Release Date: 02.07.10 | Location: All Metro Atlanta | Organization: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Atlanta Program Celebrates Judith Jamison
Opening Night Features Premieres of "Uptown" and "Dancing Spirit"; Special Rates Available for Atlanta Performances
ATLANTA - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) will feature premieres, new productions and signature classics during the Company's visit to Atlanta from Feb. 18-21. Recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," Ailey's renowned artists will return to the stage of the Fabulous Fox Theatre as part of a 20-city tour celebrating 2009 TIME 100 Honoree Judith Jamison on her 20th year as artistic director. Judith Jamison, one of the most renowned figures in modern dance and a cultural icon, has led the Ailey organization to new heights in the past two decades. She has commissioned 20 Company premieres, 32 new productions, 38 world premieres, and has choreographed 10 ballets, including Emmy-Winning "Hymn," her heartfelt tribute to Alvin Ailey.
For the 2010 season, AAADT is offering affordable options to attend one of the 2010 performances. Atlantans can save $10 on all ticket levels on opening night, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m., with the WSB-TV Family 2 Family discount. To receive the discount, enter promo code FAMILY. Additionally, by showing a valid student ID, students can enjoy opening night (Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m.) for only $10. Student rate tickets can only be purchased at the Fox Theatre box office.#
Families are encouraged to spend an afternoon in the city and attend the Coca-Cola Family Matinee* on Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. For each full-price ticket purchased, a second ticket can be purchased for half-price - a 50 percent discount. Following the family performance, the entire audience is welcome to join in a free question and answer session with some of the Ailey dancers.
Ailey's 2010 engagement includes the Atlanta debut of acclaimed 18-year veteran Matthew Rushing's "Uptown," his first solo choreographic effort for the Company. Bringing to life the legendary Harlem Renaissance era, in all its swinging glory, the piece is set to the vibrant music of Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Nat "King" Cole and more.
"Dancing Spirit," Ronald K. Brown's premiere tribute to Judith Jamison's profound influence, echoes the title of her autobiography. Brown infuses movements from Cuba, Brazil and the United States to embody Jamison's elegance, vision, dignity and generosity.
Additional performances include a "Best of 20 Years" highlights program with a variety of excerpts from 13 of the nearly 100 ballets that Jamison has commissioned or revived in the Ailey repertory under her leadership.
Other Atlanta season highlights include a new production of "Hymn," Jamison's homage to Alvin Ailey that became an Emmy-winning television special now being released as a commemorative edition DVD. Featuring the entire Company together on one stage, it incorporates explosive dances and quiet solos to a narrative by multi-talented actor/playwright Anna Deavere Smith, based on illuminating interviews with Jamison and the dancers.
George Faison's wildly popular "Suite Otis," returns with its playful battle of the sexes and soul stirring songs from Otis Redding, such as "Satisfaction" and "Try a Little Tenderness." Alvin Ailey's signature masterpiece "Revelations," a must-see for all people, provides the rousing finale for each performance.
Detailed programming information is as follows:
Thursday, Feb. 18 (student performance) @ 10:30 a.m. --------------------UPTOWN (excerpt), REVELATIONS
Thursday, Feb. 18 (evening) @ 7:30 p.m. # ------------------------UPTOWN/DANCING SPIRIT/REVELATIONS
Friday, Feb. 19 (student performance) @ 10:30 a.m. -----------------------NIGHT CREATURE (excerpt), REVELATIONS
Friday, Feb. 19 (evening) @ 8 p.m. ----------------------------------BEST OF 20 YEARS/REVELATIONS
Saturday, Feb. 20 (matinee) @ 2 p.m.* ------------------------------BEST OF 20 YEARS/REVELATIONS
Saturday, Feb. 20 (evening) @ 8 p.m. -----------------------------UPTOWN/DANCING SPIRIT/REVELATIONS
Sunday, Feb. 21 (matinee) @ 3 p.m. ------------------------------HYMN/SUITE OTIS/REVELATIONS
To purchase tickets, starting at $20, call Ticketmaster at 404-817-8700, or visit www.foxtheatre.org or www.ticketmaster.com. Groups of 10 or more should call the Fox Theatre Group Sales hotline at 404-881-2000 for discounted rates. Special performances for student groups will be on Thursday, February 18 and Friday, February 19 at 10:30 a.m.; tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling 404-881-2000.
