Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was the first company to perform in Bass Concert Hall when it opened in 1981. The renowned company returns to Texas Performing Arts on its 2024 North American Tour to perform new works and Ailey’s iconic ballet Revelations.

Designated “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” by U.S. Congressional resolution, Ailey’s artists have performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents since the company’s founding in 1958. Led by Robert Battle, Ailey’s performances celebrate the human spirit through the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition.

When Alvin Ailey, a Texas native, began creating dances, he drew upon his "blood memories" of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel as inspiration, which resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work, Revelations. Although he created 79 ballets over his lifetime, Ailey maintained that his company was not exclusively a repository for his own work. Today, the company continues his mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 235 works by over 90 choreographers have been part of the Ailey company’s repertory.