Ailey II • February 23 • 8 pm • Eric Harvie Theatre, The Banff Centre
Adult $25, Student/Senior $22, Child $17
Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 762-6301
Presented as part of the winter 2007 Playbill Series
When Alvin Ailey created Revelations in 1960, it instantly became a masterpiece of American choreography, one that backed a muscular and modern dance style with the glorious sound of traditional spirituals – a mix of old and new that still holds its power. Almost 50 years later, Revelations remains one of the most popular works in the Ailey repertoire, and it never fails to bring audiences to their feet. On February 23, the Ailey II company brings Revelations to The Banff Centre, adding it to an evening of choreography that spans the last half of the 20th century.
Ailey II was created in 1974 as an extension of the Alvin Ailey School, under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters. Designed to extend the cultural reach of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, it has become the artistic home of the company’s most promising young dancers, and one of the most popular touring dance companies in the United States.
As part of their current tour, Ailey II will bring five works to the stage of The Banff Centre’s Eric Harvie Theatre, including How Small A Thought…, choreographed in 2004 by Ailey II associate artistic director Troy Powell, set to the music of Steve Reich. Like Revelations, the 1947 ballet Mourner’s Bench by Talley Beatty is also backed by traditional spiritual music. The company will also present an excerpt from Judith Jamison’s Divining, and Robert Battle’s The Hunt, with music by Les Tambours du Bronx.
Ailey II is the first in a series of dynamic contemporary dance presentations coming to The Banff Centre this spring as part of the Centre’s Playbill Series. Look for Decidedly Jazz Danceworks premiering Magnetic Consequences on March 24, a return engagement of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s stunning Dracula on April 7, and the whimsical presentation for young audiences – Sursaut Dance Company’s Family Portrait on April 14.
Tickets for all Banff Centre events are available through The Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301.
For the complete schedule for the winter/spring 2007 Playbill Series:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/events/playbill/
