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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Returns to Chicago for 2025 Season with Premieres and Tributes
Chicago audiences will once again experience the electrifying artistry of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as the world-renowned company returns to The Auditorium Theatre from March 7–9, 2025. This highly anticipated engagement, part of the company’s national tour, will feature two distinct programs packed with premieres, classic revivals, and a special tribute to the late Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison (1943–2024).
Under the leadership of Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, the performances will showcase the extraordinary skill and emotional depth of Ailey’s dancers. The weekend includes three Chicago premieres, a revival of Ronald K. Brown’s Grace in honor of its 25th anniversary, and a new production of Elisa Monte’s evocative duet Treading.
A special highlight of opening night (March 7) will be an excerpt from Alvin Ailey’s Cry, performed as a tribute to Judith Jamison, who first danced the iconic solo in 1971. This deeply personal work, originally choreographed as a gift for Ailey’s mother, has become a symbol of strength and resilience, dedicated “to all Black women everywhere—especially our mothers.”
A Weekend of Unforgettable Dance
The 2025 season at The Auditorium offers two distinct programs. The first, presented on Friday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, at 3:00 p.m., includes Brown’s Grace, a vibrant fusion of African and American dance traditions, and Finding Free, a 2024 work by former company member Hope Boykin featuring an original score by jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker. The program will conclude with Ailey’s masterpiece Revelations, the uplifting finale that has captivated audiences worldwide for over six decades.
The second program, performed on Saturday, March 8, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., features Rushing’s Sacred Songs, which revisits music originally used in Revelations but later removed from the current version. Also on the program is Treading, Monte’s mesmerizing 1979 duet, and Many Angels, a Chicago premiere by acclaimed choreographer Lar Lubovitch, set to Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. This program, too, concludes with Revelations.
A Farewell Performance for Vernard J. Gilmore
This season will be especially poignant for Chicago native Vernard J. Gilmore, who will bid farewell to his hometown audience after 28 seasons with the company. Gilmore, an Englewood native, began his dance training at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School before earning a scholarship to The Ailey School. Since joining the main company in 1997, he has become the longest-tenured member, inspiring audiences with his passion and artistry.
Inspiring the Next Generation
In addition to public performances, Ailey will present two student matinees on March 6 and 7, introducing thousands of young Chicagoans to the power of dance.
Tickets for the 2025 season start at $39 and are available at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling 312-341-2300.
Don’t miss this exhilarating celebration of movement, music, and legacy, as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to inspire audiences with its powerful storytelling and rich cultural heritage.