2019 Commemoration, American Evolution™ Partners With Virginia Arts Festival To Host 2018 Performances By Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater And Other Prominent Artists

JAMESTOWN, Va., March 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Virginia's 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution™, is continuing its multi-year partnership with the Virginia Arts Festival for the organization's 2018 performance season. American Evolution sponsored performances explore the influences of English, Native American and African cultures on modern society. Numerous world-renowned artists will travel to Virginia to share, through the performing arts, their perspectives on American Evolution's themes of democracy, diversity and opportunity.

This season's American Evolution-themed performances include the Alvin Ailey^® American Dance Theater on March 2-4 at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, Virginia. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle leads Ailey's 32 extraordinary dancers as they continue the Company's legacy of using the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition to uplift, unite and enlighten.

Additional American Evolution™ themed performances in 2018 include:

• Tu Dance, March 12-16, 2018, In-School Performances, Masterclasses, Workshops Hampton Roads
• Fisk Jubilee Singers, March 18, 2018, Attucks Theatre, Norfolk
• Birmingham Royal Ballet's Romeo and Juliet with Virginia Symphony Orchestra, April 20-22, 2018, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
• Virginia International Tattoo's Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Honoring, Remembering and Celebrating Medal of Honor Recipients, April 26-29, 2018, Scope Arena, Norfolk
• Ajoyo, May 9, 2018, Robin Hixon Theater, Clay and Jay Barr Education Center, Norfolk

"We are excited to continue our partnership with Virginia Arts Festival for their 2018 season. Through artistic performances we are collaborating and exploring the history of the three cultures that converged in 1619 Virginia," said Kathy Spangler, Executive Director of the 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution. "We hope these inspiring performances will help audiences to find a personal connection to the formative 1619 Virginia events that indelibly influenced and continue to shape today's America."

American Evolution has also commissioned Virginia Arts Festival to deliver a collaborative original work of art, which is currently in development. The piece, which will highlight the confluence of the three cultures in 1619 Virginia, will debut in 2019.

American Evolution commemorates the 400^th anniversary of several pivotal events that took place in 1619 Virginia, which have had an enduring impact on Virginia and America's history. These important events set Virginia and America on a course towards the ideals of democracy, diversity and opportunity. In addition to the arrival of the first recorded Africans to English North America, these 1619 events include the First Representative Legislative Assembly in the New World, the recruitment of English women in significant numbers to the Virginia colony, the first official English Thanksgiving in North America and the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of the Virginia colony. 

About the 2019 Commemoration
The 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution, highlights events that occurred in Virginia in 1619 that continue to influence America today. Featured programs, events and legacy projects will position Virginia as a leader in education, tourism and economic development. American Evolution commemorates the ongoing journey toward the key ideals of democracy, diversity and opportunity. Dominion Resources is an American Evolution Founding Partner and Altria Group is a Virginia Colony Partner.

SOURCE American Evolution