As Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater departs the UK following performances at the Edinburgh International Festival and Sadler’s Wells. The incredible young dancers of Ailey 2, the next generation of dance, will embark on a 12-venue tour from 19 September to 28 October, presented by Dance Consortium. 12 exceptional young dancers in works by William Forsythe, Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle and the company’s new artistic director Francesca Harper. 

The company’s new artistic director Francesca Harper has put together an exhilarating repertoire featuring four works: excerpts from her own Freedom Series and William Forsythe’s Enemy in the Figure along with The Hunt, choreographed by Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Revelations¸ Alvin Ailey’s 1960 masterwork and a signature piece of all the Ailey companies.

Revelations was choreographed by Ailey when he was just 29 years old. A life-changing work, it has been seen by more than 23 million people in 71 countries, more than any other modern dance work. Using African American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Revelations explores the deepest reaches of the soul. Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the cultural heritage of the African American and this enduring classic is a tribute both to that heritage and Ailey’s genius.

The company will perform the intensely propulsive central section of William Forsythe’s 1989 work, Enemy in the Figure. The choreography is driven by Thom Willem’s percussive and rhythmic electronic score which also influences the radical use of light and shadow in its design. This excerpt puts the formidable dance skills of the Ailey 2 dancers on fine display, giving their craft and vitality an invigorating framework.

The dancers of Ailey 2 for the 2023/24 season are: Andrew Bryant; Spencer Everett; Jaryd Farcon; Maya Finman-Palmer; Patrick Gamble; Alfred L. Jordan II; Kiri Moore; Corinth Moulterie; Kali Marie Oliver; Tamia Strickland; Jennifer Gerken; and Maggy van den Heuvel. I caught up with Dutch born Maggy and discovered that it is really possible to live out your dreams in real life.

"

Her love of dance started at a very early age, prompted it  seems by older sisters back home near Utrecht in the Netherlands. "Ever since I was four years old, I have been drawn to dancing. My sisters took ballet classes before me, and I remember how much they seemed to enjoy it which made me want to take ballet classes too. As a kid I was very active and dance classes allowed me to put all that energy into something I enjoyed doing. At the age of six I auditioned for Disney’s “The Lion King” in The Netherlands and at the age of eight, I was legally allowed to perform as Little Nala. I think this was when my parents discovered that I had a natural talent for performing." 

That natural talent saw her graduate from Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts in Amsterdam, in 2018. She is also a recipient of a Young Talent Award by Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.  But, what persuaded her to go across to New York and study ballet there? "I remember watching a video on YouTube of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing one of my favorite pieces Chroma by Wayne McGregor, and in that moment, I knew that I wanted to dance just like them. I did some more research and came to find out that they had a second company. I loved the repertoire they were performing and ever since it became my goal to dance for Ailey 2. I’ve always been amazed in the way Ailey dancers move their bodies and how these dancers express themselves through movement. 

Now in her second season with Ailey II, Maggy trained as a scholarship student at The Ailey School where she received the Joan Weill Spirit Award. She has also appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Extra TV, and was a lead dancer in Teyana Taylor’s music video Lose Each Other featuring Elton John. Perhaps we should keep quiet about the fact one of the things, Maggy is looking forward to on this trip is a full English Breakfast!

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey 2 have built powerful legacies which have impacted generations. New Ailey 2 artistic director Francesca Harper embodies this heritage. She took her first dance steps at The Ailey School, the official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where her mother Denise Jefferson was director from 1984-2010. Harper aims to bring fresh perspectives to Ailey’s legacy, while nurturing new creative voices and propelling the company forward.

I wondered what one of those creative voices, Maggy, thought that audiences could look forward to on this tour? "The audience can look forward to seeing emotionally deep, physical, thrilling, and exciting works. The performances offer a wide range of modern dance including Robert Battle’s The Hunt to William Forsythe’s Enemy in the Figure, and of course the audience favorite Revelations choreographed by Alvin Ailey. We have been rehearsing for quite some time and have been deeply diving into the works. I am convinced and hope that audiences will leave inspired and touched after watching Ailey 2 perform. "

For your chance to see Ailey 2 perform at a venue near you, please go to https://danceconsortium.com/touring/ailey-2/

Image above - Ailey 2 in Alvin Ailey's Revelations. Photo (c) Nir Arieli

          below - Maggy van den Heuvel in William Forsythe's Enemy in the Figure