In 1971, Alvin Ailey created Cry, one of his signature dance works, as a birthday present for his mother Lula Elizabeth Ailey. Ailey dedicated the ballet to “all black women everywhere — especially our mothers.” The three-part ballet, set to contemporary music by Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro and Chuck Griffin, depicts a woman’s journey through toil to an ecstatic state of grace. Cry premiered at New York City Center on May 4, 1971. Continue reading
The Voices of East Harlem was an African American vocal ensemble that originated in an inner-city action project in East Harlem, New York City. The song Right On, Be Free enjoys continued exposure as the last movement of Alvin Ailey‘s masterwork Cry. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge
Nineteen seventy began the golden age of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Ailey in his creative apex choreographed Streams (1970) (his first plotless work), Cry (1971) (iconic female solo and Judith Jamison’s breakout role), The Lark Ascending (1972) his historic collaborations with Duke Ellington (Ailey Does Ellington -1974 season in Lincoln Center) and Memoria (1979). In 1972 Dudley Williams premiered Love Songs, a solo choreographed in three sections by Ailey.
The choreography received lukewarm reviews and was categorized as the male counter part of Cry, which had premiered a year earlier. New York Times dance critic Anna Kisslegoff called the work a “technical and dramatic tour-de-force for Mr. Williams”. The literati may not have been initially enthusiastic, but the audience had a different reaction. They showered Williams’ performance with thunderous applause, establishing him as Ailey’s lyric crown prince and Love Songs as his signature role.
Dudley Williams -A Song for You (1986)
Dudley shared with me in a 2010 interview that Judith Jamison introduced him to the Donny Hathaway music and he then shared it with Ailey. One day Ailey called him into the studio and said, “This is for you Chicken”, (Ailey’s pet name for Williams) and began to choreographer the opening movement A Song For You. The work provided Williams, at the peak of his artistic prowess, a vehicle to showcase his impeccable musical phrasing and stage presence.
The opening section, A Song For You, is often presented as a stand-alone solo. Its lyricism, musicality, and soul stirring dramatic commitment continues to inspire audiences. On December 7th Renaldo Maurice performed A Song For You with great sensitivity and a masterful yet quiet command. The program note read: “This performance is dedicated in loving memory to long-time Ailey Company member Dudley Williams (1938–2015)”. It’s hard to believe Dudley has been dancing with the ancestors for over ten years.
Tonight’s performance is a tribute to choreographer and company founder Alvin Ailey and his muse Judith Jamison. Jamison’s A Case of You will be presented along with two of Ailey’s golden age gems, Memoria and Cry along with his signature masterwork Revelations.
For more information and to purchase tickets visit: https://ailey.org/performances
In Photo: 1. Ailey and Company (1978 twentieth anniversary season) 2. Alvin Ailey and Judith Jamison
Jack Mitchell Photographer
Morgan Freeman introduces honoree Judith Jamison at the 22nd Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge
Another bout of Covid (our third slow dance) prevented me from seeing the new works presented during the first and second weeks of the Ailey season. When Covid and I finished our Rumba, I attended an All-Ailey matinee featuring four works, Night Creature, Cry, Survivors and Revelations. Continue reading
Ailey Celebrates Juneteenth is an uplifting program that features performance highlights from Alvin Ailey’s Cry and Revelations, as well as Rennie Harris’ Lazarus. Continue reading
“Dance can elevate our human experience beyond words,” says Judith Jamison, artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In between performances of excerpts from Alvin Ailey’s classic works “Revelations” and “Cry,” Jamison reflects on the enduring power of dance to transform history into art that thrills audiences around the world. (Performances by Solomon Dumas, Samantha Figgins and Constance Stamatiou)
Continue reading
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer and Baltimore School for the Arts alumna Jacqueline Green ’07 performs Ailey’s iconic solo Cry (1972). Continue reading
Deborah Manning performs Alvin Ailey’s tribute to woman (especially our mothers) Cry (1971). Continue reading
Cosby Celebrates Ailey conceived, co-produced and written by former Ailey dancer and choreographer George Faison. The program, which was taped more than a year prior to airing, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; and features Ailey himself dancing in the opening section. Continue reading
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth Avenue
Encounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern Parkway
The new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern Parkway
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERThe new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERThe new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERThe new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern Parkway
A dance and wellness classes design for Older Adults taught by Walter Rutledge
720 Nereid Ave, Bronx, NY 10466
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERThe new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERThe new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern ParkwayFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERFlamenco Vivo Carlota Santana returns to The Joyce with the New York City premiere of QUINTO ELEMENTO (Fifth Element), an evening-length work by acclaimed choreographer Patricia Guerrero, winner of Spain’s National Dance Award, with an original score by Francis Gómez performed live. Featuring Flamenco Vivo’s world-renowned international cast of dancers and musicians, the work explores the elusive fifth element of the earth—ether, the invisible essence that connects all things. Hailed by The New Yorker as “a master of tradition who dares to deconstruct the art form,” Guerrero ventures beyond flamenco’s aesthetic bounds, embracing chaos and fragmentation to reveal its essence—its invisible fifth element—and make it tangible to audiences
THE JOYCE THEATERThe new permanent installation foregrounds the creativity of artists across the subcontinent and enduring, dynamic historical traditions. The Met’s Arts of Africa galleries returned in May 2025, in a reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Following a multiyear renovation, the reenvisioned installation reintroduces visitors to the Museum’s collection of sub-Saharan African art through a selection of some 500 works organized to survey major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations from the Middle Ages to the present, and one-fourth of the works are on display at the Museum for the first time.
The Met Fifth AvenueEncounter an artist who changed the face of portrait photography. Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is the most expansive North American exhibition of the legendary Malian photographer’s work to date. More than 280 works include iconic prints, never-before-seen portraits, textiles, and Keïta’s personal artifacts, all brought to life with unique insights from his family.
200 Eastern Parkway