Ailey II, the young company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, has been a showcase for talented emerging dancers and choreographers since 1974. Praised by The New Yorker for their “off-the-charts energy,” and called “second to none” by Dance Magazine, the dancers of Ailey II are led by Artistic Director Troy Powell, a former dancer in and choreographer for both Ailey II and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This special performance is presented by the Office of Black Church Studies at Duke Divinity School in association with Duke Performances.

The dancers of Ailey II offer a program anchored by Alvin Ailey’s quintessential signature piece Revelations, the most widely seen modern dance work in the world, celebrated by longtime New York Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff as the choreographer’s “great masterpiece,” and praised by the Boston Herald as “one of the most sublime dances ever choreographed.” Revelations explores the sorrow and the jubilation of African American cultural heritage through dances set to spirituals, gospel songs, and holy blues. In addition to Revelations, the program will draw on new works and standard repertory, to be announced early in 2016.