More about the Program :

Al-Andalus Blues (W) by Jamar Roberts -
Journey back in time to the Golden Age of Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula as Jamar Roberts evokes the northern African Moors who inhabited the land prior to the Christian Reconquista. Music from Roberta Flack and Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain sets the tone for this abstract ensemble piece.

A Song For You by Alvin Ailey
This performance is dedicated in loving memory to long-time Ailey Company member Dudley Williams (1938–2015). "A Song For You" is an excerpt from Alvin Ailey's Love Songs.

Solo by Hans van Manen
Hans van Manen divides his dynamic Solo among three dancers in a tour de force that challenges the Ailey men's daring, agility, and grace. This explosive display of virtuosity and wit launches the performers into an exhilarating whirlwind of movement and musicality.

Grace (N) by Ronald K. Brown
Ronald K. Brown’s spellbinding 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. As in many of Brown’s works, the movement alternates fluidly between extremes, with eruptions of power coupled with lightness. A serene solo for an angel-like figure in white gives way to fireball intensity as 12 dancers resembling contemporary warriors execute Brown’s whirling, pounding choreography—arms and legs slicing the air and fingers pointing to the sky.

Brown’s varied music choices closely reflect the heart of the work, with the spiritual grounding of Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday,” the contemporary yet timeless house music vibe of Peven Everett's “Gabriel,” and the West African and African American traditions of Fela Kuti’s Afropop beats.