Matthew Rushing, interim artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, highlights the evolution of Alvin Ailey's iconic ballet, Revelations, which was originally an hour-long production featuring live spirituals before it was condensed for touring. Rushing discovered the original music during research for the ballet's 60th anniversary, which he planned around the pandemic. This led him to create Sacred Songs, a piece premiered in the Bay Area as part of AAADT's annual residency, underscoring Ailey's lasting influence on modern dance.
"When it was time to take Revelations' on the road, there was no way he could tour such a large work... he recorded the music and condensed the piece to the version we know today."
"Rushing came across the original description of Revelations... when he was researching the work's history for its 60th anniversary celebration."
"The pandemic put the kibosh on that project, but after finding tremendous comfort in the lost music from Revelations he set out to create Sacred Songs."
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