25 Years of Grace

Grace, choreographed by Ronald K. Brown for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1999, premiered at the Company’s Gala on December 1, the 10-year anniversary of Alvin Ailey’s passing. Notable audience members included Susan Sarandon, Donald Glover, and Janet Jackson. Brown created the work as a thank you to Mr. Ailey, writing that he hoped the dance “will lift one’s spirit and stir one’s soul.” On what could have been a night of solemn reflection, it surely achieved that goal.

Grace, which returns to the Company repertory as a new production during the New York City Center season (December 4–January 5), has since stood the test of time, continuing to stir audiences with its rapturous energy. It demands from the dancers a vitality and commitment that sends shockwaves through the theater. In 2019, Gia Kourlas wrote in theThe New York Times, “Most contemporary dances come and go. But Grace has become part of the canon.”

Grace was Brown’s first commission for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and he has since made six additional works for the Company, including:

He has also shared his talents in regular workshops with Ailey Extension. As with Grace, his work for the stage and in the studio comes back to the central question of why we dance, the answer to which is both spiritual and communal.

In 2019, for the 20th anniversary of Grace, Brown’s own company, EVIDENCE/A Dance Company, performed the work accompanied for the first time by live music. A part of Grace’s power comes from the music selections: Duke Ellington’s spiritual “Come Sunday,” Peven Everett’s “Gabriel,” and Fela Kuti’s “Shakara.”

For its 25th anniversary premiere during the Company's Opening Night Gala at New York City Center on December 4, the opening and closing songs of Grace will be performed live. Tony® and GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Leslie Odom, Jr. and composer, visual artist, and GRAMMY® Award-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant will each perform a rendition of “Come Sunday” with a live band. Seeing the work with live accompaniment drives home the rhythmic intensity of the relationship between the music and dancers, making for an unforgettable experience.

The final performance of Grace this season, on January 5, promises one more special occasion. Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing will do a one-night-only performance with the Company, resuming the solo role in Grace that he last performed in 2019 during a tribute to former Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya. Mr. Rushing was a part of Grace's original cast in 1999, and this special performance—on Alvin Ailey’s birthday—will be a not-to-be-missed celebration of AILEY legacies uniting on stage.