Repertory

Stack-Up

COMPANIES

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

CHOREOGRAPHER

Talley Beatty

WORLD PREMIERE

New York City Center, 1982

ASSISTANT TO CHOREOGRAPHER

Ralph Paul Haze

RESTAGING

Masazumi Chaya

MUSIC

Earth, Wind & Fire; Grover Washington, Jr.; Fearless Four; Alphonze Mouzon

ORIGINAL COSTUMES

Carol Vollet-Kingston

RECONSTRUCTED COSTUMES

Barbara Forbes

DÉCOR

Adapted from a painting by Romare Bearden

LIGHTING

Chenault Spence / Tom Skelton

A throbbing 1970s soundtrack that includes Grover Washington, Jr., and Earth, Wind & Fire drives the sizzling pyrotechnics of this work. Set against an urban backdrop on a hot summer night—when passions are strong, and tempers are fierce—patrons in a crowded disco dance with attitude, sass, and sometimes despair as an aloof drug pusher and two displaced lovers hurtle toward a collision. Inspired by the lives of Los Angeles’ disparate inhabitants, Stack-Up depicts the emotional “traffic” in a community that is stacked on top of each other.

Stack-Up by Talley Beatty

Group of dancers performing on stage, dressed in vibrant outfits including blue, red, yellow, pink, and orange. Some dancers are lifting others, while others strike dramatic poses with arms extended. The background is dark with blurred shapes, suggesting an urban setting.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Stack-Up Paul Kolnik

Dancer standing in a spotlight, wearing a red jacket, shiny gold pants, and a red beanie. His right arm is raised gracefully, and his left arm is bent at his side. The background is dark.

Jamar Roberts in Stack-Up Paul Kolnik

Dancer in mid-air, performing a split leap with arms extended upwards. He is wearing a shiny blue shirt and white pants, with blue shoes. The background is dark and blurred, suggesting a stage performance.

Yannick Lebrun in Stack-Up Paul Kolnik

Stack-Up, a panoramic look at urban street life in late 20th-century Los Angeles—with a backdrop adapted from a painting by Romare Bearden—sizzles with disco energy, mixing critique and affection for its seventeen characters.

Elizabeth Zimmer, The Village Voice

Stack-Up functions as social commentary that beckons the audience to join in on the fun.

Juan Michael Porter II, HuffPost