Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Launches Global Tour

Following a celebratory New York season, which opened with a December 3rd Golden
Anniversary Gala with Oprah Winfrey as Honorary Chair and Honored Guest, and the Empire State building shining in golden tribute, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) will now bring the beauty, power, passion and artistry that are its hallmarks to audiences across the United States. As part of a 50-city global tour in celebration of AAADT's 50th Anniversary, a 26-city U.S. tour will begin February 3rd at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center and continue through May 24th with visits to Atlanta, GA; Tucson, AZ; Berkeley, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; Boston, MA; Newark, NJ and other cities.

Led by renowned Artistic Director Judith Jamison, the Company will present a diverse repertory of exciting premieres, dramatic new productions, revered classics, and repertory favorites. AAADT company member Hope Boykin's Go in Grace; an innovative collaboration with Grammy-Award winning female a cappella musical group Sweet Honey In The Rock, who will perform their original score live onstage with the dancers, will be performed in 10 different cities including Atlanta, GA and Newark, NJ. Acclaimed Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti was so inspired by the
dancers that he cast the entire company in Festa Barocca, his first world premiere for an American modern dance group, and one of the rare occasions to see all the Ailey artists together on the stage.

A retrospective of Alvin Ailey's phenomenal choreographic career will be presented in a new Anniversary Highlights program that includes excerpts of over a dozen ballets. Spanning each decade, from Blues Suite, the dance that launched the Company in 1958, to Opus McShann, his final piece thirty years later, the program will also include his masterpiece Revelations in its entirety.

In addition to performances, AAADT will also share its mission of bringing dance back to the people by presenting special student performances and master classes for young people. Ailey will also implement Revelations: An Interdisciplinary Approach curriculum program in public schools, including Atlanta, Boston, New York, and Chicago thanks to the J.P. Morgan National Art of Learning Sponsorship. This program utilizes Alvin Ailey's signature work, Revelations, as the inspirational framework for a comprehensive study of language arts, social studies, and dance.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 50 - A Golden Anniversary Celebration, a short film commemorating the Company's rich 50-year history, will open most performances throughout the tour. Ailey's 18-month 50th Anniversary celebration includes International and U.S. performances in 50 cities along with special projects, events and commemorative merchandise, including: Hallmark Ailey greeting cards; Ailey Ascending, a photographic art book, by Andrew Eccles; Ailey Movado Museum Time Piece; A Young Ailey Dancer, a children's book by Valerie Gladstone
and Jose Ivey; and an Ailey Barbie® Doll.

AAADT has performed in over 70 countries on 6 continents, becoming the most-traveled dance company and recognized by US Congressional resolution as a vital "American Cultural Ambassador to the World." Founded by Alvin Ailey in 1958, AAADT's inspiring performances honor and enrich the African American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition, uniting people of all backgrounds in a celebration of the human spirit through the universal language of dance.

Schedule and program subject to change

WASHINGTON, DC February 3 - 8, 2009
Kennedy Center Opera House - (202) 467-4700

KALAMAZOO, MI February 10 - 11, 2009
Western Michigan University - (800) 228-9858

DETROIT, MI February 12 - 15, 2009
Michigan Opera Theater - (313) 237-7464

ATLANTA, GA February 19 - 22, 2009
The Fox Theatre - (404) 817-8700

FORT WORTH, TX February 24 - 25, 2009
Bass Performance Hall - (817) 212-4280

TUCSON, AZ February 27, 2009
Centennial Hall - (520) 621-3341

MESA, AZ February 28 - March 1, 2009
Mesa Arts Center - (480) 644-6500

BERKELEY, CA March 3 - 8, 2009
Zellerbach Hall - (510) 642-9988

SANTA BARBARA, CA March 10 - 11, 2009
Arlington Theater - UC Santa Barbara - (805) 963-4408

PALM DESERT, CA March 13, 2009
McCallum Theater - (760) 340-2787

ESCONDIDO, CA March 14 - 15, 2009
California Center for the Arts - (800) 988-4253

LOS ANGELES, CA March 18 - 22, 2009
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - (213) 972-0711

AUSTIN, TX March 24 - 25, 2009
Bass Concert Hall - University of Texas - (512) 477-6060

HOUSTON, TX March 27 - 29, 2009
Jones Hall - (713) 227-4772

CHICAGO, IL April 1 - 5, 2009
Auditorium Theater - (312) 902-1500

NAPLES, FL April 14, 2009
Philharmonic Center for the Arts - (800) 597-1900

MIAMI, FL April 16 - 19, 2009
Jackie Gleason Theater - (305) 673-7300

CHAPEL HILL, NC April 21 - 22, 2009
Memorial Hall at UNC - (919) 843-3333

GREENVALE, NY April 24 - 25, 2009
Tilles Center - (516) 299-3100

BOSTON, MA April 28 - May 3, 2009
Boston Opera House - (617) 482-6661

NEWARK, NJ May 8 - 10, 2009
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) - (888) 466-5722

ALBANY, NY May 12, 2009
Albany Palace - (518) 476-1000

AMHERST, MA May 13, 2009
Concert Hall - University of Massachusetts - (413) 545-2511

CLEVELAND, OH May 15 - 17, 2009
Playhouse Square - (866) 546-1353

LOUISVILLE, KY May 19 - 20, 2009
Kentucky Center for the Arts - (800) 775-7777

CHARLESTON, SC May 23 - 24, 2009
Spoleto Festival - Gaillard Auditorium - (843) 579-3100

BROOKLYN , NY June 9 - 14, 2009
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House - (718) 636 - 4100

http://www.alvinailey.org/