The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will be premiering two new works at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC): Amy Hall Garner’s first work for the Company, CENTURY, and former dancer Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish’s duet, Me, Myself and You, on Mother’s Day Weekend with performances Friday, May 10 at 8pm, Saturday, May 11th at 8pm and Sunday, May 12 at 3pm.
Tickets Start at $20.00
NJPAC
Prudential Hall
One Center Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
www.njpac.org
The company will present these exciting premieres in a powerful new production in celebration of this year’s Max Roach Centennial, which will include such repertory favorites as Ailey’s must-see American masterpiece, Revelations.
CENTURY is a deeply personal piece inspired by Hall Garner’s 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 celebration of life, resilience, and joy.
Me, Myself and You is a dreamlike dance about reminiscence. Set to Damien Sneed and Brandie Sutton’s rendition of “In A Sentimental Mood,” it conjures the memories of love and passion of a woman who is asking herself if she should let go or forge ahead.
New productions include the seven-minute tour-de-force, Solo, by Hans van Manen, the internationally celebrated choreographer long associated with the Dutch National Ballet, and Alonzo King’s Following the Subtle Current Upstream (2000), a non-stop piece that investigates deeply rooted affinities between Western and Eastern classical forms, elemental materials, the natural world, and the human spirit.
Described by choreographer Alonzo Kingas “a piece about how to return to joy,” Following the Subtle Current Upstream mirrors life’s boisterous waves and reminds us that everything in nature seeks to return to its source.
Also on the program are returning favorites: Survivors (1986) by Alvin Ailey and Mary Barnett, and Ailey’s signature masterpiece Revelations (1960). The former is Ailey’s impassioned tribute to the profound courage and terrible anguish of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. Max Roach’s richly varied drumming and Abbey Lincoln’s vocals set the emotional tone for this powerful work that lifts up those who resist oppression in any form.
Ending the performance is the finale, Revelations, which has been seen by more people around the world than any other modern dance work, moving audiences with its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music and evoking timeless themes of determination, hope, and transcendence.
Springing from Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in the south and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the African American community and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting NJPAC.org, calling 888-466-5722, or by visiting the NJPAC Box Office.
Manos Angelakis
Manos Angelakis is one of the founders, the former Managing Editor for 25 years, the current Managing Editor Emeritus, and Senior Food & Wine Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. He is an accomplished travel writer, photographer, and food and wine critic based in Hackensack, New Jersey. As a travel writer, he has written extensively about numerous cities and countries. Manos has also been certified as a Tuscan Wine Master and has traveled to wine-producing areas in order to evaluate firsthand the product of top-rated vineyards. In the past year, he has visited and written multiple articles about Morocco, Turkey, Quebec City, Switzerland, Antarctica, and most recently the South of France. Articles in other publications include Vision Times and Epoch Times.
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