul stirring songs such as Satisfaction, Try a Little Tenderness, I ve Been Loving You Too Long and other favorites burst through this six-part suite of dances ripe with romance and humor. Masekela Langage (1969) New York City Center Season Premiere:Tues., Dec. 9 eve (Dec. 9, 26, 28 mat, Jan. 4 mat) Choreography: Alvin Ailey Music: Hugh Masekela Alvin Ailey s searing portrait of oppression draws parallels between the era of South African apartheid and the raceinduced violence in Chicago during the 1960s. As trumpeter and composer Hugh Masekela s driving music propels the dancers through a string of theatrical tableaus, the commanding choreography speaks of passivity, militancy, despair and defiance anywhere, at any time. AILEY & ELLINGTON: A CELEBRATION WITH JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA AND WYNTON MARSALIS For one extraordinary week only, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will join Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for a joyous live music celebration of America s two great art forms - modern dance and jazz music. The great Duke Ellington composed some of the most exuberant orchestrations ever set to dance. Sophisticated, sexy, lush and alluring, his music inspired Alvin Ailey s legendary collaboration, along with other major choreographers such as Talley Beatty and Louis Falco. (All Ballets choreographed by Alvin Ailey unless otherwise noted) Program A: Dec. 17, 19, 21 mat Night Creature (1974); Reflections in D (1962); excerpts from Caravan (Falco) (1976), The Mooche (1975), The Road of the Phoebe Snow (Beatty) (1959), Pas de Duke (1976), Three Black Kings (1976); Revelations (1960) Program B: Dec. 18, 20 eve, 21 eve The River; excerpts from Caravan (Falco), The Mooche, The Road of the Phoebe Snow (Beatty), Pas de Duke, Three Black Kings; Revelations (in its entirety) ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTS (Dec. 6 eve, 7 mat, 14 mat, 25, Jan. 1) This new program features excerpts from many of Alvin Ailey s most popular and beloved ballets. Spanning each decade of Ailey s phenomenal career, from Blues Suite, the dance that launched the Company in 1958, to Opus McShann, his final piece thirty years later, this stunning retrospective demonstrates the tremendous range and resonance of one man s genius. Excerpts from Blues Suite (1958), Streams (1970), Choral Dances (1971), Mary Lou s Mass (1971), The Lark Ascending (1972), Hidden Rites (1973), Night Creature (1975), Phases (1980), Landscape (1981), For Bird With Love (1984), Caverna Magica (1986), Opus McShann (1988), Cry (1971), and Revelations (1960) in its entirety. AAADT NEW YORK CITY CENTER th ANNIVERSARY SEASON Page 3 of 5

4 LIVE MUSIC Revelations (Dec. 3, 6 eve, 17, 18, 19, 20 eve, 21 mat & eve) Blues Suite (Dec. 13, 16, 26, 28) In addition to thrilling live music events featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Sweet Honey In The Rock, enjoy two of Alvin Ailey s treasured classics with live singers and musicians. The legendary Ella Mitchell and members of the Riverside Church Inspirational Choir will sing eight stirring performances of Revelations, conducted by Eric Reed. Kenny Brawner will belt the blues for Blues Suite on four special nights. OTHER SEASON HIGHLIGHTS 50 th Anniversary Opening Night Gala (Dec. 7pm) Oprah Winfrey, Honorary Chair and Honored Guest A special one-night-only program celebrating the Ailey legacy and closing with Alvin Ailey s classic Revelations, featuring live musical performances by Jessye Norman, Ella Mitchell, Richard Smallwood and Yolanda Adams. Target 1958 Night (Dec. 4) In honor of Ailey s first performance, Target will sponsor a one-night-only performance with all tickets at a special price to help encourage access and participation. Family Matinee Series (Dec. 6 mat, 13 mat, 20 mat, 27 mat, Jan 3 mat) Give your family an Ailey experience to remember. A limited number of Family Matinee tickets are available for all Saturday afternoon performances for the special price of $20. Buy early for the best seat selection. Following each Saturday matinee performance, the entire audience is invited to engage in a free question and answer session with the Ailey dancers in the theater. Maximum purchase six tickets. Offer subject to availability. Not available online. Celebrating Sylvia Waters (Dec. 16) Sylvia Waters, Ailey II Artistic Director and former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is celebrating her 40 th Anniversary with Ailey and will be honored at a special performance featuring Blues Suite, Revelations and selections danced by Ailey II. New Year s Eve Celebration (Dec. 7pm) Dance in the New Year with Ailey in a celebratory performance that culminates with the inspiring Revelations. Season Finale (Jan. 7:30pm) The season finale program includes specially staged excerpts highlighting the season along with the quintessential Revelations in its entirety. Season Repertory In addition to the premieres, new productions, special programs and collaborations being presented during the 50 th Anniversary season, the Company repertory will include: Episodes (Ulysses Dove) Firebird (Maurice Béjart) Flowers (Alvin Ailey) The Golden Section (Twyla Tharp) The Groove To Nobody s Business (Camille A. Brown) Love Stories (Judith Jamison, Robert Battle, Rennie Harris) Memoria (Alvin Ailey) Night Creature (Alvin Ailey) Revelations (Alvin Ailey) The River (Alvin Ailey) Solo (Hans van Manen,) Treading (Elisa Monte) Unfold (Robert Battle) Vespers (Ulysses Dove) See attached calendar for full performance schedule. (All programming is subject to change) AAADT NEW YORK CITY CENTER th ANNIVERSARY SEASON Page 4 of 5

5 PERFORMANCE TIMES Opening Night Gala Tuesday evenings Wednesday Saturday evenings Sunday evenings Saturday matinees Sunday matinees New Year s Eve 7:00pm - Note earlier curtain time- 7:00pm - Note earlier curtain time- 8:00pm 7:30pm - Note earlier curtain time- 2:00pm 3:00pm 7:00pm - Note earlier curtain time- TICKETS New York City Center is located at 131West 55th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Tickets are available starting September 2 nd at the New York City Center Box Office, through CityTix at (212) or online at or Great seats are available in all sections of the theater starting at $25. Discount tickets are available when purchasing tickets for more than one performance, for the family matinee series, students with an appropriate ID and groups of 10 or more. For group sales, call or groupsales@alvinailey.org. ############# AAADT 50 th ANNIVERSARY NEW YORK CITY CENTER SPONSORS The Prudential Foundation is the sponsor of AAADT s 50th Anniversary New York Season. JPMorgan is the National Art of Learning Sponsor. American Express is the Official Card and the sponsor of Ailey & Ellington: A Celebration with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis. Altria Group provides major support for the New Works Fund. MetLife Foundation provides leadership support for Go in Grace. Target is the sponsor of Target 1958 Night. Movado Group provides major support for the new production of Blues Suite. Citi provides major support for Ailey s Arts In Education programs. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 50 A Golden Anniversary Celebration was made possible by the generous support of Citi. American Airlines is the Official Airline of AAADT. The 2008 season is sponsored, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), America s Cultural Ambassador to the World, was founded in 1958 and has performed for more than 21 million people in 71 countries and on 6 continents. Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. is the umbrella organization which includes AAADT; Ailey II, founded in 1974 as a junior performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School, founded in 1969 and currently offering some of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs which is committed to bringing dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people throughout the world; and The Ailey Extension, a program that offers dance and fitness classes to the general public. AAADT NEW YORK CITY CENTER th ANNIVERSARY SEASON Page 5 of 5

