“The crowd starts cheering before the curtain goes up.” – The New York Times
“Movement that’ll move you. Plenty of reasons to see Ailey: the slew of thought-provoking new work and perennial favorites [that] feel especially relevant right now.” (Or for more limited space, just “Movement that’ll move you.”) – New York Magazine “If you haven’t seen Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, you haven’t seen dance…[they’re] the most exciting dance company in the world. If you’ve never seen them perform, you have no idea what the human body can do, in terms of sheer grace, control, elegance, strength, and athleticism.” – The Huffington Post “Passion and power mark the Ailey troupe’s annual run. [Robert] Battle is surely doing something right.” – Miami Herald “The Ailey dancers set the stage on fire with contemporary repertory. Talk about electrifying. The dancers wrapped their bodies and souls around works created for them.” – Chicago Sun-Times “The current roster is dancing magnificently, their whiz-bang physical talent fired up by passionate commitment. They do everything with knife-sharp clarity, but with a burning inner life that makes the dances glow.” – Miami Herald “During the course of its nearly six decades as a cultural phenomenon, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has created a unique and enduring bond with its audiences.” – Chicago Sun-Times “The name Alvin Ailey is practically synonymous with contemporary American dance.” – The Toronto Star “This company’s nonchalant virtuosity routinely sends its audience into the rapture zone.” – The Washington Post “Unbelievable. Go see Ailey. It’s change-your-life good.” – NBC’S Today Show “An international powerhouse known for explosive and appealing modern dance.” – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Some of the most bravura dancers on the planet.” – Chicago Sun-Times Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents – as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms. In 2008, a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Company as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” that celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage. When Mr. Ailey began creating dances, he drew upon his “blood memories” of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel as inspiration, which resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work, Revelations. Although he created 79 ballets over his lifetime, Mr. Ailey maintained that his company was not exclusively a repository for his own work. Today, the Company continues Mr. Ailey’s mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 235 works by over 90 choreographers have been part of the Ailey company’s repertory. Before his untimely death in 1989, Alvin Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and over the next 21 years, she brought the Company to unprecedented success. Ms. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her in 2011, and The New York Times declared he “has injected the company with new life.”