Classic works from almost seven decades of excellence

The Legacy Programme presents classics of the Ailey repertoire, including:

Night Creature (excerpts) by Alvin Ailey
A bubbly champagne cocktail of a dance, Night Creature is a perfect fusion of Ailey’s buoyant choreography and Duke Ellington’s sparkling music. At once wistful and sassy, it beckons viewers into a nocturnal world populated by jazz babies and night owls.

A Song for You by Alvin Ailey
A Song for You is an excerpt from Alvin Ailey’s Love Songs. The male counterpart to Alvin Ailey’s Cry, this lyrical solo offers an emotional journey through love and longing.

Cry (excerpt) by Alvin Ailey
In 1971, Alvin Ailey choreographed the three-part solo Cry as a birthday present for his mother and dedicated it “to all Black women everywhere – especially our mothers.” In the final section, the dancer, clad in a white leotard and long ruffled skirt, has journeyed through bitter sorrow and brutal hardship to reach a state of ecstatic freedom.

Grace by Ronald K. Brown
Grace is a fervent tour-de-force depicting individuals on a journey to the promised land. Described by The New York Times as “astounding, something to be sensed as well as seen,” this spiritually charged work is a rapturous blend of modern dance and West African idioms.

Revelations by Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey’s iconic Revelations is the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy. Since its premiere in 1960, Revelations has been performed continuously around the globe, making it the most widely seen modern dance work in the world.

Header image description: A group of seven dancers walk across the stage. The female dancers are wearing long white dresses with frills around the neckline and hem, and the men wear white pants and sleeveless tops that appear to be made out of fishing net. A few of the dancers hold white props high in the air: umbrellas, long poles with streamers and a piece of cloth. The rest hold their hands to their chest. Their facial expressions are serene and the stage is bathed in a soft blue light.

Header image © Daniel Azoulay