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Ailey 2 return to the UK

Ailey 2 | The Next Generation of Dance | Artistic Director, Francesca Harper

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Posted on 26 January 2023

Ailey 2 – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s second company – is among the most talented of its generation, pouring strength, grace and soul into emotional and powerful performances that captivate audiences around the world. Founded in 1974 as a bridge between The Ailey School and the professional dance world, Ailey 2 is recognised for merging the spirit and energy of the next generation of talented dancers with the creative vision of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers.

This autumn they return to the UK for the first time since 2011 for a Dance Consortium tour of twelve venues around the country, eleven of which have never hosted the company before, all keen to bring some of the famous Ailey spirit to their audiences.

The company’s new artistic director Francesca Harper (internationally-renowned performer and choreographer) has put together an exhilarating repertoire by a diverse range of choreographers which includes a timeless classic from Alvin Ailey himself.

Revelations , the company’s signature piece, was choreographed by Ailey when he was only 29 years old in 1960. A life-changing work, it has been seen by more than 23 million people in 71 countries, more than any other modern dance work. Using African American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Revelations explores the deepest reaches of the soul. Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the African American and this enduring classic is a tribute both to that heritage and Ailey’s genius.

"There's nothing like an evening spent with Ailey 2, the younger version of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater"

— The New York Times

Enemy in the Figure (excerpt, 18 minutes) is the intensely propulsive central section of William Forsythe’s eponymous work. Originally created in Germany (1989) for his ensemble, Ballet Frankfurt, the full work has been performed in major venues across the globe. Thom Willem’s percussive and rhythmically driving electronic score was the source of the works choreographic invention and influenced the radical use of light and shadow in the original stage design. This excerpt puts the formidable dance skills of the Ailey II dancers on fine display, giving their craft and vitality an invigorating framework.

Inspired by her Ailey homecoming, Francesca Harper’s Freedom Series (excerpt, 15 minutes) travels through a landscape of memories creating a series of vignettes that embody and imagine a hybrid world where memory strives to influence the future.  Depicted through this futuristic lens, and developed in collaboration with the Ailey 2 dancers, Harper’s work examines identity and community.  With costumes by designer Elias Gurrola and a score featuring a blend of acoustic and electronic sounds, Freedom Series’ unexpected twists and turns bridge tender moments to its intrinsic ferocity.

Robert Battle’s athletic work reveals the predatory side of human nature and the primitive thrill of the hunt. A thundering percussion soundtrack by Les Tambours du Bronx drives the explosive movement that runs the gamut from modern sports to the rituals of the gladiators in Battle’s The Hunt (14 minutes).

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues—Alvin Ailey’s Revelations (36 minutes) fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul. 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.

Ailey 2 in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Revelations. Photo by Nan Melville

Ailey 2 in Alvin Ailey's Revelations. Photo by Nir Arieli

Ailey 2 in Francesca Harper's Freedom Series. Photo by Erin Baiano

Running time: 115 minutes (2 intervals)

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey 2 are companies with a strong family ethos. New Ailey 2 artistic director Francesca Harper embodies this. She took her first dance steps at The Ailey School, the official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where her mother Denise Jefferson was director from 1984-2010. Harper aims to bring fresh perspectives to Ailey’s legacy, while nurturing new creative voices and propelling the company forward.

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The Ailey 2 tour UK – the first in over a decade

5 July 2023 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Ailey 2 tour UK arrives after the summer with 12 young dancers presenting works by William Forsythe , Alvin Ailey , Robert Battle and the company’s new artistic director Francesca Harper.

 The 12-venue tour starts at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on 19 September and continues until 28 October.

Ailey 2 celebrates its 50th anniversary this season. The company is known for bringing together “the creative vision of exceptional choreographers with the spirit, energy and talent of the next generation of dance artists”.

The company’s new artistic director, Francesca Harper, has selected four works: excerpts from her own Freedom Series and William Forsythe’s Enemy in the Figure along with The Hunt, choreographed by Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Revelations¸ Alvin Ailey’s 1960 masterwork and a signature piece of all the Ailey companies.

