Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s winter opening night virtual benefit December 2 will celebrate six decades of its beloved American masterpiece, Revelations.
The gala requires advance registration. It will livestream free starting at 7:30 p.m. EST on December 2 and be available for one week on Ailey’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: The Alvin Ailey dancers perform Revelations at the 2014 Ailey Spirit Gala ... [+]
The “Revelations Reimagined” program will include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in its signature work filmed a Wave Hill Public Garden and Cultural Center overlooking the Hudson River.
It also will feature appearances by celebrity guests Sterling K. Brown, Jasmine Guy, Jillian Hervey of Lion Babe, Nigel Lythgoe, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Phylicia Rashad, Shonda Rhimes, Lynn Whitfield, Vanessa Williams and Jeffrey Wright.
Springing from Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in the South during the Depression and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays tribute to the African-American heritage – “sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful” — and to the power of faith, hope and the human spirit, especially needed during the COVID-19 pandemic’s trying times.
Since its creation in 1960, Revelations has been performed continuously around the globe, transcending barriers of faith and nationality and appealing to universal emotions, making it the most widely seen modern dance work in the world. It was part of the opening ceremonies of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, and has been presented at the White House on numerous occasions, including at the inaugurations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. The piece also has had many film and television broadcasts, beginning in 1962 on the CBS series, Lamp Unto My Feet.
A post-benefit dance party will continue the celebration with an invitation for everyone to dance to music by Elan Artists Entertainment.
