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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 21-City U.S. Tour Program Announcement

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 21-City U.S. Tour Program
Announcement – Jan. 30-May 19 led by Robert Battle

Season Premieres and New Productions Feature Dynamic
Choreographic Voices that Expand Diverse Repertory in Almost
90 Performances for Robert Battle’s Second Season as Artistic
Director

NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater, beloved as one of the world’s most popular dance companies,
will embark on a 21-city US tour from January 30 through May 19th.
Following record-breaking performances in New York City that brought
full houses to their feet, Ailey’s second season led by Robert Battle
will move audiences in major cities across the country, including:
Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Newark,
NJ; Boston, MA and Robert Battle’s hometown Miami, FL, among many
others.

Artistic Director Robert Battle continues to surprise and delight
audiences with premieres and new productions that expand his vision for
the company, adding dynamic choreographic voices to the repertory that
give Ailey’s extraordinary artists new ways to inspire.

Another Night, by rising young choreographer Kyle Abraham, innovatively
fuses the many dynamic facets of American dance and showcases the
artistry and versatility of the Ailey dancers. Set to Art Blakey & The
Jazz Messenger’s rendition of one of Dizzy Gillespie’s seminal
compositions, A Night in Tunisia, the world premiere for ten dancers
was created with the support of commissioning funds from New York City
Center and the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth, in celebration
of the Center’s 50th Anniversary.

Petite Mort, a ballet of breathtaking sensuality and visual surprises,
marks the first time a work by renowned European choreographer
Jiří Kylián appears in the Ailey repertory. Set to
two of Mozart’s most popular piano concertos, the theatrical work
blends a classical sensibility with a bold, modern wit with fencing
foils and elaborate ball gowns in an unforgettable duel featuring six
couples.

From Before beautifully blends the rhythms of African dance with
Caribbean influences, with movements distilled to their purest form by
Garth Fagan, the Tony Award-winning choreographer of The Lion King.
Featuring a jazzy percussive score by Grammy winner Ralph MacDonald,
the Ailey premiere marks the first staging of this revered work for a
company other than Garth Fagan Dance.

Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Strange Humors is a thrillingly
intense duet, set to John Mackey’s propulsive score for strings and
African drum that pits two men against each other. Surprising sequences
ignite with aggression and discord, mischievousness and humor, as the
relationship between the two dancers builds to an exciting crescendo.

Ronald K. Brown’s landmark work Grace, created for Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater in 1999, has returned to the repertory in a rapturous,
spiritually-charged new production. Infused with Brown’s signature
blend of modern dance and West African idioms, this moving journey
acknowledging the grace that surrounds us all is set to Duke
Ellington’s classic “Come Sunday,” Roy Davis’ hit “Gabriel,” and the
powerful rhythms of Fela Kuti’s Afro-Pop.

A new production of Ailey Classics features a vibrant anthology of
highlights from founder Alvin Ailey’s prolific 30-year career —
including audience favorites and classics such as Cry, Love Songs and
For ‘Bird’ With Love — culminating with his signature masterpiece
Revelations, performed in its entirety.

“I’m thrilled to be further expanding Ailey’s diverse repertory this
season with new voices and talented contemporary choreographers that
showcase the depth and breadth of the dancers’ artistry,” stated
Artistic Director Robert Battle. “Audiences across the country will
have the opportunity to experience these new treasures, along with
encores of last season’s notable works, and a program that highlights
the work of our legendary founder Alvin Ailey
.”

Encore performances from Battle’s acclaimed first season will include
modern dance master Paul Taylor’s Arden Court, hip-hop choreographer
Rennie Harris’ soul-lifting Home, and Ohad Naharin’s unique and
innovative Minus 16, which features improvisation and audience
participation. Also, a variety of repertory favorites and classic Ailey
works will be performed, including the always inspiring must-see
American masterpiece Revelations.

The Ailey Organization will continue its mission of using dance to
educate, inspire and entertain by reaching young people through special
student performances and master classes. Revelations: An
Interdisciplinary Approach curriculum program will be implemented in
public schools in Miami, FL; South Bend, IN; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles,
CA, and Chicago, IL. Utilizing Alvin Ailey’s signature work,
Revelations, the program is an inspirational framework for a
comprehensive study of language arts, social studies, and dance.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater inspires all in a universal
celebration of the human spirit using the African-American cultural
experience and the American modern dance tradition. Having embarked on
an exciting new era guided by Robert Battle’s vision, Ailey’s acclaimed
dancers will reveal once again this season why the Company is beloved
as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World.”

Detailed 2013 US Tour programming information and schedule is below
(subject to change). For further details on the Ailey organization’s
performances, training programs and educational activities, visit
www.alvinailey.org

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