Presented by Duke Arts Presents
“Rushing’s choreography responds to both the music and the legacy of Mr. Ailey’s Revelations evoking an ancestral spirituality while reflecting the dance of today.”
Ailey
Few works in modern dance carry the legacy of Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, a masterpiece set to spirituals and gospel music that has moved audiences worldwide since 1960 and remains the most widely seen work in modern dance history. In Sacred Spaces, Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing and Co-creator and Musical Director Du’Bois A’Keen revisit that legacy through a new lens.
Sacred Spaces expands on Sacred Places: Decoding the Spiritual, developed during Rushing and A’Keen’s residency at Duke Divinity School this past April. The work originated from Rushing’s vision to build a ballet around spirituals removed from Revelations when it was shortened for touring.
Sacred Spaces explores memory, community, and cultural inheritance. Performed by musicians, vocalists, dancers, and visual artists from across the Triangle, this new work honors the spirituality and communal spirit of Revelations while standing firmly on its own as a contemporary work.
Reynolds Industries Theater
125 Science Drive
Durham, NC 27708
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Venue DetailsApproximately 1 hour and 35 minutes, with no intermission
Limited late seating available
Tickets available starting at $35. Student tickets always $10.
Ailey’s Associate Artistic Director
Matthew Rushing was born in Los Angeles, California. He began his dance training with Kashmir Blake in Inglewood, California, and continued his training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He is the recipient of a Spotlight Award and a Dance Magazine Award and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and later became a member of Ailey II. During his career, Mr. Rushing has performed as a guest artist for galas in Vail, Colorado, as well as in Austria, Canada, France, Italy, and Russia. He has performed for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House Dance Series. During his time with the Company, he has choreographed five ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson; Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance; ODETTA (2014), a celebration of “the queen of American folk music”; Testament (2020), a tribute to Alvin Ailey’s Revelations created in collaboration with Clifton Brown and Yusha-Marie Sorzano; and Sacred Songs (2024). In 2012 he created Moan, which was set on PHILADANCO! and premiered at the Joyce Theater. Mr. Rushing joined the Company in 1992. He became Rehearsal Director in 2010, Associate Artistic Director in 2020, and served as the Interim Artistic Director from 2023 to 2025.
This event is part of We the People: A Duke & Durham Initiative
This work is presented in partnership with Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts (DITA). It was developed during Matthew Rushing’s “artist-in-context” residency at Duke Divinity School as a new iteration of Sacred Songs, his 2024 ballet for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Pick-4 Packages Available Now! Save 20% when you book four or more shows.
Single Tickets Available Tuesday, June 23 at 11 AM.
Please note: For online orders, seats are automatically chosen based on best availability. To choose specific seats or price levels, please call the Box Office at 919-684-4444.
Tier 1: $45
Tier 2: $35
Students*: $10 (Log in through Shibboleth to access Duke-exclusive discounts)
Duke Employees: 25% Off (Log in through Shibboleth to access Duke-exclusive discounts)
*All high school and college students are eligible for student tickets with valid ID shown at event.
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