The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs in Zurich from September 23 to 27, 2026. This marks their first performance in Zurich in eight years. Get your tickets!

A chance to witness one of the most acclaimed dance companies in the world

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the most acclaimed dance companies in the world, returns to Zurich for the first time in almost a decade! See the extraordinary dancers at Theater 11 in Zurich in electrifying new works and cherished audience favourites for seven performances only. Get your tickets and don't miss out!

Established during the civil rights movement in the US, the dance company has been hailed as a "vital American cultural ambassador to the world". Experience the first season led by Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack, in collaboration with Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, as they continue Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's legacy of bringing audiences in exhilarating new directions with the magic of dance. The season includes the unmissable masterpiece Revelations, the quintessential anthem to resilience and joy, to inspire both fans and first-timers. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Zurich programme

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater boasts more than 300 works by over 100 choreographers and has performed on six continents. Below is an overview of the works on the programme that will be performed in Zurich in September:

• Revelations
• A Song For You
• Night Creature (excerpt)
• Cry (excerpt)
• Song of the Anchorite
• The Blink of an Eye
• Many Angels
• A Case for You
• Grace

There are two distinct programmes, made up of works listed above: the Ailey Legacy (programme A) and New Works (programme B)

Here's a schedule of which programme takes place at each performance:

• September 23 at 7.30pm - programme A
• September 24 at 7.30pm - programme B
• September 25 at 7.30pm - programme A
• September 26 at 2pm - programme A
• September 26 at 7.30pm - programme B
• September 27 at 1pm - programme B
• September 27 at 6pm - programme A

About the founder, Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey was born in Texas at the height of the Great Depression. As a Black child growing up in the violent atmosphere of racial segregation, Ailey began to see dance performances as a form of escapism.

He avidly watched dancers in his local church, and later, when he moved to Los Angeles as a teenager, his world expanded, and he attended theatre shows, took gymnastics lessons and joined theatre groups. In 1949, Ailey finally discovered modern dance and studied a wide range of dance forms, including classical ballet. He met Maya Angelou, and together they created a nightclub act called Al and Rita. 

Ailey moved to New York in the 1950s, where he founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958, with the vision of promoting Black culture through dance. A decade later, he founded a dance centre in New York to provide access to the arts for people from deprived communities, now known as the Ailey School. The dance company continues to uphold Ailey’s legacy for future generations.

Get tickets to one of the most iconic dance companies in the world

Get your tickets to see one of the seven shows by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Zurich. Don’t miss the chance to witness one of the world’s most celebrated dance companies, live in Zurich!