*Sponsored by Coca-Cola.
#Student tickets must be purchased at least two hours prior to the performance and can only be purchased at the Fox Theatre box office.
Coca-Cola is the sponsor of the Family Matinee Program in Atlanta.
J.P. Morgan is the Art of Learning Sponsor.
Georgia Power provides local support for AAADT's Atlanta Season.
Toyota is the Official Vehicle Sponsor of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
American Airlines is the Official Airline of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
The 2009 North American Tour is sponsored, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts.
REPERTORY FOR ATLANTA ENGAGEMENT
World Premiere:
Uptown, choreographed by Matthew Rushing
[Feb. 18 (10:30am-excerpt, 7:30 p.m.) and Feb. 20 (8 p.m.)]
Take a vibrant tour through the Harlem Renaissance era in all its boisterous, swinging glory. In this new ballet by the beloved, 18-year Company veteran Matthew Rushing, legends like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Josephine Baker and their contemporaries come alive to the music of Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Nat "King" Cole and more.
Dancing Spirit, choreographed by Ronald K. Brown
[Feb. 18 (7:30 p.m.) and Feb. 20 (8 p.m.)]
Ronald K. Brown pays tribute to Judith Jamison's profound influence with a new work that echoes the title of Jamison's autobiography. Set to music by Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and War, Brown's evocative choreography uses movement from Cuba, Brazil and the United States to conjure dancing spirits who embody Jamison's elegance, vision, dignity and generosity.
New Productions:
Hymn, choreographed by Judith Jamison
[Feb. 21 (3 p.m.) only]
Judith Jamison's moving, Emmy Award-winning 1993 homage to Alvin Ailey uses explosive, full company dances and quiet solos to illuminate Ailey's humanity and the dancers' unique qualities. Narrative recollections from dancers are arranged by the multi-talented actor/playwright Anna Deavere Smith, who will appear live onstage with the Company at select performances.
"BEST OF 20 YEARS" highlights program
[Feb. 19 (8 p.m.) and Feb. 20 (2 p.m.)]
Over the last two decades, Judith Jamison has commissioned or revived nearly 100 works, providing unparalleled opportunities for choreographers both renowned and newly discovered. This season, a "Best of 20 Years" program features highlights from popular ballets brought to or revived in the Ailey repertory by Jamison, representing the wide range of styles and voices that have contributed to the Ailey canon. Includes excerpts of:
The Stack-Up (1982) (1997 - New Production)
Choreographer: Talley Beatty
Music: Pillip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice White, & Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire - "Faces")
Talley Beatty's fast and furious jazz choreography sends dancers whizzing across the stage while throbbing to the pulsating beats of Earth, Wind & Fire. The Stack-Up is a tough, brutal, yet lyrical examination of what happens when life causes a coming together of disparate social and cultural elements, offering a glimpse of urban L.A. life.
Grace (1999)
Choreographer: Ronald K. Brown
Music: Duke Ellington sung by Jimmy McPhail ("Come Sunday")
Ron Brown's signature fusion of African and modern dance styles illuminates the soloist in this excerpt of his spiritual piece about acknowledging the ‘grace' within individuals' everyday lives.
North Star (1978) (1990 - joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Lar Lubovitch
Music: Philip Glass ("Ange des Orages")
Lar Lubovitch's rippling, fluid choreography uniquely complements Philip Glass' avant-garde repetitive score in this quartet from North Star.
Following the Subtle Current Upstream (2000)
Choreographer: Alonzo King
Music: Miguel Frasconi ("Bowed Glass, Thunder & Glass, Bells")
Alonzo King's riveting choreographic combination of modern and ballet dance styles creates a piece that is both austere and evocative, as seen in this excerpted solo.
Shelter (1988) (1992 - joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Music: Junior "Gabu" Wedderburn
Text: "Belongo" by Laurie Carlos read by Carl Hancock Rux
Ailey dancers conquer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's intense and complex movement style in Shelter, an intensely moving and passionate work about homelessness and poverty set to the percussion of Junior "Gabu" Wedderburn, and spoken poetry.