6 ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER 2008 NEW YORK CITY CENTER GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SEASON (as of 8/13/08*) TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SAT MAT SAT EVE SUN MAT SUN EVE 7pm 8pm 8pm 8pm 2pm 8pm 3pm 7:30pm 3-Dec 4-Dec 5-Dec 6-Dec 6-Dec 7-Dec 7-Dec World Premiere = W 50th Anniversary Gala TARGET 1958 NIGHT New Production = N Program with Oprah Winfrey Memoria Night Creature Anniversary Anniversary Premiere = red title 7pm Curtain Blues Suite N Go in Grace* W Unfold Highlights Highlights Memoria 1st Season Perf. = blue title The Ailey School Reflections in D Revelations Memoria includes Revelations* includes Revelations Flowers JLCO = Jazz at Lincoln Center Good Morning Blues Night Creature Revelations Love Stories Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis Night Creature movement II Revelations *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC Revelations* Sweet Honey In The Rock Revelations *LIVE MUSIC - Revelations 9-Dec 10-Dec 11-Dec 12-Dec 13-Dec 13-Dec 14-Dec 14-Dec The Golden Section Firebird The Groove To Love Stories Go in Grace* W Blues Suite* N Anniversary Suite Otis N Masekela Langage N Go in Grace* W Nobody's Business New Bigonzetti W The Groove To New Bigonzetti W Highlights New Bigonzetti W Suite Otis N Revelations Treading Revelations Nobody's Business Revelations includes Revelations Revelations Go in Grace* W Unfold *LIVE MUSIC Love Stories Suite Otis N Sweet Honey In The Rock *LIVE MUSIC Proceeds to benefit *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC Blues Suite Ailey Dancers' Resource Fund Sweet Honey In The Rock Sweet Honey In The Rock 16-Dec 17-Dec 18-Dec 19-Dec 20-Dec 20-Dec 21-Dec 21-Dec Blues Suite* N Ailey & Ellington: A Ailey & Ellington: A Ailey & Ellington: A Firebird Ailey & Ellington: A Ailey & Ellington: A Ailey & Ellington: A Ailey II Highlights Celebration with Jazz at Celebration with Jazz at Celebration with Jazz at Episodes Celebration with Jazz at Celebration with Jazz at Celebration with Jazz at performed by Ailey II Lincoln Center Orchestra Lincoln Center Orchestra Lincoln Center Orchestra Love Stories Lincoln Center Orchestra Lincoln Center Orchestra Lincoln Center Orchestra Revelations & Wynton Marsalis* & Wynton Marsalis* & Wynton Marsalis* & Wynton Marsalis* & Wynton Marsalis* & Wynton Marsalis* Celebrating Program A Program B Program A Program B Program A Program B Sylvia Waters *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC JLCO JLCO JLCO JLCO JLCO JLCO Blues Suite & Revelations & Revelations & Revelations & Revelations & Revelations & Revelations 23-Dec 24-Dec 25-Dec 26-Dec 27-Dec 27-Dec 28-Dec 28-Dec ALL AILEY ALL AILEY Episodes Suite Otis N Anniversary Love Stories Firebird The Golden Section Solo New Bigonzetti W Highlights Blues Suite* N Solo New Bigonzetti W Masekela Langage N Blues Suite* N Vespers Revelations includes Revelations Masekela Langage N Vespers Revelations Revelations Flowers Revelations Revelations Suite Otis N Revelations Proceeds to benefit Dancers Responding to AIDS *LIVE MUSIC *LIVE MUSIC Blues Suite Blues Suite 30-Dec 31-Dec 1-Jan 2-Jan 3-Jan 3-Jan 4-Jan 4-Jan SPECIAL ALL NEW New Bigonzetti W NEW YEAR'S EVE Anniversary The Groove To Firebird The Groove To SEASON FINALE Flowers PERFORMANCE - 7pm Highlights New Bigonzetti W Nobody's Business Go in Grace* W Nobody's Business Season Highlights Suite Otis N The Golden Section includes Revelations Go in Grace* W Unfold Revelations Treading Revelations Suite Otis N Suite Otis N Episodes Masekela Langage N Treading Revelations *LIVE MUSIC Suite Otis N Revelations *LIVE MUSIC Sweet Honey In The Rock Sweet Honey In The Rock * Programming Subject To Change Press Contact: Christopher Zunner czunner@alvinailey.org Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater