Revelations (1960), seen by more people around the world than any other dance work, is an enduring tribute to the African-American cultural heritage and to Alvin Ailey’s genius. Using African-American religious music, this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

“…the dance equivalent of dying and going to heaven…”
- The New York Times

"Every American owes it to him or herself to see the Ailey [company] perform Revelations. It is an American phenomenon. I've probably seen it countless times and every time it's magical and spiritual and hopeful – everything we want ourselves to be and hope that our country will be."
– Oprah Winfrey on Entertainment Tonight, December 4, 2008

"Revelations is one of the simplest and most perfect dances ever made. It throbs with truth and humanity, and audiences never tire of it.  One cannot deny the genius behind Ailey’s…stirring eloquence.”
- The Washington Post 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, a resident company of New York City Center, has performed in 71 countries on six continents for an estimated 21 million people worldwide, inspiring and uniting people of all backgrounds around the globe. From the first performance of Blues Suite on March 30, 1958, Alvin Ailey led a group of young African-American modern dancers in a performance that forever changed the perception of American dance. Today, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to celebrate the African-American cultural experience and to preserve and enrich the American modern dance tradition. The company is regarded as one of the world’s premier modern dance companies and has been named by Congress as America’s Cultural Ambassador to the World in recognition of its extraordinary 50-year history.