Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to the Academy of Music for a three-day run from Friday, February 26, through Sunday, February 28, 2027. It's the touring company, Ailey II, taking the stage this time around, and they've put together a program that balances brand-new work with the company's most famous pieces.

On the new side, they're bringing Divining by Julidth Jamieson, along with Open Door by Ronald K. Brown and Arcell Cabaug. There's also a new production of Flight Time, originally choreographed by Alvin Ailey himself. And then there's the one most people recognize: Revelations, the company's signature work, which they describe as an anthem to resilience and joy.

To get a sense of the company, it helps to know where it comes from. Alvin Ailey founded the organization more than six decades ago as a non-profit with a mission to deliver dance back to the people. Since then, it's grown into one of the most eclectic and diverse companies in the country, eventually designated by Congress as a vital American cultural ambassador to the world. The style blends choreographed dance, ballet, and jazz with the rumba—what critics have called uniquely African American ruminations on the grand sweep of history. Ailey II, the touring company performing here, focuses on early-career dancers, positioning them as the next generation of virtuoso performers. The bill they're bringing to Philadelphia mixes groundbreaking new choreography from today's leading contemporary choreographers with the classics the company is known for, with Revelations as the touchstone.

There are four performances over the weekend, so you've got a few options for when to go. It opens Friday, February 26, at 7:30 PM. Saturday, February 27, has a matinee at 2:00 PM and an evening show at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, February 28, is a 2:00 PM matinee. All of them are at the Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102.