Know Before You Go

Special support for these performances is provided by the Applied Materials Foundation.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was the first company to perform in Bass Concert Hall when it opened in 1981.  The company was presented by Texas Performing Arts in 2009.

Founded in 1958, the Ailey company is recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World.”  Ailey’s artists have performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents.  Led by Robert Battle, Ailey’s performances celebrate the human spirit through the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition.

When Alvin Ailey, a Texas native, 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.  The performance program will be announced at a later date.

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