Revelations

Alvin Ailey’s timeless masterpiece Revelations has become one of the most well-known and respected ballets in the history of dance, acclaimed as a must-see for all and recognized by a U.S. Senate resolution.  Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.   Alvin Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the African-American—“sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.”   Springing from Ailey’s childhood “blood memories” of growing up in rural Texas and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church, Revelations is a tribute to the cultural heritage of the African-American and to Alvin Ailey’s genius.  Since its premiere in 1960, this enduring classic has been seen by more audiences around the world than any other modern work, universally inspiring with its transcendent exploration of the human condition.