Dancers perform as a part of Ailey II. (Courtesy of CU Presents)
The up-and-coming dance company Ailey II will perform at Macky Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16 as part of the CU Presents 2021-2022 Artist Series. This company showcases some of the country’s leading young talents, working alongside emerging choreographers.
Ailey II is the junior company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the top modern dance companies and schools of the United States, which focuses on nurturing Black artists and expressing their life experiences through dance. This junior company acts as a bridge between the school and the professional dance world.
Founded in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, Ailey II has won praise and accolades for its community outreach, performing at universities and elementary, middle and high schools around the U.S. They are known for providing dance opportunities for diverse individuals within an art form that can be very privileged and white-centered.
“The dancers in Ailey II are spectacular beings,” wrote Gia Kourlas in an interview for The New York Times. “…(here), after all, resides the future of the main company.”
On Wednesday night, the company will perform five different pieces, choreographed from 1989 to 2021. Choreographers include Andrea Miller, Robert Battle, William Forsythe and Francesca Harper, all of whom embody creativity and self-discovery in their work.
More information about the performance at CU Presents can be found here.
Contact CU Independent Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor Haley Lauritzen at haley.lauritzen@colorado.edu.