Frames (1992)
Choreographer: Dwight Rhoden
Music: Music/Vocalist: Kemp Harris, Words: Dwight Rhoden ("Moonlight")
Complexions Contemporary Ballet Co-Founder and Artistic Director Dwight Rhoden's first work for AAADT in 1992, while a dancer with the company, is an abstract exploration into the depictions of relationships with angular choreography, and, in this solo, "Stanza 5 - Moonlight," gestural movements inspired by intimate emotions.
Bad Blood (1984) (1986 - joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Ulysses Dove
Music: Laurie Anderson ("Gravity's Angel")
Dancing at an extremely athletic and emotionally visceral level, the dancers in this excerpted duet of Bad Blood reveal the power and magnetic pull of courtship rites with a ruthless and sharp movement vocabulary.
Rainbow Round My Shoulder (1959) (1972 - joined Ailey repertory, 2003 -New Production)
Choreographer: Donald McKayle
Music: Traditional, Arranged by Robert de Cormier & Milton Okun
This modern dance classic by Donald McKayle is a portrait of the grueling life of men on the chain gang, punctuated by the dreams of love, joy, and passion that sustain them. The woman's solo, "The Dream…" is the representation of the men's vision of their mothers, wives, and sweethearts.
Dance at the Gym (1991)
Choreographer: Donald Byrd
Music: Mio Morales
Inspired by the group dances in Jerome Robbin's production of West Side Story, Dance at the Gym depicts the complexity, intensity and competitiveness of teenage relationships, offering an exploration into the struggles and challenges of young people seeking companionship.
Jukebox for Alvin (1993)
Choreographer: Garth Fagan
Music: Antonin Dvorak
The poignant male solo from Jukebox for Alvin introduces this introspective homage to Garth Fagan's teacher, mentor, and friend, Alvin Ailey.
Lettres d'Amour (1998)
Choreographer: Redha
Music: Banco de Gaia ("Drippy") and Ryuichi Sakamoto ("Nuages")
A dynamic piece about human desire and seduction choreographed by French choreographer, Redha, shows the Ailey dancers have no limits, as they conquer his edgy and theatrical choreography.
Polish Pieces (1995) (1996 - joined Ailey repertory)
Choreographer: Hans van Manen
Music: Henryk-Mikolaj Górecki
Leading European choreographer Hans van Manen set Polish Pieces on the Ailey Company for its United States premiere in 1996. This excerpted duet is a highlight from the abstract work, set to a classical score by Henryk-Mikolaj Górecki.
The Winter in Lisbon (1992)
Choreographer: Billy Wilson
Music: Dizzy Gillespie ("Manteca")
This festive excerpt, from the piece celebrating the extraordinary talent of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie by dance and Broadway choreographer Billy Wilson, is a vibrant party on-stage.
Suite Otis (1971), choreographed by George Faison
[Feb. 21 (3 p.m.) only]
Music: Otis Redding
The timeless music of pioneering soul singer Otis Redding sets the stage for former AAADT company member and Tony Award-winning choreographer 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 wildly popular six-part suite of dances ripe with romance and humor.
Ailey Signature Masterpiece:
Revelations (1960), choreographed by Alvin Ailey
[All performances]
Music: Traditional
Alvin Ailey said that one of America's richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the African-American—"sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful". This enduring classic is a tribute to that heritage and to Ailey's genius. Using African-American religious music--spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues--this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.
Night Creature (1975), choreographed by Alvin Ailey
[Feb. 19 (10:30 a.m.-excerpt) only]
Music: Duke Ellington
Night Creature is the definitive Ailey homage to the exuberance of Duke Ellington's jazz. One of Ailey's most classically choreographed ballets, it depicts a series of sexy nocturnal rituals that propel the movement toward a fast-paced, cathartic climax.
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER:
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," grew from a now fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Today, led by Judith Jamison, now celebrating her 20th Anniversary as Artistic Director, AAADT has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on 6 continents, including two historic residencies in South Africa, promoting the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. is the umbrella organization which includes Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Ailey II (1974) a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School, (1969) one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs which brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension, a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public that began with the opening of Ailey's permanent home - the nation's largest building dedicated to dance - named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, located at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org
Contact Info
Contact Name: Harper Cornell
Company: Edelman
Phone: (404) 460-9661
E-mail: harper.cornell@edelman.com
