A bubbly champagne cocktail of a dance, Night Creature perfectly fuses Alvin Ailey’s buoyant choreography and Duke Ellington’s sparkling music in a definitive homage to The Duke’s jazz that remains one of Mr. Ailey’s most popular works.  Ellington said “night creatures, unlike stars, do not come OUT at night­– they come ON, each thinking that, before the night is out, he or she will be the star.” The large ensemble work is full of stars - strutting, leaping, and slinking using modern dance, classical ballet, and jazz.

The ballet first premiered on the 1974 television special “Ailey Celebrates Ellington,” and two years later the buoyant ballet was included in a stage version of the program in August 1976 for a two-week New York season at Lincoln Center. Night Creature is the definitive Ailey homage to the exuberance of The Duke’s jazz – a joyful and kinetic celebration of Ellington’s music. With stunning brilliance, the ensemble undulates and rejoices in the nocturnal beat of Ellington’s jazz.