Returning to Colorado Springs for the first time since 1998, the Ailey II Dance Company will continue late choreographer Alvin Ailey’s modern dance legacy during a Tuesday performance at the Ent Center for the Arts.

“We presented the company in ’94, ’96 and ’98,” said Beth Carlson, president of the Colorado Springs Dance Theatre’s board. “The community was thrilled and loved their performance, so it’s a wonderful opportunity to have them back and to work with UCCS Presents.”

Ailey II – an ethnically diverse troupe of 12 energetic young dancers – is “second to none,” Dance Magazine reports.

The dancers will perform “Revelations,” Ailey’s choreographed masterpiece, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Ent Center’s Shockley-Zalabak Theater.

“The company embodies Alvin Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community,” says a statement from the Colorado Springs Dance Theatre, one of the co-presenters with UCCS Presents.

Ailey, an African-American activist and choreographer who died in 1989, “created his own style, modern dance paired with African-American culture,” Carlson said.

At age 27 in 1958, he founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City.

By 1960, “Revelations” had brought the company international acclaim.

“It’s remarkable to see the excitement about having this kind of programming available. The culture represented by this style of dance is one of our great national treasures,” said Aisha Ahmad-Post, programming director for the UCCS Ent Center for the Arts.

Ailey II is directed by Troy Powell, who began with the company as artistic director in 2012.

This year’s dancers all are in their first or second season with the company. Although formally trained in contemporary ballet, they use bold, striking techniques to stage a unique show.

“The Ailey company is highly technically trained,” said Carlson. “You’ll see that in this performance.”

This year’s international tour started in France, then moved to Spain and Utah before coming to Colorado.

“I have a hard time describing it,” said Ahmad-Post.

“I’d say it’s the signature piece of one of the most signature dance companies around,” she said. “We hope it elevates the conversation and brings national interest to Colorado Springs.”

Dancer Jessica Amber Pinkett will perform with Ailey II during a Tuesday performance at Ent Center for the Arts. Photo credit: Kyle Froman

Dancer Jessica Amber Pinkett will perform with Ailey II during a Tuesday performance at Ent Center for the Arts. Photo credit: Kyle Froman