Ailey II closes Amalgamation tour with Kingston finale
Published:Monday | September 1, 2025 | 12:06 AMRollesha Laing - Assistant Lifestyle and Entertainment Editor
Pirouetting into its grand finale tonight, the Amalgamation global dance gala, presented by Plié for the Arts and featuring the internationally renowned Ailey II dance company, landed in Kingston for a two-day weekend celebration of movement, artistry, and cultural exchange. After stops in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados on its inaugural regional tour, Jamaica marked the final destination, fittingly so, as Kingston is where the Amalgamation first began years ago.
It isn’t the first time that Ailey II, or its parent company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, has been part of a Plié production, but for many of the dancers, this tour marks their first time performing outside the United States.
Speaking with The Sunday Gleaner last Thursday evening at a private welcome reception hosted by the US Embassy in Jamaica and the new Chargé d’Affaires Scott Renner, Ailey II dancer Jordyn White shared her excitement about experiencing Jamaica for the first time.
“I am very excited, this being my first time outside of the country and of course to Jamaica, so I am very grateful. I’m looking forward to performing for the Jamaican people, performing with the company and other dancers and just being inspired by them,” White said, noting that this is her second season with Ailey II.
Artistic director of Ailey II, Francesca Harper, considered an ‘Ailey baby’ for rising through the company from dancer to her current role in her fifth season, promised the weekend’s shows would be nothing short of excellence.
“What’s been important for my tenure at Ailey II is legacy shaping the future, and we really are sharing that. We’re sharing our legacy works of our luminaries like Alvin Ailey and his Revelations, which we’re so excited to perform,” Harper said, adding, “We’re also presenting Likes Versus Life, which is a world premiere and a beautiful piece by Jamaican choreographer and an incredibly brilliant woman, Renée McDonald,” Harper explained that McDonald’s trio reflects our current era, exploring how navigating modern life and technology affects the psyche.
Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, a 36-minute masterpiece, continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its awe-inspiring movements and timeless themes, journeying through the depths of grief and the heights of joy in the human spirit. It’s a piece that, even though performed many times, requires practice and passion from the dancers, ensuring to evoke similar emotions from its very first showing.
THE CONNECTION
Eric D. Wright, general manager at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, shared that it was very important for them to be a part of this production and to be here in Jamaica. Though not new to the island and its culture, Wright admitted it had been a few years since his last visit. He shared, however, that he has been able to see and connect with dancers from here.
“I used to work in music for a number of years before I worked in dance. Throughout dance, we were able to bring Plié to Ailey last year, and they did a gala in New York. This is my third year coming to the gala, and I’ve been able to meet some of the dancers and see what they’ve been doing. I know how Marissa [Benain, the founder and artistic director of Plié for the Arts] has been able to give [dancers] opportunities.”
He went on to commend the dedication of Jamaican dancers, highlighting that, “they don’t take anything for granted and they are determined to do what they have to do”.
As for Ailey II, they’re expecting to go back home in New York for a performance on September 12 and then will be going on tour throughout the southeast of the United States.
Speaking on how she feels about the final bow of the first Ailey II Amalgamation regional tour, Benain said candidly, “It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, but equally the most rewarding. This is one of the most powerful dance companies in the world. And I just know that this year is going to be fabulous. And although it is nerve-racking ... after this, I am sure Amalgamation is going to be in the Caribbean every year.’
As to how she wants the Jamaican audience to feel after experiencing it, she added, “I have a theme about Amalgamation, and it’s that there is a dance for everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are or what religion or ethnicity, it isn’t possible for you to come to the show and not enjoy one piece.”
This evening’s grand finale takes place at the Little Theatre in St Andrew, beginning at 6 p.m.