Ailey II ( Alvin Ailey Dance Company) October 18, 2009

P R E S S R E L E A S E

Ailey II Comes to Oklahoma City



Black Liberated Arts Center (BLAC), Inc. announced today that Ailey II (an Alvin Ailey Company) will be presented at Rose State Performing Arts Center Sunday, October 18th at 7:30 p.m. in a one night only performance. Ailey II, one of the country’s best young dance talents, exudes spirit, energy, passion and creative vision. Ailey II began in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, when Alvin Ailey initiated a workshop composed of the most promising scholarship students from the Ailey School . The original members of the company were handpicked by Mr. Ailey. Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training and community programs for all people. Today, Ailey II has become one of the most popular dance companies in the United States .



According to The New York Times, “Ailey II can be counted on to deliver high-energy dancing made even more electric by the push of youthful ambition.” Under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters, the company has invigorated the American dance scene by offering unique opportunities for artists. The Columbus Dispatch described Ailey II as “…a company that seems to have everything. Its 12 members are versatile and athletic and their commitment in performance is untiring. Dance enthusiasts have come to understand that when they show up to an Ailey II concert, they can count on seeing something of quality.”



Anita Arnold, Executive Director of BLAC, Inc., said this will be the third time in 20 years that the company has been presented in Oklahoma City by BLAC, Inc. She continued, “We are looking forward to their usual vividly, electrifying dance performance as we open our 2009-10 season of performing arts.”



Tickets are on sale now at the Civic Center Box Office and Rose State Box Office. For more information call BLAC, Inc. at 524-3800 or the Civic Center Box Office at 297-2264. Tickets are $50, $40, $30, and $20. Special discounts are available for seniors, students and groups. The performance is generously sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council.