Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Ailey II began when Mr. Ailey initiated a workshop composed of promising scholarship students from The Ailey School. The original members of the Company were handpicked by Mr. Ailey from that group. Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training and community programs for all people and has become one of the most popular dance companies in the country, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programs.

Samples of their repertoire include:
Hope (The Final Rise): A stimulating ballet, exploring the possibility of hope and change within a group of individuals. What can we expect for the future, how can we create lasting change and how can we ensure the changes are powerful, positive statements?

Revelations: Alvin Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the African-American —”sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.” This enduring classic is a tribute to that heritage and to Ailey’s genius. Using African-American religious music – spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues – this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

The Hunt: Set to a wildly percussive soundtrack by Les Tambours du Bronx, this ballet for six men examines the relationship between modern sports and the rituals of the gladiators, revealing the aggressive side of human nature and the primitive thrill of the hunt.

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