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A black and white photo of three male dancers in matching costumes performing with their arms raised. A female dancer stands on a chair in the background, wearing a dress and headscarf. The background is dark.

Repertory

Feast of Ashes

COMPANIES

CHOREOGRAPHER

COMPANY PREMIERE

New York City Center, 1974

WORLD PREMIERE

The Joffrey Ballet, 1962

MUSIC

Carlos Surinach

DÉCOR

Irving Milton Duke

COSTUMES

Jac Venza

LIGHTING

Thomas Skelton

RUN TIME

29 Minutes

Alvin Ailey originally choreographed Feast of Ashes for the Joffrey Ballet in 1962 and set it on his own company 12 years later. The dramatic work was inspired by Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba. The work is a dance-drama in which dramatic gesture and mime express the passion and pathos of a houseful of women, driven by romantic desire and repressed by familial duty. The evocative music with Latin overtones is by Carlos Surinach. 

A black and white photograph of a dance performance featuring Tina Yuan and Ulysses Dove in a piece titled "Feast of Ashes." Tina Yuan is sitting on the floor, cradling the head of Ulysses Dove, who is lying down with his face turned away. Her expression is intense and emotional. The background is dark, highlighting the dancers.

Tina Yuan in Ulysses Dove's in Feast of Ashes Photo by Alon Reininger

Black and white photo of Sara Yarborough and Clive Thompson performing in Feast of Ashes. Clive, in a ruffled shirt and dark pants, supports Sara, who is in a flowing dress, as she balances on one leg with her other leg and arms extended gracefully. A small ladder is visible on the stage.

Sara Yarborough and Clive Thompson in Alvin Ailey's Feast of Ashes Photo by Johan Elbers

A black and white photo of three male dancers in matching costumes performing with their arms raised. A female dancer stands on a chair in the background, wearing a dress and headscarf. The background is dark.

Charles Adams, Masazumi Chaya, Michihiko Oka, and Jodi Moccia in Alvin Ailey's Feast of Ashes Photo by Johan Elbers