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Six male dancers, shirtless and wearing long black skirts with red linings, leap into the air in unison. Their expressions are intense, and their arms are extended in dramatic poses. The background is black, highlighting their movements.

Repertory

The Hunt

COMPANIES

CHOREOGRAPHER

RUN TIME

13 Minutes

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER PREMIERE

New York City Center, 2010

AILEY II PREMIERE

2002

ASSISTANT TO CHOREOGRAPHER

Erika Pujikic

WORLD PREMIERE

Joyce Theater, 2001

RESTAGED BY

Elisa Clark

MUSIC

Les Tambours du Bronx

COSTUMES

Mia McSwain

LIGHTING

Burke Wilmore

The thrill of the chase has never been more intense than in former Artistic Director Robert Battle’s dance for six men.

The Hunt is a primal ritual with a distinctly urban feel fueled by a thundering percussion soundtrack by Les Tambours du Bronx. Perhaps Battle’s most popular work, it explores the relationship between modern sports and the rites of the gladiators.

Battle found inspiration for the work in his background in martial arts, replicating the intensity and combative stances. Costumed in long black skirts with under layers of red, six men throw themselves into the movement, reveling in the thrill of the hunt. It’s a work that challenges the physical limits and the emotional stamina of even the famously indomitable Ailey men. "At times Robert [Battle] gave us images of being in a rave club, letting loose and going wild and not caring about technique or form—just throwing out energy,” explained Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing. “A lot of times it feels like you’re in a fight, or you're fighting to get through."

Echoing the praise voiced by critics and audiences around the world, The Seattle Times raved that "to see it unfold is to drift between a visceral attraction to the pounding, progressing movements and the awareness of a choreographic vision so inventive it becomes like a seventh onstage presence." 

Six male dancers on stage, wearing black skirts with red linings, standing close together with their arms reaching upwards and fingers spread wide. The background is dark with dramatic lighting highlighting their movements.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle's The Hunt Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

Six male dancers on stage, wearing black skirts with red linings, standing with their heads tilted back and mouths open, hands positioned near their waists. The background is dark with subtle lighting.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle's The Hunt Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

Six male dancers in mid-air on stage, wearing black skirts with red linings, performing a synchronized jump with one arm extended and the other bent near their faces. The background is completely dark.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle's The Hunt Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

Six male dancers on stage, wearing black skirts with red linings, performing a synchronized move with their arms stretched backwards and their bodies leaning forward. The background is dark with a deep red gradient light.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle's The Hunt Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

Four male dancers on stage, three standing and one lying on the floor. The standing dancers, wearing black skirts, are reaching towards the floor dancer, who is holding their hands. The background is dark with a red gradient light.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle's The Hunt Photo by Gert Krautbauer

Five male dancers standing in a circle on stage, wearing black skirts with red linings, and raising their arms to touch hands above their heads, illuminated by focused stage lighting against a dark background.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle's The Hunt Photo by Gert Krautbauer

Six male dancers performing a synchronized jump on stage, wearing black skirts with red linings, and illuminated by dramatic lighting against a dark background.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle's The Hunt Photo by Christopher Duggan

Robert Battle's The Hunt

Ailey II in The Hunt

Music Credits

"Jungle Jazz" by L. Blomme; "Les Boulets Se Rebiffent" by A. Dipace, J.Y. Lefloch, Y. Nisgand, B. Pingon, and J.M. Tramoy; and "Black Bull" by L. Le Mapihan performed by Les Tambours du Bronx. Music from the recording Silence (1999). Used with permission by Right Bank Music, Inc. 

Funders

Generous support for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater production of The Hunt was provided by The Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer New Works Endowment Fund, Linda Stocknoff, and Ricki N. Lander & Robert K. Kraft.