Revelations was choreographed by Ailey when he was 29 years old. It has been seen by more than 23 million people in 71 countries, more than any other modern dance work.

The company will perform the central section of William Forsythe’s 1989 work, Enemy in the Figure . The choreography is driven by Thom Willem’s percussive and rhythmic electronic score which also influences the extreme use of light and shadow in its design.

Robert Battle is Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. His 2001 classic The Hunt is a primal ritual with an urban feel, fuelled by a thundering percussion soundtrack by Les Tambours du Bronx. It is an athletic work, originally choreographed for six male dancers, but will be performed by an all-female cast for the UK performances. It explores the relationship between modern sports and the rites of the gladiators.

Francesca Harper created her futuristic work Freedom Series on the company in 2021 inspired by her Ailey homecoming. The work is a landscape of memories where the past strives to influence the future and was developed in collaboration with the Ailey 2 dancers. The excerpt is danced to a montage of acoustic and electronic sounds with tender moments contrasting with deep-rooted ferocity.

The dancers of Ailey 2 for the 2023-2024 season are Andrew Bryant, Spencer Everett, Jaryd Farcon, Maya Finman-Palmer, Patrick Gamble, Alfred L. Jordan II, Kiri Moore, Corinth Moulterie, Kali Marie Oliver, Tamia Strickland, Kayla Mei-Wan Thomas, and Maggy van den Heuvel.

The company has an extensive community outreach programme and for this Dance Consortium UK tour, the programme includes masterclasses, open rehearsals and workshops alongside special projects being hosted by member venues as part of the Ailey Project UK. Dance Consortium is a group of 19 large-scale theatres with a mission to bring the best international dance to stages across the UK and Ireland.

Programme Freedom Series excerpt (15 mins) / pause / The Hunt (14 mins) / interval (15 mins) / Enemy in the Figure excerpt (18 mins) / interval (15 mins) / Revelations (36 mins)

Running time: 115 minutes

Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 September at 7.30pm The Marlowe Theatre CANTERBURY The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS Tickets: 01227 787787 / www.marlowetheatre.com

Friday 22 and Saturday 23 September at 7.30pm Mayflower Theatre SOUTHAMPTON 22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1GE Tickets: 023 8071 1811 / www.mayflower.org.uk

Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 September at 7.30pm Theatre Royal PLYMOUTH Royal Parade, Plymouth PL1 2TR Tickets: 01752 267222 / www.theatreroyal.com

Friday 29 and Saturday 30 September at 7.30pm MILTON KEYNES Theatre 500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 3NZ Tickets: 0333 009 6690 / www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Tuesday 3 & Wednesday 4 October at 7.30pm BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome Hurst St, Birmingham B5 4TB Tickets: 0844 338 5000 / www.birminghamhippodrome.com † 0844 calls will cost 4.5p per minute plus the phone company’s access charge

Friday 6 & Saturday 7 October at 7.30pm NORWICH Theatre Royal Theatre St, Norwich NR2 1RL Tickets: 01603 630000 / www.norwichtheatre.org

Tuesday 10 & Wednesday 11 October at 7.30pm Royal Concert Hall NOTTINGHAM Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND Tickets: 0115 989 5555 / www.trch.co.uk

Friday 13 & Saturday 14 October at 7.30pm The Lowry, SALFORD Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ Tickets: 0161 876 2015 / www.thelowry.com

Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 October at 7.30pm Alhambra Theatre BRADFORD Morley St, Bradford BD7 1AJ Tickets: 01274 432000 / www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

Friday 20 & Saturday 21 October at 7.30pm HULL New Theatre Kingston Square, Hull HU1 3HF Tickets:  01482 300306 / www.hulltheatres.co.uk

Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 October at 7.30pm NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal 100 Grey St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BR Tickets: 0191 232 7010 / www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Friday 27 & Saturday 28 October at 7.30pm Eden Court, INVERNESS Bishops Rd, Inverness IV3 5SA Tickets: 01463 234234 / www.eden-court.co.uk

https://danceconsortium.com/touring/ailey-2/

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan, aka ‘Gramilano’. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times. He wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on ‘Codice Carla’, 2023’s documentary on Carla Fracci.

