02/28/2026
As Black History Month comes to a close, we continue to reflect on the power of Memory in shaping Black artistry. This month at New York Live Arts, our programming has featured Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s National Tour of “Still/Here” and a U.S. Premiere from Roderick George - and Memory was also central to last month’s presentation by Ogemdi Ude. For these artists, memory is both inspiration and a tool for creating work that honors the past while moving boldly forward!
As Bill T. Jones writes in “Last Night on Earth”:
“I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, and I dance so that those who come after me may stand on mine.”
Thank you for celebrating Black artistry with us this month and always. 🖤
© “Memory Piece: Mr. Ailey, Alvin… the un-Ailey?” (2024)
Conceived, Written and Performed by Bill T. Jones,
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company Home Season 2025, New York Live Arts
Video filmed and edited by Nel Shelby Productions,
made possible by Jerome Robbins Dance Division
at The New York Public Livrary for the Performing Arts
Cover photo by Maria Baranova
“Last Night on Earth” - Bill T. Jones with Peggy Gillespie, Pantheon Books (1995)
In his latest deeply personal “Memory Piece” solo, Bill T. Jones reflects on pivotal moments and influential figures throughout his groundbreaking career. A meditation on legacy, artistic evolution, and self-definition, “Mr. Ailey, Alvin…the un - Ailey?” intertwines spoken word, movement, and music to craft an intimate, multilayered homage to a dance world mentor. Jones, who has often described himself as having taken a different path than Alvin Ailey, uses this performance to examine that divergence—inviting audiences into a rare, reflective space, revealing the tensions, inspirations, and transformations that have shaped Jones as an artist and visionary. Originally created and performed by Bill T. Jones for the “Edges of Ailey” exhibit at The Whitney Museum of American Art in 2024, and named to “Best Dance Performances of 2024” by The New York Times.
