Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Washington with expanded Warner Theatre run and new repertory

An 11-performance engagement in downtown Washington

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is back in Washington for an 11-performance engagement at the Warner Theatre, running from January 30 through February 8, 2026. The booking marks a shift in venue for the company’s local stop, moving to the 513 13th Street NW theater for a longer run that allows multiple distinct programs across the engagement.

The Washington dates are part of the company’s U.S. tour during the 2025–26 season, which also coincides with a leadership transition at the New York-based organization. Alicia Graf Mack began serving as the company’s artistic director on July 1, 2025, becoming the fourth person to hold the position since the troupe’s founding in 1958.

A season built around legacy works and premieres

The Washington engagement pairs repertory staples with premieres and newer productions. Across the run, programs repeatedly include “Revelations,” Alvin Ailey’s signature work that premiered in 1960 and remains the company’s most frequently performed piece.

Different evenings are built around separate lineups rather than a single set program. One program listed for February 3 includes three world premieres—Fredrick Earl Mosley’s “Embrace,” Matthew Neenan’s “Difference Between,” and Jamar Roberts’s “Song of the Anchorite”—alongside “Revelations.” Another program listed for February 1 includes Ronald K. Brown’s “Grace,” a company premiere of Medhi Walerski’s “Blink of an Eye,” Judith Jamison’s “A Case of You” as a new production, and “Revelations.”

• Engagement dates: January 30 to February 8, 2026
• Venue: Warner Theatre, 513 13th St NW, Washington, DC
• Structure: multiple programs across 11 performances

A return framed by institutional continuity and change

The repertory balance reflects the company’s long-running model: preserving cornerstone works while commissioning or introducing choreography from a range of dance-makers. In Washington, that approach is visible in programs that combine Ailey classics with newly created works and company premieres.

The 2025–26 season also arrives after the death of Judith Jamison in 2024. Jamison, a defining performer in the company and later its long-serving artistic director, is closely associated with key works in the Ailey canon and with shaping the institution’s modern identity. The current season, launching under Graf Mack’s direction, continues to place “Revelations” at the center of the touring repertory while expanding the slate of new works presented to audiences.

Programs, casting, and performance details for touring engagements can change; the Washington run is advertised as a series of distinct programs anchored by “Revelations.”

What audiences can expect at the Warner

Run times vary by program and are listed at roughly two hours including intermissions for some performances. The engagement’s scheduling—matinees and evening shows—supports the expanded run format and the presentation of different repertory across the week-plus stay in the District.