About Gramilano

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan, aka 'Gramilano'. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times. He wrote the 'Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on 'Codice Carla', 2023's documentary on Carla Fracci.

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Ailey 2 is back in the UK for a 12-venue tour opening 19 & 20 September

Ailey 2 will perform in works by william forsythe, alvin ailey, robert battle & the company’s new artistic director francesca harper on their uk tour..

30 June 2023

Ailey 2 in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Photo by Nir Arieli.

Ailey 2, the next generation of dance, is back in the UK for the first time in over a decade. 12 exceptional young dancers will perform in works by William Forsythe, Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle and the company’s new artistic director Francesca Harper as part of a 12-venue tour from 19 September to 28 October with the UK premiere at Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on 19 September.

As Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater departs the UK following performances at the Edinburgh International Festival and Sadler’s Wells, the incredible young dancers of Ailey 2 will embark on a 12-venue tour presented by Dance Consortium.

Ailey 2, which celebrates its 50 th  anniversary this season, is known for bringing together the creative vision of exceptional choreographers with the spirit, energy and talent of the next generation of dance artists. The result is captivating performances of grace, strength and soul, shot through with the unique Ailey spirit.

The company’s new artistic director  Francesca Harper  has put together an exhilarating repertoire featuring four works: excerpts from her own  Freedom Series  and William Forsythe’s  Enemy in the Figure  along with  The Hunt,  choreographed by Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and  Revelations ¸ Alvin Ailey’s 1960 masterwork and a signature piece of all the Ailey companies.

Revelations  was choreographed by Ailey when he was just 29 years old. A life-changing work, it has been seen by more than 23 million people in 71 countries, more than any other modern dance work. Using African American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues,  Revelations  explores the deepest reaches of the soul. Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the African American and this enduring classic is a tribute both to that heritage and Ailey’s genius.

The company will perform  the intensely propulsive central section of William Forsythe’s 1989 work,  Enemy in the Figure . The choreography is driven by Thom Willem’s percussive and rhythmic electronic score which also influences the radical use of light and shadow in its design. This excerpt puts the formidable dance skills of the Ailey 2 dancers on fine display, giving their craft and vitality an invigorating framework.

Robert Battle  is Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. His 2001 classic  The Hunt   is a primal ritual with a distinctly urban feel fuelled by a thundering percussion soundtrack by Les Tambours du Bronx. This athletic work, originally choreographed for six male dancers, will be performed by an all-female cast for the first time in the UK. It explores the relationship between modern sports and the rites of the gladiators, revealing the predatory side of human nature and the primitive thrill of the hunt. Battle found inspiration for the work in his background in martial arts.

Francesca Harper created her futuristic work  Freedom Series  on the company in 2021. Inspired by her Ailey homecoming, she has created a landscape of memories, a hybrid world where the past strives to influence the future. Developed in collaboration with the Ailey 2 dancers, Harper’s work examines identity and community. This excerpt is danced to a montage of acoustic and electronic sounds.  Freedom Series’  unexpected twists and turns bring tender moments to its intrinsic ferocity.

The dancers of Ailey 2 for the 2023/24 season are: Andrew Bryant; Spencer Everett; Jaryd Farcon; Maya Finman-Palmer; Patrick Gamble; Alfred L. Jordan II; Kiri Moore; Corinth Moulterie; Kali Marie Oliver; Tamia Strickland; Kayla Mei-Wan Thomas; and Maggy van den Heuvel.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey 2 have built powerful legacies which have impacted generations. New Ailey 2 artistic director Francesca Harper embodies this heritage. She took her first dance steps at The Ailey School, the official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where her mother Denise Jefferson was director from 1984-2010. Harper aims to bring fresh perspectives to Ailey’s legacy, while nurturing new creative voices and propelling the company forward.

The company has an extensive community outreach programme. For this Dance Consortium UK tour, the programme includes masterclasses, open rehearsals and workshops alongside special projects being hosted by member venues as part of the Ailey Project UK.

