The Divinity School Office of Black Church Studies will host a symposium March 4-5 featuring Ailey II, the young company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, to celebrate and explore the intersection of African American theology and the arts. The purpose of the symposium is to highlight the cultural significance of African American art forms for the Black Church and the black theological imagination.

The symposium will feature an evening of dance that includes a performance of Ailey II’s Revelations, which explores the sorrow and the jubilation of African American cultural heritage through dances set to spirituals, gospel songs and holy blues; as well as a master dance class taught by Troy Powell, artistic director of Ailey II, and Ailey dancers; a keynote lecture and panel discussions led by African American theologians and religious scholars; as well as experiential workshops led by Black Church pastors and practitioners.

The symposium is part of a partnership with Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts, the Duke University Department of African & African American Studies, Duke Dance, and Duke Performances.

Advance registration is required.