Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Cal Performances presents

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley

April 12th, 2026

The Bay Area spring dance season would not be complete without Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s annual residency at Cal Performances. And what a dramatic spring week to backdrop the company’s 2026 engagement! The weather ran the gamut from warm, sunny skies to a weekend of freezing torrential downpours. But regardless of the forecast, AAADT fans turned out in droves abuzz to see what the troupe had in store this year – four unique programs of Bay Area premieres, re-envisioned productions and of course classic masterworks. Program B, AAADT’s closing bill, paired two 2025 pieces (both which were new to local audiences) with Founder Alvin Ailey’s iconic modern composition, 1960’s Revelations.

Opening the afternoon was Maija García’s Jazz Island, a work that felt decidedly Dance Theater-esque. A moon backdrop gave a planetary celestial feel; García’s grounded and supple choreography, a Caribbean/Island quality. An array of characters imbued the space: a goddess, vendors, a mysterious (almost nefarious) man with a top hat and cane, and a community of inhabitants. An intricately crafted set of scenes flowed seamlessly keeping stops and starts at bay. Props. Costumes. Humor. West Side Story style confrontations. A strong and present narrative undertone, though not a linear story. All set to a lovely jazz score by Etienne Charles. 

These many theatrical elements worked in concert to capture a day in the life of this place and the people who call it home. Their triumphs and accomplishments. Their challenges and obstacles. Their wants, desires, experiences. I enjoyed Jazz Island, though I think I need to see it again to grasp all the moving parts. There was a lot going on at the same time. Having said that, I think the biggest take away from this first viewing is how the piece speaks to the breadth and range of this company. It felt somewhat of a departure for AAADT, which is a good thing. Keeping a dance group vital requires honoring history while simultaneously pushing forward with newness. Jazz Island was definitely a new force.

Next up was another 2025 work, Embrace by Fredrick Earl Mosley. A series of vignettes set to contemporary music, Embrace is special. Again, there wasn’t a linear narrative at play, but the work was not at all abstract. Embrace was a statement of kinship, love and inclusion. It joined moments of animosity with moments of support. There was yearning, charged romance and even a little desperation. I didn’t want to take my eyes off the stage for a single second, and I bet most of the auditorium shared that sentiment. 

Embrace also utilized a unique theatrical device throughout – a collection of modular tables and benches. In each chapter, the furniture took on a different configuration to support the movement, almost acting like additional cast members. In the first variation, the soloist used a table’s edge like a ballet barre. Then, the tables shifted and became an additional stage surface as “At Last” sang through the air. During Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” the tables became seats and backdrops, the dancers squiring them about the space. As Embrace continued, the set pieces provided pathways, level changes and wing space without being distracting. Genius.

Mosley’s choreography was also a stroke of genius – smooth, sumptuous and gooey in the best possible way. A slow promenade in attitude literally left me breathless. Lit from the side by shinbusters, a full throttle unison sequence read like a celebration of youth. Dancers communicated the notion of risk-taking with daring flying leaps. And an amazing late pirouette rotated on and on; I think it was at least five or six consecutive turns. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ailey's Revelations
Photo Paul Kolnik

And finally, the consummate finale, Revelations. I sometimes tire of pieces that I’ve seen many, many times, but I never tire of this suite set to African American spirituals. And at this viewing, I found myself, once again, taken by the work’s stunning visual images. The flexed palms, cupped hands and kneeling attitude in “I Been ‘Buked,” followed by “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel’s” deep hinges and goal-posted chaîné turns. The écarté promenade during “Fix Me, Jesus” always elicits gasps (and it did on Sunday). As Revelations reaches its middle, the captivating visuals continue to stun: the boat pose in “I Wanna Be Ready” and the army crawl in “Sinner Man” – leading to Revelations’ extraordinary conclusion. During this final chapter, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham,” I always close my notebook to be completely present with the performances, the choreography and the contagious joy emanating from the stage.