Dance Consortium is a group of 19 large-scale theatres with a mission to bring the best international dance to stages across the UK and Ireland.

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Training & drama schools, backstage & technical, musical theatre, edinburgh fringe, obituaries & archive, npo 2023-26, jobs & auditions, acting & performance, shakespeare, ailey 2: the next generation of dance.

Exhilarating programme from the apprentice Ailey company

Just as New York’s Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater concludes its business in the UK after performances at Edinburgh International Festival and Sadler’s Wells, the young dancers of Ailey 2 embark on a 12-venue tour, presented by Dance Consortium. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, Ailey 2 defines itself as a bridge between the Ailey School and the professional dance world. Of the Ailey 2 dancers, 70% find a home in the main company and, judging by the rich programme and outstanding quality of movement on display, they all have bright futures ahead of them.

The company returns to the UK for the first time in more than a decade with a programme put together by new artistic director Francesca Harper – a self-confessed “Ailey baby”, whose mother, Denise Jefferson, was director of the Ailey School from 1984 to 2010. The evening features four works, including excerpts from Harper’s Freedom Series and from her mentor William Forsythe’s Enemy in the Figure , created in 1989.

We open with the latter, in which Thom Willems’ rhythmic electronic score and Ethan Saiewitz’s shadowy lighting design conjure a threatening – at times even nightmarish – atmosphere. It is a wonderful vehicle for showing off what the dancers can do. Dressed in fringed black trousers, each performs with pin-sharp precision and gorgeous fluidity. As he sprints backwards, his arms at right angles, Spencer Everett catches the eye; his almost otherworldly movement suits this piece, but Harper gives all her dancers the opportunity to shine.

In an excerpt from Freedom Series , Kali Marie Oliver dazzles as she swims across the floor in a glittering silver dress to Esperanza Spalding’s Little Fly, while another dancer pursues her from a distance, holding a portable orb light – arguably a case of the flame following the moth, in a thought-provoking vignette on the fleeting nature of mortality. Freedom Series is a work of varied moods, in which the orb lights perhaps evoke the passing of the torch in the Ailey world – in a humorous section, the dancers are careful not to drop them – but also call to mind Emily Dickinson’s quote: “I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.”

Continues...

Related to this Review

More primal is The Hunt , a 2001 work performed to the thunderous percussive soundtrack of Les Tambours du Bronx and choreographed by Robert Battle, the artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Created originally for six male dancers, the work will be performed alternately by male and female artists throughout the tour. On opening night, Andrew Bryant, Spencer Everett, Patrick Gamble and Alfred L Jordan II give everything they have, wearing long black skirts that flare open to reveal bold red underskirts. There is more than a hint of the paso doble in the choreography as the men perform a dance to the death, dragging each other’s bodies across the stage. The on-the-spot bouncing seems to nod to the Adumu, the Maasai jumping dance, while, at other moments, a more urban landscape of warehouse raves is evoked. It is thrilling stuff.

The evening closes with Revelations , the Ailey signature piece and the founder’s tribute to African-American cultural heritage. The work has been seen by more than 23 million people since 1960, but it has lost none of its power, hitting you in the chest from the opening bars of I Been ’Buked as the dancers raise their fingers to the sky. Each vivid tableau brings fresh delights – white parasols spinning in front of a blue backdrop, green silks undulating as waves, Southern ladies in cheerful yellow fluttering their fans. It’s a joyous conclusion to a wonderful evening of dance.

Enemy in the Figure (excerpt) Choreographer, stage, original lighting and costume design: William Forsythe Director: Thomas McManus Composer: Thom Willems Lighting designer (revival): Ethan Saiewitz

Freedom Series (excerpt) Choreographer: Francesca Harper Costume designer: Elias Gurrola Lighting designer: Abby May

The Hunt Choreographer: Robert Battle Director: Elisa Clark Composer: Les Tabours du Bronx Costume designer: Mia McSwain Lighting designer: Burke Wilmore

Revelations Choreographer: Alvin Ailey Set/costumes: Ves Harper Edesign for costumes for Rocka My Soul: Barbara Forbes Lighting designer: Nicola Cernovitch

Tour details: alvinailey.org

Nicola Rayner

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Nicola Rayner is a freelance journalist and author. Until August 2022, she was the assistant editor of Dancing Times, and she edited Dance Today, a magazine specialising in ballroom, Latin and social dance, from 2010 to 2015. Nicola has written for The Guardian, The Independent and Time Out and she is the author of two novels, The Girl Before You and You and Me. 

