HERE...NOW.

In this work merging dance athleticism and art, Judith Jamison pays tribute to the spirit and life of the gifted Olympian Florence Griffith Joyner, the track and field superstar who died a premature death after a heart seizure at the age of 39. Ms. Jamison's ballet was commissioned by the 2002 Olympic Arts Festival.  

"I was so thrilled when the directors of the 2002 Olympic Arts Festival asked me to create a new ballet," Ms. Jamison said. "We performed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The entire Company appreciated the opportunity to share so much with our country and the world. The Olympics are about bringing athletes from around the world together, and Alvin Ailey founded this Company with a dream to unite all people through dance."

Ms. Jamison researched facts about Flo-Jo, as Joyner was affectionately known, but the ballet was not an autobiographical sketch. "I want to capture her spirit, her beauty," Ms. Jamison explained. "Flo-Jo was a gifted athlete and her talents led to great achievements. But she was also a beautiful, glamorous individual and an inspiration to young athletes; that's want I want to portray in the ballet."

Ms. Jamison's goal in her ballet was to use the beauty of the Company dancers to portray the strength and perseverance of Flo-Jo, who is an inspiration to all runners. To accompany the dancers, Ms. Jamison asked Wynton Marsalis, a legend of jazz music, to compose the score. Marsalis also composed the music for Sweet Release, which Ms. Jamison choreographed for the Lincoln Center Festival in 1996.