Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts (DITA) welcomes Matthew Rushing, Alvin Ailey associate artistic director, as an “artist-in-context” at Duke Divinity School. The grant-funded program encompasses several on-campus residencies to pursue research on the negro spiritual, liturgy, and the social practices of art; offer community dance workshops; and produce a new iteration of Sacred Songs, his 2024 ballet for Alvin Ailey, titled Sacred Songs; Decoding the Spirituals, which will premiere at Duke in April 2026. 

Rushing to Pursue Research, Hold Workshops, and Premiere Ballet

Learn more about the residency and the artist's background and inspiration.
February 4, 2026
DITA Welcomes Matthew Rushing to Duke Divinity School
Rushing will serve as an artist-in-context at Duke Divinity School, studying the negro spiritual with faculty and developing a new iteration of his 2024 Ailey ballet "Sacred Songs" for debut at Duke in April 2026.

Artist in Context: Matthew Rushing & Duke Divinity School

“As a Christian, I’m deeply interested in learning how the faith that exists in the spirituals can be communicated through dance, and I can’t imagine a better place to do that then at Duke Divinity School."

Matthew Rushing, Associate Artistic Director, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater
Man dancing in all white

Sacred Songs

In Sacred Songs, Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing resurrected and reimagined a collection of spirituals omitted from the original 1960 version of Alvin Ailey's masterwork Revelations.

Learn More about the ballet

Community Dance Workshops