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A woman is dancing on stage. Her head is tilted back and one knee is in the air.

Repertory

Juba

COMPANIES

CHOREOGRAPHER

RUN TIME

14 Minutes

WORLD PREMIERE

New York City Center, 2003

ASSISTANTS TO CHOREOGRAPHER

Elisa Clark, Katarzyna Skarpetowska

MUSIC

Original Score Composed by John Mackey

COSTUMES

Mia McSwain

LIGHTING

Burke J. Wilmore

Former Artistic Director Robert Battle’s first creation for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern day Rite of Spring with an abstract twist—an electrifying thrill ride through ritual and folk tradition. Battle’s uninhibited movement melds seamlessly with an original score for string quartet and percussion by his frequent collaborator John Mackey. 

Four dancers on stage are facing one another posing. They are in blue shirts and navy cropped pants.

K. Segawa J. Terry B. Pereyra-Alem and M. McBride in Robert Battle's Juba Photo by Paul Kolnik

Four dancers are on stage in blue shirts and navy cropped pants. Three are walking and one is in an arabesque. They are all facing left.

J.Harris J.Bozeman S.Roberts and S.Dumas in Robert Battle's Juba Photo by Paul Kolnik

Four dancers are in a line close together holding one another. One is leaping in the air. They are all wearing blue shirts and navy cropped pants

J. Harris J. Bozeman S. Roberts and S. Dumas in Robert Battle's Juba Photo by Paul Kolnik

Four dancers are on stage with blue shirts and cropped pants. They are holding hands and their hands are in the air in a V. Each dancer has one foot up.

K. Segawa J. Terry B. Pereyra-Alem and M. McBride in Robert Battle's Juba Photo by Paul Kolnik

Juba by Robert Battle

The new production of Juba was made possible with major support from Michele & Timothy Barakett.

Generous support was also provided by The Fred Eychaner New Works Endowment Fund.

The commissioning of this work was originally made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council for the Arts, a State agency.