The Alvin Ailey Dancers’ Triumphant Return to City Center

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in “Winter in Lisbon.” Christopher Duggan

NEW YORK—Among the highlights of every holiday season in New York is the return of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater for the month of December to City Center. This is truly family entertainment. Even the many young children in attendance were entranced by the extraordinarily graceful dancers, inventive choreography, jazzy music, and colorful sets and costumes. The residency, from Nov. 29 through Dec. 31, included 18 works, six of which were premieres and new productions of old work.

Here is a rundown of the two performances I attended:

Dec. 22

‘Victoria’

“Victoria” is a new work by the Spanish choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, who has created works for Nederlands Dans Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and the Atlanta Ballet.