Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Jacquelin Harris in Ronald K. Brown’s Grace, Photo by Danica Paulos
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is set to bring its electrifying performances to Detroit, where dancer Jacquelin Harris, a North Carolina native with deep family roots in the city, prepares to take the stage in her home away from home. As part of the company’s 2025 coast-to-coast U.S. tour, Harris will perform in Detroit from March 14-16, during a season honoring the life and legacy of the late Judith Jamison.
“My paternal grandmother and most of her children are there outside of my father. So my aunts and uncles and their children, my cousins, live up there too,” Harris explained.
“I used to visit a lot, so all of their friends and family are also my family as well, their church home, and everybody on my father’s side, and then three of my mother’s sisters live up there as well, and their children and their children’s children.”
This homecoming performance holds special meaning for Harris, who underwent rigorous training in the BFA program before joining the Alvin Ailey company. She describes her early dance experience as more recreational, but the intense classical training at the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance school opened her eyes to dance’s rich history and legacy, particularly black dance and its cultural significance.
“I really found all of that value in immersing myself in the legacy of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater,” Harris said.
“To be African American artists on the main stage, sharing our culture with the world and allowing people to see our humanity, I think that it changes the world for a better place. It gives us all community, gives us hope, it encourages us to rely on humanity, to rely on each other.”
One of Harris’ favorite pieces to perform is “Cry,” created in 1971 by Alvin Ailey on his muse, Judith Jamison, as a birthday gift to his mother, dedicated to “all Black women everywhere especially our mothers.” She finds the work especially meaningful this year, as it honors the strength, vulnerability, empathy, and resilience of black women, including Jamison.
“To remember Ms. Jamison and to remember the lessons that she would pass down through this work, and be able to honor her in that way is something that’s really special, especially this year in 2025 just after her passing,” Harris shared.
Alvin Ailey’s iconic Revelations, a timeless masterpiece that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1960, returns to Detroit with its soul-stirring choreography and powerful storytelling. Inspired by Ailey’s childhood memories of church services in Texas, the performance weaves themes of resilience, hope, and transcendence, honoring the African American experience. As the stage fills with movement, the life and legacy of Alvin Ailey himself take center stage in Portrait of Ailey, an eight-part documentary series now streaming for free on PBS LearningMedia. This series offers a sweeping look at the visionary artist’s impact on dance, culture, and society through rare archival footage and intimate narratives.
The highly anticipated performance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Detroit promises to be a defining moment of their U.S. tour. This event holds special significance for Harris, who has deep family ties to the city, infusing the performance with personal meaning. Audiences can expect a transformative evening that honors Black dance’s powerful legacy while celebrating the human spirit’s unyielding resilience.
Looking ahead, Harris hopes to continue exploring storytelling through dance, collaborating with choreographers of color who bring their unique perspectives and experiences to their work. She believes the upcoming Detroit performance will allow the audience to see the souls of the dancers and leave with a sense of hope and understanding that they face challenges together as a community.
“I hope that they see the power of art in the community they take advantage of some of the outreach projects and workshops that are going on in the Detroit area leading up to our performance,” Harris said.
For information and tickets for the Alvin Aliey Show on March 14th, 15th, and 16th, visit detroitopera.org.
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