Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Tuesday through Thursday, April 7–9, 2026, 7:30pm
Friday, April 10, 2026, 8pm
Saturday, April 11, 2026, 2pm and 8pm
Sunday, April 12, 2026, 3pm
Zellerbach Hall
Bank of America is Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2026 Global Tour Sponsor.
Major funding of AILEY is provided by AARP, Anonymous, Bloomberg Philanthropies, BNY Mellon, Booth Ferris Foundation, Ford Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Mellon Foundation, New York City Center, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Prudential Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and Thompson Family Foundation.
The April 7th performance is made possible in part by Janice and Nicholas E. Brathwaite.
Cal Performances is committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for all one that honors our venues as places of respite, openness, and respect. Please see the Community Agreements section on our Policies page for more information.
About the Company
Founded by Alvin Ailey on March 30, 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the most acclaimed dance companies in the world. With a repertory that boasts close to 300 works by more than 100 choreographers, it has performed “in more than 70 countries on six continents and has been designated a “vital American Cultural Ambassador to the world” by a US Congressional resolution. Forged during a pivotal moment during the Civil Rights Movement, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. Ailey invited dancers of all backgrounds to be a part of his vision while reimagining his company as a “library of dance,” a home for a wide range of choreographers’ works that might otherwise be lost. Before his untimely death in 1989, Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and for 21 years she brought the company to unprecedented success before appointing Robert Battle to steward the company from 2011–23. In 2025, Alicia Graf Mack became the organization’s fourth artistic director. A former Ailey dancer under both Jamison and Battle and a former dean and director of the Dance Division at the Juilliard School, Graf Mack brings her passion for dance and dance education to the continuation of the AILEY tradition. Today, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to bring joy to audiences around the globe, while expanding its repertory with works by new choreographers and upholding Ailey’s legacy for future generations.
After a truly remarkable six months that began last September and have seen nonstop presentations of the finest in music, dance, and theater at UC Berkeley, Cal Performances’ 2025–26 season moves into the home stretch in the coming weeks, and our final presentations offer an array of music and dance programs sure to appeal to a wide variety of interests.
Our dance series concludes in grand style, with two weeks of the very best in contemporary dance. The beloved Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns for its annual Zellerbach Hall (ZH) residency (Apr 7–12), its first Berkeley performances under new artistic director Alicia Graf Mack. With brand-new commissions from next-generation creators and beloved works by Ailey himself, this revered institution continues to embody the values and vision of its founder through performances of exceptional power, beauty, and grace. And just one week later, The Joffrey Ballet—another powerhouse American dance ensemble—arrives with Midsummer Night’s Dream, choreographer Alexander Ekman’s surreal and daring work set during Midsommar, the traditional Scandinavian summer solstice festival (Apr 17–19, ZH). You would have to search far and wide to find two weeks packed with a more impressive dance lineup than what you’ll see on the Zellerbach stage this month.
In classical and early music, we’ll enjoy the return of superstar director and viol player Jordi Savall and his acclaimed Hespèrion XXI, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, and special guests (Apr 21, ZH); sublime French pianist Alexandre Kantorow, making his Bay Area recital debut in a fascinating program of thoughtfully curated keyboard music (Apr 23, ZH); the ever-popular The Tallis Scholars with their brilliant Mysteries and Miracles program (Apr 24, First Church, Berkeley); and a pair of special concerts featuring three celebrated performers—Cal Performances’ 2026–27 Artist in Residence, pianist Víkingur Ólafsson (Apr 29, ZH), and soprano Renée Fleming with pianist Inon Barnatan in a very special duo recital (May 3, ZH).
The curtain falls on the 2025–26 season with Lara Downes and Friends performing This Land: Reflections on America (May 9, ZH). In the stirring and eclectic presentation, Downes—a celebrated pianist, NPR host, and California native—joins an all-star cast including folk legend Judy Collins, Grammy-winning singer and poet Tarriona “Tank” Ball (of Tank and the Bangas fame), the Invoke Quartet, and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir for an inspiring selection of music spanning more than a century and reflecting on our capacity for empathy and community as we approach our nation’s 250th birthday.
Finally, I hope you’ll join us in late April, when we announce our thrilling 2026–27 season (if you’re reading this after that announcement, make sure to check out all the late-breaking details on our website). One major detail has already been made public—the Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency, when Cal Performances and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County will welcome the return of the world renowned Vienna Philharmonic and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, this time accompanied by guest soloists Elīna Garanča, Christiane Karg, and Yuja Wang, during spring 2027. And I can promise you many more welcome and exciting surprises when full season details are announced.
I close by offering my heartfelt thanks to you, our audience. Your ongoing support and
enthusiasm truly fuel all of our many activities. Without you, a season like the one now drawing to a close would simply not be possible. All of us here at Cal Performances wish you a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you again in September.
Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances