Revelations

As the curtain rises, the dancers stand center stage grouped together under a pool of light, and slowly begin moving their arms, reaching up and out to the music of "I Been 'Buked."

This next gospel song features a trio of dancers energetically dashing across the stage. Mr. Ailey noted, "I took all of the songs dealing with Black people’s sorrow and put them in this section."

Closing out the first section of Revelations is a striking duet performed to "Fix Me, Jesus."

In the opening of the second section, the dancers parade across the stage as if they were walking to the river.

This final dance in the "Take Me to the Water" section features a solo male dancer who remains in a spotlight at the center of the stage, his arms reaching up, and each movement lamenting, "I Wanna Be Ready."

Three men run across the stage emulating the words of the song "Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to?"

The women are the first to arrive, using their fans to mimic the gossip and chatter on a Sunday morning.

“The choirs, congregations, deacons, preachers, and ushers would sing Black spirituals and gospel songs. They sang and played the music with such fervor that even as a small child I could not only hear it but almost see it." - Alvin Ailey

The inspiring finale that gets audiences on their feet stomping and clapping every time is "Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham." This final section of Revelations ends on a jubilant high note and is almost always followed by an encore.