Oct. 25 - Ailey II Returns to the MAC with Rena Butler's "In Session" as part of 39-city tour

Ailey II, the acclaimed second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, returns to the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. This engagement is part of the company’s 39-city world tour running Sept. 26, 2025 - April 11, 2026, with performances spanning from Kingston, Jamaica to Miami to Baltimore. The tour repertory features four new works by emerging and established choreographers including former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II member MonteiroMcDonald and My’Kal Stromil, plus selections from the Ailey II established repertoire. Chicago’s Carley Cruzat Brooks is among the company members who will be performing.

The specific program for the MAC engagement is scheduled to include the following:

• "Berry Dreamin'" (2025). Former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II member Chalvar Monteiro’s work for six dancers centers on the music, personality and soul-stirring lyricism of Chuck Berry, the father of rock 'n' roll. The creation of “Berry Dreamin'” was commissioned by Dance St. Louis in celebration of Chuck Berry’s centennial.

• A solo from Judith Jamison’s "Divining" (1984) restaged by Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish.
“Divining” was Jemison’s first choreographic work for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
African polyrhythms lend the work an air of mystery and mysticism, while the title suggests a search or quest. The piece is set to the music of Kimati Dinizulu and Monti Ellison and builds on a variety of dance idioms from throughout Africa to create a pulsating, strikingly modern work.

• "Like vs Life" (2025). Social media can contribute to anxiety, depression, comparison, pressure to be perfect, external validation, loneliness, bullying, and finding joy in the downfall of others. In Renée I. McDonald’s work, three dancers wrestle with these powerful forces, the need to connect and the desire to escape.

• "In Session" (2025). Native Chicagoan Rena Butler’s full company work is a collective portrait of coming of age, where the tension between conformity and rebellion shapes the action of maturation. It explores how individuals navigate the process of finding themselves while moving within—and against—the collective, challenging the notion that growth requires uniformity and asserting instead that no student needs to be the same. Through layered physicality and communal rhythm, “In Session” reveals the nuanced journey of self-discovery within a community.

In this tour, Ailey II showcases four new dancers: Kamani Abu, Jada Ammons, Christian Butts, and Adanna Smalls; and eight returning members: Chicago’s Carley Cruzat Brooks, plus Meredith Brown, Jennifer M. Gerken, Xavier Logan, Xhosa Scott, Darion Tuner, Eric J. Vidaña, and Jordyn White.

Founded in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, Ailey II has advanced Alvin Ailey’s vision by giving early-career dancers the vital experience of transitioning from training as a student to becoming a professional dancer. Ailey II dancers bring their technical mastery and emotional depth to works by the most daring established and emerging choreographers. Just as Mr. Ailey envisioned, the company continues to expand the audience for dance through global touring and community-based performances.

The McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd., presents Ailey II at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. Tickets are $58-$62. Tickets are available online at AtTheMAC.org, by phone 630.942.4000 or by visiting the MAC Box Office. Box Office hours are noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and two hours prior to performance.