Ailey II presents the next generation of dance 

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Ailey II, the company of talented young dancers whose full-throttle, no-holds barred energy and critically acclaimed performances has been called “the next generation of dance,” brings an exciting program of Ailey highlights to the Ailey Citigroup Theater from March 26–April 6 for its annual New York season. Returning to the city after a 28-city tour, the company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Francesca Harper, presents two dynamic programs this season — “Echoes” and ”New Vintage” — each spotlighting a collection of dances by Alvin Ailey and late Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison, as well as the dynamic choreographic duo Baye&Asa, along with Harper, whose expansive artistic vision, probing intellect and generosity of spirit is reflected in the season. After all, Harper is carrying on the tradition established by Ailey, when he conceived of this company designed to give young talented artists a platform to hone their craft, and by her predecessor, Ailey II’s Founding Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters. It is a tradition that supports and showcases dancers and young emerging choreographers who reflect both a rich artistic legacy and a bold innovative creativity, that Harper said is embodied by the phrase “legacy shaping the future.”

That concept will be on display in this upcoming season, Harper added. “Like Sylvia Waters, my job is to preserve our beautiful legacy works but then to really provide new emerging choreographers, like Houston Thomas, with opportunities.” In a brief interview, Thomas describes an impressive dance background that includes, attending the creative summer program AileyCamp and later dancing and choreographing in Europe with folks like the legendary William Forsythe, with whom Harper has also danced. Thomas said his work, “Down the Rabbit Hole,” was prompted by the heightened dependence on technology during COVID-19. “I really wanted to dig deep into how technology has become part of our routine while also examining its impact on our potential loss of autonomy.” While Harper was aware of his work a few years before inviting him to mount a piece on the company she said when she saw that particular work, “I knew it would be perfect for the dancers in Ailey II.” That care has gone into the choice of the entire season’s program.

This season Ailey II presents two different programs that are showcased in the first two days. On Wednesday, March 26, the program “Echoes” will focus on storytelling, cultural preservation, and innovation to symbolize the enduring resonance of humanity with works like Francesca Harper’s own  “Luminous” which pays homage to the 50th anniversary of the companies and the artists who paved the way for future generations. It also includes the world premiere of Thomas’ intriguing “Down the Rabbit Hole,” which was inspired by the futuristic “The Matrix” film series. In a nutshell, Harper and Thomas said that while non-narrative, its premise is the probing question about technology, to be: “Are we powering it or is it powering us?” This first program also includes Alvin Ailey’s lusciously fluid “Streams,” which seduces us with its reflection of water’s ebb and flow through movement that embodies Miloslav Kabelac’s mesmerizing percussive score. Harper said, “There’s such diversity in ‘Streams’ from moments that are very percussive to moments that are introspective in this work that uses an abstract narrative to say what Mr. Ailey wanted to say about our social and political condition.”

The second program, “New Vintage,” will premiere on Thursday, March 27 with a selection of works that highlight the bold vision Ailey had when he founded the company and showcases a tradition of risk taking by celebrating both those who paved the path for today’s talent alongside a daring new generation of artists. This includes a program that features an excerpt of Judith Jamison’s first choreographic work for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1984, which stunned audiences and critics who admired her as a phenomenally charismatic performer only to discover an amazing choreographic powerhouse with the premiere of “Divining.” Recalling the impact the work had on her upon first viewing it Harper said,“This piece presents us with a deeply powerful, unapologetic, almost shamanistic female figure and is really a celebration of our African roots. For me to see this force of nature, Judith represented onstage. Ms. Jamison was an idol of mine.” Harper went on to list the impressive women who have performed the piece including Donna Wood and April Berry. The program also includes a collection of excerpts from three classic works choreographed by Alvin Ailey between 1958 and 1972 under the title, “Ailey Highlights.” Then there is “John 4:20,” an expanded duet by the dynamic Baye & Asa whose work is constructed on a foundation of a technique that fuses hip-hop and African dance languages to inform the way they energetically engage contemporary dance, theatre and film. Thomas’ “Down the Rabbit Hole” is also on the evening’s program — reminding audiences that for more than five decades, Ailey II has merged the spirit and energy of the country’s best early-career dance talent with the passion and artistry of today’s most outstanding choreographers. Founded in 1974 as a bridge between The Ailey School and the professional dance world, the company embodies Alvin Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people.