April 25, 2007 – Ailey II is an exceptional dance company that merges the spirit and energy of the country's best young talent with the zeal and creative vision of today's most outstanding emerging choreographers. Ailey II will perform at Reichhold Center for the Arts at 8 p.m., on Saturday, May 12.
Started in 1974 by dance pioneer Alvin Ailey, Ailey II excels under the leadership of Artistic Director Sylvia Waters and Associate Artistic Director Troy Powell. Waters and Powell take their 16-member company to communities across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Ailey II completes a 45-city tour each year, as well as a New York City season at Joyce Theatre.
Ailey II's dance collection includes: "Blues Suite," Ailey's ode to the bawdy bar scenes remembered from his childhood. The majestic beauty of Ailey's "Revelations," guided by spiritual music, celebrates the African-American experience. Both pieces are among Ailey's most revered works, having been performed before millions of people. Ailey II's performance at Reichhold Center begins with an excerpt from "Blues Suite" and ends with the full production of "Revelations."
"Ailey II can be counted on to deliver high-energy dancing made even more electric by the push of youthful ambition," said The New York Times.
One of the high-energy dances is choreographer Robert Battle's "The Hunt," a six-man ensemble that is part athletic, part ritual and wholly exhilarating. In one dance phrase, three men squat while covering their mouths with the right hand, showing surprise as the other three dancers fly in the air behind them, legs stretched in an east-west position, hands high above the head.
Noted choreographer Scott Rink's contributes "Bitter Suite." Set to James Bond music played by jazz group Sex Mob, "Bitter Suite" features the plight of four couples, the men dressed in tuxedos and the women in their best little black dresses. Through the simplest of movements, a flick of the hand or a downward casting eye, the couples express their feelings while on the verge of breaking up.
Ailey II holds a residency for public and private schools students at 9 a.m., on Friday, May 11, at Reichhold Center. It is sponsored by Virgin Islands Council on the Arts. There is a master class for dance students and the public at 6 p.m., also at Reichhold Center.
First Bank, First Insurance, Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort, Tropical Shipping, Theodore Tunick Insurance Company and the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts sponsor this event.
Tickets are available at Modern Music, Parrot Fish, UVI Bookstore, V.I. Bridal & Tuxedo, Urban Threadz and the Reichhold Center box office at 693-1559.
