Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Founded by Alvin Ailey on March 30, 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the most acclaimed dance companies in the world. With a repertory that boasts close to 300 works by more than 100 choreographers, it has performed in more than 70 countries on six continents and has been designated a "vital American Cultural Ambassador to the world” by a US Congressional resolution.

Forged during a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. Ailey invited dancers of all backgrounds to be a part of his vision while reimagining his company as a “library of dance,” a home for a wide range of choreographers’ works that might otherwise be lost.

Before his untimely death in 1989, Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and for 21 years she brought the company to unprecedented success before appointing Robert Battle to steward the company from 2011–2023. In 2025 Alicia Graf Mack became the organization's fourth artistic director. A former Ailey dancer under both Jamison and Battle and a former dean and director of the Dance Division at the Juilliard School, Graf Mack brings her passion for dance and dance education to the continuation of the AILEY tradition.

Today, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to bring joy to audiences around the globe, while expanding its repertory with works by new choreographers and upholding Ailey’s legacy for future generations.

Since its creation in 1960, Revelations has consistently enraptured audiences all over the world with its perfect blend of reverent grace and spiritual elation. Alvin Ailey’s signature masterpiece pays homage to and reflects the cultural heritage of the African American, which Ailey considered one of America’s richest treasures — “sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.” 

Choreographed when he was only 29 years old, Revelations is an intimate reflection inspired by childhood memories of attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas and by the work of writers James Baldwin and Langston Hughes. Set to a suite of traditional spirituals, Revelations explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition, from the deepest of grief to the holiest joy. A classic tribute to the resolve and determination of a people, the ballet has been seen by more people around the world than any other modern work. 

Of its creation, Ailey once recalled, “I did it chronologically, leading off with the opening part of Revelations, which was...about trying to get up out of the ground. The costumes and the set would be colored brown, an earth color, for coming out of the earth, for going into the earth. The second part was something that was very close to me — the baptismal, the purification rite. Its colors would be white and pale blue. Then there would be the section surrounding the gospel church, the holy rollers and all the church happiness. Its colors would be earth tones, yellow and black.” 

The ballet premiered at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA on January 31, 1960 and has since been performed a countless number of times all over the world. It was part of Opening Ceremonies of the 1968 Olympics and has been presented at the White House on numerous occasions, including at the inaugurations of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. 

The piece has had many film and television broadcasts — its first, the 1962 CBS special Lamp Under My Feet. It is also the framework for Revelations: An Interdisciplinary Approach, a residency program that has been implemented in public schools around the country and uses Ailey’s signature work as an organizing theme for a comprehensive, in-depth study of language arts, social studies, and dance.

Ailey combined Horton technique with his own astounding choreographic vision to create a series of movement that intertwines impossible strength and ethereal grace. After six decades, this American classic has proven to be a cultural landmark in the world of dance, maintaining its astonishing originality and powerful elegance while continuing to inspire and enthrall audiences everywhere.