Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater takes center stage at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University April 11 – 15

 

The Chicago 2012 Engagement features the work of Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Rennie Harris, Ohad Naharin and Paul Taylor

 

2012 North American Tour led by new Artistic Director Robert Battle

 

CHICAGO, IL — Brett Batterson, executive director of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, announced the program for this year’s Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Chicago engagement,  April 11 – 15, 2012 led by Robert Battle in his inaugural season as Artistic Director. Tickets are on sale now and range from $30 – $90, available by phone (800) 982-2787, online at ticketmaster.com/auditorium, or in-person at the Auditorium Theatre Box Office, 50 E. Congress Parkway.

The eclectic program features brand new pieces added to the Ailey repertoire including hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris’ “Home,” set to a soul-lifting score of gospel house music and inspired by people living with or affected by HIV; Artistic Director Robert Battle’s bravura solo work “Takademe;” “Arden Court,” the first Paul Taylor work ever danced by the company; Ohad Naharin’s inventive and highly improvised “Minus 16;” as well as classics from Alvin Ailey’s body of work.

“This program blends the cutting edge with modern dance masterpieces to showcase the breadth and range of the company’s talents,” says Batterson.  “The diversity of the pieces chosen by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle—from Rennie Harris’ club move-inspired ‘Home,” to Paul Taylor’s graceful and romantic ‘Arden Court’ to Battle’s own percussive, fast-paced ‘Takademe’ to Ailey’s timeless choreography—will give audiences the opportunity to see Ailey dancers as never before.”

For his first season as Artistic Director, Battle has chosen to add to the repertory a rich array of premieres and new productions that express his vision for the company while honoring some of his most significant artistic influences.  The new season celebrates an American modern dance master, addresses an important social issue through hip hop and spotlights an influential female choreographer. The programming includes the revival of an iconic Alvin Ailey masterpiece, presents a signature work by the company’s new leader and takes the company in new directions through improvisation and audience participation.

“This is the beginning of a new adventure—for the company, for me and for our audiences,” stated Robert Battle, who became Artistic Director on July 1, 2011.  “It gives me great pride to build upon the inspiring legacy of Alvin Ailey and Judith Jamison.  I’m excited for people across the country to witness the world’s most amazing dancers as we take the next step in Ailey’s inspiring journey.”

Program Details

Modern dance master Paul Taylor’s “Arden Court” marks the first time a Taylor piece has entered into the Ailey repertory. Set to a sumptuous baroque score by William Boyce, “Arden Court” is a richly dynamic dance featuring striking duets, solos and a men’s sextet showcasing the dancers’ skills and musicality. Artistic Director Robert Battle, whose choreography often reflects the expansive use of space that is a hallmark of Taylor’s work stated “it is important that we honor the American modern dance tradition—and “Arden Court” gives us the opportunity to explore the physicality of the dancers in a very different way.” 

Ohad Naharin’s “Minus 16” features a score ranging from Dean Martin to cha-cha, from techno-pop to traditional Israeli music. Unfolding in sections, the piece uses Naharin’s acclaimed “Gaga” method to break down old habits and make room for new movement and new experience, broadening the possibilities for dancers as interpreters and revealing the humanity and wit of the Ailey company. Naharin dedicates the Ailey premiere of this piece to the memory of his wife Mari Kajiwara (1951-2001), a dancer with the company as well as Ailey’s assistant.  “With ‘Minus 16,’ we are expanding the Ailey repertory with a work unlike any other we have done,” says Battle. “It has an edge and offers surprising new experiences for the company and our audience. It will be both a great joy and a challenge for the dancers to improvise, break the fourth wall and invite the audience in.”

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle has added his fiery “Takademe” to the Ailey company’s repertory. The complex, tightly woven rhythms of Indian Kathak dance are deconstructed and abstracted in this percussive, fast-paced work, where clear shapes and propulsive jumps mimic the vocalized rhythmic syllables of Sheila Chandra’s jazzy score. “The piece is near and dear to me as one of my first creations,” says Battle. “It’s a work I made in the tiny living room of my old apartment in Queens. As I begin as Artistic Director, I want to acknowledge my journey, look back on what I did with so little and recognize what I have now. This piece has a sense of humor, and some of my other works that have been done at Ailey were in a more serious vein. I wanted to share another aspect of myself with the Ailey audience.”

Bold hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris, who worked alongside Judith Jamison and Robert Battle to create “Love Stories” for the company in 2004, has choreographed “Home,” a new work set to a soul-lifting score of gospel house music. The work is inspired by stories submitted to the “Fight HIV Your Way” contest of people living with or affected by HIV, an initiative of Bristol-Myers Squibb.  The company presented the premiere of the work December 1, 2011 at New York City Center.  The date both marked World AIDS Day and the 22^nd anniversary of Alvin Ailey’s death from the disease. “I think Rennie is great in the way he takes a conceptual approach to hip-hop,” says Battle. “He is bringing a unique perspective to stories that absolutely have to be told, and that ought to be realized in a dance vocabulary that comes from a new generation.” 

Rounding out the program are several masterpieces created by the company’s founder, Alvin Ailey. These include “Memoria,” his tribute to the life of choreographer Joyce Trisler and Alvin Ailey’s signature American classic, “Revelations,” a suite of dances that fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul. *An excerpt from “Night Creature,” one of Ailey’s most classically choreographed ballets, set to a Duke Ellington score will be performed during the student matinees on Apr. 12 and 13.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is part of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University’s 2011-2012 International Dance Series.  

Sponsorships

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2012 Chicago engagement is supported, in part, by Arts Midwest. The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation and The Private Bank are sponsors of ATRU’s student matinee series, including the April 12 and 13 student matinee performances.

American Express in the official card of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Toyota is the Official Vehicle Partner of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is the proud supporter of “Home” which was inspired by the Fight HIV Your Way Initiative.

About Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” grew from a now‐fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Founded by Alvin Ailey, and guided by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, the Company is now led by Robert Battle, whom Judith Jamison chose to succeed her on July 1, 2011. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents, promoting the uniqueness of the African‐American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year‐end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami‐Dade County in Miami, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark  where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate), and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world —named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City.  For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.

About the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, located at 50 E. Congress Parkway, is an independent, not-for profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural and community programming to Chicago, and to the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre. The Auditorium Theatre is generously supported by the Illinois Arts Council, CityArts, American Airlines  and the Palmer House Hilton.

For more information about programming, volunteer and donor opportunities or theater tours, call (312) 922-2110 or visit auditoriumtheatre.org.