For more than 50 years, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre has been revolutionizing American and modern dance.
This series of performances honors the group's legendary artistic director Judith Jamison, who's stepping down this summer.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre has performed in 71 countries on 6 continents in shows that almost always sell out.
This year marks 5 decades of the troupe's signature Revelations, an emotion-filled modern dance masterpiece that celebrates African heritage.
Matt Wolf, VP of Programming at The Kimmel Center says, "The music is made up of many of the wonderful African spirituals that you've heard. There's an intense driving rhythm."
Alvin Ailey founded the troupe in New York in 1958. When he died in 1989, Judith Jamison took the helm. She was honored by Michelle Obama at the first White House Dance Series and was named in Time Magazine's 2009 list of the world's 100 most influential people.
"Judith Jamison is a Philadelphian. She first saw Alvin Ailey perform in Philadelphia. She's really, I think, made this into one of the premiere dance companies in the United States of America," said Wolf.
The show is a mix of newly commissioned works from emerging choreographers and powerful and poignant works that are part of the troupe's repertoire.
"Oh this is definitely a hot ticket and I think everybody has to realize that this is also the last time in Philadelphia that Judith Jamison will actually be the artistic director of Alvin Ailey," Wolf stated.
There are three shows February 26th and 27th. Go to Kimmel Center dot org for tickets.