The Boch Center Wang Theatre

Presents  

"ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER"

Limited engagement!

In Its 65th Year, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Returns To Boston With Regional Premieres And New Staging Of Ailey Classics!

The complete repertoire includes the AILEY season world premiere of "CENTURY" by Amy Hall Garner, as well as new productions of Ronald K. Brown’s "Dancing Spirit," Alonzo King’s "Following the Subtle Current Upstream," and Jamar Roberts’s "Ode."

AILEY Classics program highlights nine of the dancemaker’s seminal works.
Free “Revelations for Everyone,” teaches Bostonians to dance AILEY's most-famous work May 1.

THE BOCH CENTER WANG THEATRE is located at 270 Tremont Street in Boston, MA

Performances:

May 2, 2024 through May 5, 2024

(Contact Box Office for Exact Times) 

TICKET PRICES Start at $29

Tickets are available at the Boch Center Box Office, www.bochcenter.org, by calling (800) 982-ARTS (2787) and via Ticketmaster. 

BUY TICKETS

PARKING BOOK PARKING

COVID 19 PROTOCOLS

Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information. 

ABOUT ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

Marking 65 years and its status as one of the world’s most popular dance companies, the "ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER" returns to Boston for its annual performances. 

The five-show event features three distinct programs including two Boston premieres (in-demand choreographer Amy Hall Garner’s first AILEY commission, "CENTURY" and Jamar Roberts’s 2019 work, "Ode"); new productions Alonzo King’s 2000 piece "Follow the Subtle Current Upstream" and Ronald K. Brown’s 2009 favorite "Dancing Spirit;" and a performance highlighting ALVIN AILEY's vibrant choreographic genius through excerpts of his best dances. 

AILEY's iconic masterpiece "Revelations" closes every performance.

As part of the company’s visit, Celebrity Series will host “Revelations for Everyone,” a free, public workshop, where company dancers will teach excerpts of ALVIN AILEY's signature work as well as his popular dance Night Creature. 

“Revelations for Everyone” takes place Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 7:00pm at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont Street in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. 

Information and RSVP link are here.

ABOUT THE SHOW

• CENTURY (2023) – Choreography by Amy Hall Garner; Music: Various Artists. Amy Hall Garner’s first work for AILEY is a deeply personal piece inspired by her grandfather on the eve of his 100th birthday. Taking a cue from his spirited essence and set to the music of Ray Charles, Count Basie, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and more, CENTURY is a pure dance work celebrating life, resilience and joy.
• DANCING SPIRIT (2009) – Choreography by Ronald K. Brown; Music: Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis, Radiohead and War. Brown pays tribute to Judith Jamison’s profound influence with a moving work that echoes the title of Jamison’s autobiography. Evocative choreography uses movement from Cuba, Brazil and the United States to conjure dancing spirits who embody Jamison’s elegance, dignity and generosity.
• FOLLOWING THE SUBTLE CURRENT UPSTREAM (2000) – Choreography by Alonzo King; Music: Zakir Hussain, Miguel Frasconi and Miriam Makeba. King’s work investigates deeply rooted affinities between Western and Eastern classical forms, elemental materials, the natural world and the human spirit. Described as “a piece about how to return to joy,” FOLLOWING THE SUBTLE CURRENT UPSTREAM reminds us that everything in nature seeks to return to its source. Abstract but steeped in meaning, King’s movement sets the dancers in constant flow to an eclectic score.
• ODE (2019) – Choreography by Jamar Roberts; Music: Don Pullen. A former AILEY  dancer, Roberts offers a meditation on the beauty and fragility of life in a time of growing gun violence. This tender, engrossing work is staged with an all-female cast dancing to Pullen’s jazz score, and in Roberts’ own costume designs.
• AILEY CLASSICS (1960-1988) – Choreography by ALVIN AILEY; Music: Various Artists. This program highlights a selection of repertory spanning the breadth of MR. AILEY's  rich catalog.
• REVELATIONS (1960) – Choreography by ALVIN AILEY; Music: African American spirituals. REVELATIONS (r.) is a cultural treasure, beloved by generations and a must‐see for all. AILEY's signature work is a tribute to his heritage. REVELATIONS fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy. Seeing REVELATIONS for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience: audiences cheer, sing along and dance – from the opening notes of “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. 

Led by ALVIN AILEY and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance.

THE AILEY company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents – as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms.

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER will play the Boch Center Wang Theatre for a limited engagement!

ABOUT THE WANG AND SHUBERT THEATRES

Just as the city and audience have evolved with the times, the Boch Center, as guardian of the WANG and SHUBERT THEATRES (and from 2012-15, the Center also managed the historic Emerson Colonial Theatre), has changed to meet the needs of its community. 

Uniquely using a Balanced Scorecard (a Fortune 500 management framework), strategy map, and strategic dashboard, the Boch Center ensures that our Theatres and programs stay relevant to the community we serve. Today, the Boch Center is considered a best practice institution and nonprofit arts leader. With the belief that arts make and keep us a civilized nation, the Boch Center is dedicated to providing high-quality, diverse and culturally relevant arts and entertainment, and arts education programming for New England residents and visitors.

ABOUT THE BOCH CENTER

The Boch Center is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit performing arts institutions and a guardian of the historic WANG and SHUBERT THEATRES. As New England’s largest cultural venue, the Boch Center is home to theater, classical and popular music, dance, comedy, opera, Broadway musicals, family entertainment, and more. Located in Boston’s historic Theater District, the Boch Center also offers a diverse mix of educational, cultural and community outreach initiatives, including the City Spotlights Leadership Program and the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame; collaborates with artists and local nonprofit arts organizations; preserves historic venues; and acts as a champion for Greater Boston’s arts and cultural community. Learn more at bochcenter.org.