Night Creature

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey's Night Creature
Please Credit Photo: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey's Night Creature. Photo by Paul Kolnik
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A bubbly champagne cocktail of a dance, Night Creature perfectly fuses Alvin Ailey’s buoyant choreography and Duke Ellington’s sparkling music in a definitive homage to The Duke’s jazz that remains one of Mr. Ailey’s most popular works.  Ellington said “night creatures, unlike stars, do not come OUT at night­– they come ON, each thinking that, before the night is out, he or she will be the star.” The large ensemble work is full of stars - strutting, leaping, and slinking using modern dance, classical ballet, and jazz.

The ballet first premiered on the 1974 television special “Ailey Celebrates Ellington,” and two years later the buoyant ballet was included in a stage version of the program in August 1976 for a two-week New York season at Lincoln Center. Night Creature is the definitive Ailey homage to the exuberance of The Duke’s jazz – a joyful and kinetic celebration of Ellington’s music. With stunning brilliance, the ensemble undulates and rejoices in the nocturnal beat of Ellington’s jazz. 

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Featured News Releases

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Announces Programming For New York City Center Season December 2, 2026 - January 3, 2027

NEW YORK — UPDATED AUGUST 20, 2026 — Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Center’s Principal Dance Company, returns to the theater’s mainstage December 2, 2026 through January 3, 2027 for a five-week holiday engagement. Led by Daria L. and Eric J. Wallach Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack, the season promises the passionate artistry and technical brilliance that make an Ailey performance a singular experience. Audiences will be treated to premieres by contemporary choreographers Jamar Roberts, Yue Yin, and William Forsythe, alongside groundbreaking classics like Ronald K. Brown’s Grace, Judith Jamison’s Hymn, and Alvin Ailey timeless Revelations— the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Announces Inaugural Season Led By Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack Launching At New York City Center December 3, 2025 - January 4, 2026, Followed By United States Tour

NEW YORK — updated August 20, 2025 — Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Center’s Principal Dance Company and a beloved American cultural ambassador to the world, returns to the New York City Center stage from December 3, 2025 – January 4, 2026 for a five-week engagement, which has become a joyous holiday tradition! The milestone season raises the curtain on AILEY’s next era under the leadership of new Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack, the renowned dancer and educator, guided as ever by Alvin Ailey’s pioneering legacy. Audiences will be treated to classic works from the Ailey repertory that have inspired and uplifted fans for decades — including the touchstone of inspiration Revelations, the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy, which will be performed with live music for six performances on the Opening Night Gala and opening weekend.

Ailey All Access Premieres Jamar Roberts' Members Don't Get Weary On April 28 Set To The Legendary John Coltrane's Music During Jazz Appreciation Month

New York, NY – April 23, 2021 – The Ailey organization continues to honor its founder who taught the important lesson of “holding a mirror to society so that people can see how beautiful they are,” by offering Ailey All Access, a free online initiative that illuminates the human spirit and sparks change. Since March 30, the streaming series has reached millions across the globe with free performance broadcasts of full length works from the repertory, Ailey Extension dance and fitness classes, and more.

Featured Press Coverage

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The New York Times - Alvin Ailey’s Silky Creatures Of The Night

The sun sets, the moon rises and New York City is reborn. The night was a source of fascination for the choreographer Alvin Ailey. He understood its power, how bodies could soften in its shadows. It’s a time when some people “become their real selves,” he wrote in his notebooks in reference to his dance Night Creature. It’s no accident that Ailey, the subject of Edges of Ailey, a major exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, choreographed a performance to open Studio 54 in 1977.

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Ebony - 7 Iconic Alvin Ailey Dances That Should Be On Every Enthusiasts' Radar

Renowned choreographer Alvin Ailey started his namesake dance company back in 1958, and his work has remained timeless over the decades. Whether it’s the joyous celebration of Night Creature, the playful Pas de Duke, or his most revered masterpiece, Revelations, his work can be a transcendent experience that has filled the hearts and souls of audiences around the globe.