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Members of the Company all leaning forward and looking down as they make the same pose

Repertory

Dancing Spirit

COMPANIES

CHOREOGRAPHER

RUN TIME

30 Minutes

WORLD PREMIERE

New York City Center, 2009

REHEARSAL ASSOCIATES

Arcell Cabuag and Matthew Rushing

MUSIC

Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis, Radiohead, War

COSTUMES

Omotayo Wunmi Olaiya

LIGHTING

Clifton Taylor

Ronald K. Brown pays tribute to Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison’s profound influence with this work that echoes the title of Ms. Jamison’s autobiography. Set to music by Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis, Radiohead, and War, Brown’s evocative choreography uses movement from Cuba, Brazil, and the United States to conjure dancing spirits who embody Ms. Jamison’s elegance, vision, dignity, and generosity.

Members of the company all performing the same pose with one arm crossed over their chest and their other hand resting on their hips

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ronald K. Brown's Dancing Spirit Photo by Paul Kolnik

A dancer center stage raises one of his legs in the air performing a horizontal split. Members of the company surround this performer in a large circle

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ronald K. Brown's Dancing Spirit Photo by Paul Kolnik

A woman in a white dress spins around in front of a backdrop of a full moon.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Constance Stamatiou in Ronald K. Brown's Dancing Spirit Photo by Steven Pisano

A man lunges forward next to a woman kicking one leg behind her

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Hannah Alissa Richardson and Patrick Coker in Ronald K. Brown's Dancing Spirit Photo by Paul Kolnik

See it Live

Music credits

“The Single Petal of a Rose” by Duke Ellington, performed by Stefon Harris, courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment, by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing. “What Have You Done?” by Wynton Marsalis, performed by Wynton Marsalis, Victor Goines, Wycliffe Gordon, Douglas Wamble, Reginald Veal, Herlin Riley and Eric Lewis, by arrangement with Wynton Marsalis Enterprises, Inc. “The Single Petal of a Rose” performed by Joe Temperley, courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment, by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing. “Tsotsobi – The Morning Star (Children)” by Wynton Marsalis, performed by Wynton Marsalis, Yacub Addy, Odadaa!, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, by arrangement Wynton Marsalis Enterprises, Inc. “Everything In Its Right Place” performed by the Vitamin String Quartet and written by Colin Charles Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Greenwood and Thomas Edward Yorke courtesy of Warner Chappell Music LTD (PRS) All Rights Administered by WC Music Corp. “Flying Machine (The Chase)” written by S. Allen, H. Brown, M. Dickerson, L. Jordan, C. Miller, L. Oskar and H. Scott,”, courtesy of BMG Rights Management.

FUNDERS

Generous support for the new production of Dancing Spirit was received from an Anonymous supporter, Judith McDonough Kaminski & Joseph Kaminski, Sara & Bill Morgan New Works Endowment Fund, Dr. Crawford Parker, The Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn & Nicolas Rohatyn New Works Endowment Fund, Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach, and the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey through the generosity of its donors.