Ailey II’s ‘Revelations’ comes to Aspen District Theater on Feb. 8

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet presents Ailey II’s “Revelations” as part of its winter season on Feb. 8 at Aspen District Theater.

Founded in 1974 to advance Alvin Ailey’s vision to support early-career dancers as they transition from student to professional dancer, only 12 are chosen from thousands of dancers within the school. They remain in the company for two years before moving on to join some of the most prestigious dance companies in the nation, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Martha Graham Dance Company — or perform on Broadway.

“These are the most talented dancers — the crème of the crème,” said artistic director Francesca Harper. “They’re self-motivated and self-driven because they are so hungry. They come in with this intense drive and incredible work ethic.”

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The company’s “Revelations” is an emotional, joyous, and spiritual performance featuring Black spirituals, song-sermons, gospel, and holy blues. Through it, choreographer Alvin Ailey explored deep grief and soulful joy. It pays tribute to what he described as one of America’s richest treasures: Black cultural heritage. Inspired by his childhood in rural Texas, it premiered in 1960 but still resonates with audiences worldwide.

The evening begins with an excerpt from “Divining,” a solo created by Judith Jamison as her first major work for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1984. It builds upon African dance idioms — and her own spirit — set to North African, Central African, and Latin rhythms. It portrays Black faith and persistence from slavery to freedom with grace and elation.

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“The dancer is mysterious and is on a spiritual quest,” Harper said.

John 4:20 explores the personal dynamics of two male New York dancers with divergent experiences. Choreographed by Amadi “Baye” Washington and Sam “Asa” Pratt, it premiered in 2018. This latest version expands upon their original duet.

“It really investigates their shared history of being from different backgrounds as New Yorkers as male dancers as a white American and a Black American, and through these dynamics, they address the larger political landscape of their upbringing,” Harper said. “In this iteration, which uses six dancers instead of two, they really capture the relationships in a group of new bodies struggling to show the reality of violence and the necessity for empathy.”

The evening also includes Ailey highlights, a collection of excerpts from three classics Ailey choreographed between 1958 and 1972. It features his first masterpiece, “Blues Suite,” which evokes the “sorrow, humor, and humanity of the blues, those heartfelt songs that he called ‘hymns to the secular regions of the soul,'” according to repertory notes.

Another highlight, the lyrical and romantic “The Lark Ascending,” blends ballet and modern in a technical display of strength, grace, and lightness. The third highlight, Ailey’s “Streams,” premiered in 1970 as an abstract exploration of bodies in space. Supported by a percussive score, it evokes images of water, from gentle brooks to turbulent oceans, meant as metaphors for the changing tides within each human being.

The evening ends with “Revelations,” choreographed in 1960.

“It’s the perfect blend of grace and spirituality, taken from his experience of growing up in rural Texas as a young African-American boy, and it reflects his experiences of growing up in the church and his community and the cultural heritage of the African-American culture,” she said. “And, you know, one of my favorite quotes is, ‘It’s one of Mr. Ailey’s treasures — ‘sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.'”

She chose the program to showcase the full spectrum of the dance company’s work, from legacy pieces to emerging artists Asa and Baye.

“It’s really offering artistic voices that span over many decades,” she said.

The company is about a third of its way through its season, and Harper describes the dancers as “well baked, like a rich stew.”

“We just keep expanding and keep enriching Mr. Ailey’s mission and taking it to new levels, and we hope to bring all of that to Aspen,” she said.

After seeing Ailey II’s “Revelations,” Oprah Winfrey said:  “Every American owes it to him or herself to see the Ailey (company) perform ‘Revelations.’ It is an American phenomenon. I’ve probably seen it countless times, and every time, it’s magical and spiritual and hopeful — everything that we want ourselves to be and hope that our country will be.”