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Ailey 2: collective talent that augurs well for the future of dance

Hot on the heels of four programmes in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ’s autumn season at Sadler’s Wells comes a tour of Ailey 2, the second company of young dancers originally created by Alvin Ailey as his Repertory Company, in 1974. It might now be named Ailey 2 but as was once written in America’s Dance magazine, it is ‘second to none’.

This Dance Consortium tour began in Canterbury on 19 September and, after twelve venues, will conclude in Inverness at the end of October. I caught it in Norwich at the midway point of the eleventh show in the sixth venue and the young ensemble of a dozen dancers was in excellent form.

Their programme began with eleven of them performing the central section of William Forsythe ’s Enemy in the Figure , made by the modern maestro of dance for his Ballett Frankfurt company in 1989. It opens with a mighty blast of Thom Willem ’s brooding and percussive electronic score and surrounded by several groups of enthusiastic, laughing and chattering young people in the Theatre Royal, it did – at first – seem like a gig!

Enemy in the Figure is a non-narrative exploration of light and shade and isolation versus connection. The dancers were costumed in black, fringed clothing and the movement in and out of light and shadow brought an added dimension to Forsythe’s inventive choreography, which unsurprisingly challenged the dancers to extend their bodies out to all points of the kinesphere. The performance was wholly absorbing and the knowledge and experience of the Ailey 2 artistic director, Francesca Harper as a dancer at Ballet Frankfurt for several years in the 1990s has obviously filtered through to her young dancers, who performed the complex movement sequences with great assurance. Harper’s prior experience extended to helping Ethan Salewitz to recreate the original lighting design to great effect.

Harper’s own choreography provided the second work of the evening, in a chunky excerpt from Freedom Series , a work she made in 2021, the year she became the company’s artistic director. It was a homecoming of sorts since her late mother, Denise Jefferson had been director of the Ailey School. The work involved dancers holding and manipulating illuminated globes (lighting designs by Abby May) which also gave her choreography an added dimension as well as extending the contrasts of light and dark that had been introduced by Forsythe’s work. To be honest, I remember very little of the choreography, which flowed over my consciousness, other than a feeling of being absorbed by its gentle elegance (which is certainly no bad thing).

After a pause came The Hunt , a 2001 work by the main company’s director Robert Battle , which was a complete contrast to the tranquillity of Freedom Series . It was the only work of the programme not to feature more or less the full company, being a coruscating male quartet, which ranks high among Battle’s prolific output. This performance was cut down from the more usual sextet, as often performed by the main company and Andrew Bryant, Spencer Everett, Patrick Gamble and Corinth Moulterie gave their all in Battle’s combative action-packed choreography, suggestive of gladiatorial contests, tribal wars or simply the thrill of the chase. The dancers appeared to be driven along by another thunderous and percussive score (by the French band, Les Tambours du Bronx ); and the long black skirts, designed by Mia McSwain, accentuated the concept of martial arts or ritual conflict.

The Hunt must have seriously challenged the physical capacity of the dancers but to their credit all four returned to perform several key roles in Revelations : Bryant, Moulterie and Everett were outstanding as the Sinner Man trio, spinning furiously and leaping high in those memorable bent leg jumps.

