Auditorium Theatre 2018-19 Issue 3 Alvin Ailey

March 6 - March 30, 2019 | AUDITORIUM THEATRE 2018-19 | 9 1992 – The company performs at President Bill Clinton’s inaugural gala. 1993 – New York City’s West 61 st Street is renamed Alvin Ailey Place. Jamison premieres Hymn , a tribute to Ailey, created in collaboration with the Tony Award-nominated actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith. 1994 – Jamison’s autobiography, Dancing Spirit , edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is published. 1996 – The company performs at the Atlanta Olympic Games. 1997 – The company embarks on a historic residency in South Africa, following the lifting of the international cultural boycott. 1999 – Jamison wins a Prime Time Emmy Award in the “Outstanding Choreography” category for her work on the PBS documentary A Hymn for Alvin Ailey . She also receives The Kennedy Center Honors for Lifetime Contributions to American Culture through the Performing Arts. 2002 – Jamison carries the Olympic torch in Salt Lake City, Utah before the 2002 Winter Olympics. 2004 – The United States Postal Service issues a first class postage stamp honoring Alvin Ailey as part of its American Choreographers stamp series, which commemorates visionary 20 th century choreographers who made an impact on the dance world. 2007 – The Ailey company is featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show . 2008 – Ailey celebrates its 50 th anniversary season. The company performs on Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance? The United States Congress passes an official resolution naming Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World.” The Ailey 50 th anniversary tour kicks off in Washington, DC, where President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama attend a company performance. 2011 – Jamison personally selects choreographer Robert Battle to succeed her as Artistic Director. The United States Senate passes a resolution recognizing the artistic and cultural contributions of the Ailey company and the 50 th Anniversary of the first performance of Alvin Ailey’s masterwork, Revelations . Authored by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and co-sponsored by Senators Charles E. Schumer and Robert Menendez, this resolution honors Revelations as a timeless classic “beloved by people around the world” with universal themes “that illustrate the strength and humanity within all of us.” 2015 – A children’s book based on Battle’s life, MY STORY, MY DANCE: Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin Ailey is published. Battle sets Awakening , his first world premiere since becoming artistic director, on the company. 2016 – Jamison’s contributions to dance are celebrated at a White House Black History Month event hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. 2018 – The company celebrates its 60 th anniversary in its 2018-19 Season. Rennie Harris is named the first-ever Artist-in-Residence for the Ailey company. He creates the company’s first two-act ballet, Lazarus , for the company. Lazarus is loosely inspired by the life of Alvin Ailey. Judith Jamison’s autobiography, Dancing Spirit . The Alvin Ailey postage stamp. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Rennie Harris’ Lazarus . PAUL KOLNIK COPYRIGHT © 2015 BY JAMES E. RANSOME Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs at the Auditorium Theatre March 6-10.