Ailey II Dance Company Comes to the Koger Center November 6!
October 4, 2013
COLUMBIA, SC – November 6, 2013 – The University of South Carolina dance program will host the world-renowned Ailey II dance company on Wednesday, November 6 at 7pm, at the Koger Center for the Arts. The performance is being presented as part of the university’s commemoration of 50 years of desegregation.
“Ailey II is the best performing company to bring to Columbia as a gift to the community for the desegregation commemoration, says Susan Anderson, Artistic Director for the USC dance program.
Ailey II was founded in 1974, and is the youthful second company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The troupe is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Ailey II is one of the most popular dance companies in the country, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programs.
USC Dance has a personal connection to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater through Thaddeus Davis, assistant professor of contemporary dance. Davis once taught for the Alvin Ailey company.
“We are thrilled that we are the catalyst for bringing this amazing company to our students and community. They are the embodiment of the ‘power of dance’ in the 21st century as we celebrate this landmark anniversary, Davis says.
Prior to the program, Columbia Mayor Steven Benjamin will present the key to the city to Ailey II Artistic Director Troy Powell.
Among the works scheduled for the program are Powell’s 2007 modern work The External Knot, the charming duet We by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle, and Alvin Ailey’s seminal masterpiece, Revelations. Ailey’s enduring classic is a tribute to the cultural heritage of African-Americans, born out of the choreographer’s “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist Church. Since its premiere in 1960, the ballet has been performed continuously around the globe, transcending barriers of faith and nationality, and appealing to universal emotions, making it the most widely-seen modern dance work in the world.
“This is a momentous occasion where modern dance at its finest will be seen here in Columbia. It is a chance to share our love of dance with our community by bringing this world-class dance company to our fair state. The history of dance is rich in the South, but a predominately African-American dance company is a rarity,” says Anderson.
Tickets for the performance are $40 for orchestra seating, $35 for the first balcony, and $20 for the second balcony. Tickets are available by calling the Koger Center box office at 803-777-5112, or by purchasing online at www.capitoltickets.com.
A special $75 ticket, purchased directly from the dance program, will also entitle admission to a post-performance reception, featuring food and drink, along with music from the Reggie Sullivan Band. The special ticket will include orchestra seating for the event. Reception tickets can be purchased by calling the USC dance program main office at 803-777-1001.
In addition to their Koger performance, the Ailey II dancers will also offer master classes on November 6th to dance students from the university and throughout the community at the university’s new dance facility.
For more information about the Ailey II performance or the USC dance program, contact Kevin Bush by phone at (803) 777-9353 or via email at [email protected].