Ailey’s masterpiece did not appear in the final programme by the main company at Sadler’s Wells and I missed it! So, it was a pleasure to catch it again, danced by this next generation, and performed as if it is soaked in their DNA. Inevitably, the finale was reduced – 12 dancers instead of 18 – and the last sequences of Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham were not repeated after the curtain call as is ubiquitous in the main company’s performances. But the dozen dancers performed their hearts out for the cause and a special commendation is due to Jaryd Farcon for his sensitive performance of I Wanna Be Ready . Nothing can ever match up to the main company’s command of a work that they perform at the end of virtually every show, but this was an excellent alternative, beautifully delivered. Most importantly, the young people all around me clearly loved the whole show and their excitement augurs well for the future of dance (especially in Norfolk) and for this we must commend Dance Consortium for reaching the parts of the country, and the hearts of dance lovers, that are otherwise often overlooked.  

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Review: Alvin Ailey Considers What it Means to “Aspire To” in Latest Ailey II Performance

In its New York season, the company's studio-to-stage program centers growth, experimentation and mastering the classics.

From " Blues Suite " to " Revelations ," Alvin Ailey's roster of classic performances is long because it has never shied away from leveraging its foundational strengths to try something new. The company's latest performance from Ailey II builds on this practice to breathe life into classic works, and ground new material in what the company does best.

LATEST NEWS

Ailey II is a studio-to-stage program that connects early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's outstanding and emerging choreographers. The company's New York season, running March 22- April 2 at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre, includes extended and reimagined repertory as well as new work that builds on Ailey's core ethos. Its opening performance, "Poetic Motion," features Robert Battle's "Alleluia," an excerpt from the late Alvin Ailey's "The Lark Ascending," the new work "mediAcation" from Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, and an excerpt from William Forysthe's "Enemy in the Figure."

The selected works builds nicely, sucking audiences in with the athletic "Alleluia." Battle's fantastic jump sequences and his dedication to choreographing every single beat turns the number into a marathon of kinetic energy. The costumes, a white liturgical outfit, flow beautifully. However, a sudden shift from white to red on soloist Meagan King adds needed flair, and King owns that flair. Her artistry -- a tirelessness, a near-perfect form and a total embodiment of the choreography -- makes her a wonder. She's certainly one to watch.

Ailey dares to break ground in "mediAcation" from Roxas-Dobrish. The piece begins with a human-sized cat's cradle. Four dancers have, literally, bound two more dancers with yellow ropes. As the dancers bob and weave and wind and unwind, the ropes are either a prop or a metaphor; a gimmick or something profound. It's never clear which it may be, but what is clear is that the dance is stellar. Its propulsive energy lingers. This is the piece that will be remembered, if only for its intimacy. The dancers, either in a series of duets or in the ensemble, truly feel connected. If the story here is about being bound to another -- with ropes, perhaps -- then the dance does that work all on its own.

It's a testament to the dancers that throughout the entire 90 minute performance, only the energy in the space reveals what it's like to turn small feats into mere steps. In "The Lark Ascending" there's a moment when Rachel Yoo balances on Travon M. Williams' shoulders where the strain is felt, but never seen, even in such an intimate setting as the Citigroup Theater. Every dancer on the stage has superb technique, unmatched musicality and enviable stamina. It feels as if they've been rehearsing together for years and are truly comfortable together as they test their limits.

That connectedness, that dedication to good form is what Ailey does best. Ailey is an energy and a fearlessness. It never takes itself too seriously, but it is focused. It knows when to be sassy and when to be serene. It doesn't matter if it's performing a classic or a new work or if the dancer on stage has performed for two years or 20, Ailey never misses its mark.

Ailey II's New York season runs through April 2nd. Tickets start at $59

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Fri 13 October - Sat 14 October

Ailey 2 - Mixed Programme

 Show Programme

Dance Consortium presents

Ailey 2 The Next Generation of Dance Artistic Director Francesca Harper

Ailey 2 is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the finest early-career dance talent in the United States with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers. Dance Magazine calls Ailey 2 “second to none,” and The New York Times declares, “There’s nothing like an evening spent with Ailey 2, the younger version of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.”

For their return to the UK, Ailey 2 brings an exciting repertory featuring Francesca Harper’s futuristic Freedom Series (excerpt), Robert Battle’s thrilling The Hunt , the incredible energy of William Forsythe’s Enemy in the Figure (excerpt), and Alvin Ailey’s beloved masterpiece Revelations .

Founded by Alvin Ailey, the company embodies his pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programmes for all people. Since its 1974 inception, Ailey 2 has flourished into one of the most popular modern dance companies, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programmes. Today, with new Artistic Director Francesca Harper at the helm, she brings fresh perspectives to Mr. Ailey’s legacy, while nurturing new creative voices and propelling the company forward.

“The athleticism of the dancers was unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it with pirouettes at break-neck speed in this high-octane section. Imagine the best Strictly Come Dancing professional routine ever, then times it by a million.”

Birmingham Live October 2023

“Ailey 2’s show will leave you breathless with its staggering and sensational performances. It’s bringing the best dance in the world to the UK and you’d be a fool to miss it.”

ENEMY IN THE FIGURE

Choreography, stage, original lighting, and costume design by William Forsythe

Staged with Thomas McManus

Music by Thom Willems

Lighting design recreated by Ethan Saiewitz

Lighting consultant: Francesca Harper

Enemy in the Figure (excerpt) is the intensely propulsive central section of William Forsythe ’s eponymous work. Originally created in Germany (1989) for his ensemble, Ballet Frankfurt, the full work has been performed in major venues across the globe. Thom Willem’s percussive and rhythmically driving electronic score was the source of the works choreographic invention and influenced the radical use of light and shadow in the original stage design. This excerpt puts the formidable dance skills of the Ailey II dancers on fine display, giving their craft and vitality an invigorating framework.

FREEDOM SERIES

Music by Various Artists

Costume design by Elias Gurrola

Lighting design by Abby May

Inspired by her Ailey homecoming, Francesca Harper ’s Freedom Series travels through a landscape of memories creating a series of vignettes that embody and imagine a hybrid world where memory strives to influence the future.  Depicted through this futuristic lens, and developed in collaboration with the Ailey II dancers, Harper’s work examines identity and community.  With costumes by designer Elias Gurrola and a score featuring a blend of acoustic and electronic sounds, Freedom Series’ unexpected twists and turns bridge tender moments to its intrinsic ferocity.

Choreography by Robert Battle

Restaged by Elisa Clark

Music by Les Tambours du Bronx

Costume design by Mia McSwain

Lighting design by Burke Wilmore

Robert Battle ’s athletic work reveals the predatory side of human nature and the primitive thrill of the hunt. A thundering percussion soundtrack by Les Tambours du Bronx drives the explosive movement that runs the gamut from modern sports to the rituals of the gladiators in Battle’s The Hunt .

REVELATIONS

Choreography by Alvin Ailey

Music: Traditional

Décor and costumes by Ves Harper

Costumes for “Rocka My Soul” redesigned by Barbara Forbes

Lighting by Nicola Cernovitch

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. Seeing  Revelations  for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the African-American cultural heritage—“sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.” This enduring classic is a tribute to that tradition, born out of the choreographer’s “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist Church. But since its premiere in 1960, the ballet has been performed continuously around the globe, transcending barriers of faith and nationality, and appealing to universal emotions, making it the most widely-seen modern dance work in the world.

Digital tour programme

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Ailey 2 is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the finest early-career dance talent in the US with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers.

credit: Eduardo Patino

Ailey 2 is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the finest early-career dance talent in the United States with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers. Dance Magazine calls Ailey 2 'second to none', and The New York Times declares, 'There's nothing like an evening spent with Ailey 2, the younger version of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.'

For their return to the UK, Ailey 2 brings an exciting repertory featuring Francesca Harper’s futuristic Freedom Series (excerpt), Robert Battle’s thrilling The Hunt, the incredible energy of William Forsythe’s Enemy in the Figure (excerpt), and Alvin Ailey’s beloved masterpiece Revelations.

Founded by Alvin Ailey, the company embodies his pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people. Since its 1974 inception, Ailey 2 has flourished into one of the most popular modern dance companies, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programs. Today, with new Artistic Director Francesca Harper at the helm, she brings fresh perspectives to Mr. Ailey’s legacy, while nurturing new creative voices and propelling the company forward.

Text supplied by third party.

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