If you love all things Americana, from the gospel hymns of the Deep South, to the pomp and grandeur of their sports to the madness of the Vietnam War, the Ailey 2 Dance Theater is for you.

The youth arm of the international Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, they have been renowned since they began in 1974 as the world’s best young dance talent with the passion taught by today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers, with many going onto star in Broadway shows. Currently, 77% of the 30 dancers in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater honed their craft in Ailey 2.

But before they do that, the current class are coming to Bournemouth Pavilion in March as part of their world tour, including Britain for the first time. Artistic Director Sylvia Waters said, “This is a groundbreaking year for Ailey 2. The company has earned a place on the world stage, and we look forward to sharing our unique spirit, dance artistry, and choreographic works with audiences from Belfast, UK to Columbus, Ohio!”

Dances will include the much-loved Alvin Ailey classic Revelations, featuring traditional spiritual songs, gospel songs and Delta blues, which is now part of the English dance curriculum.

Others include Troy Powell’s The External Knot, the story of a young man who seeks set himself apart from the crowd, with music by Philip Glass and Robert Schumann.

Also Robert Battle’s The Hunt, which examines the primal relationship between modern sports and the rituals of the gladiators and Jessica Lang’s Splendid Isolation II, The Calling, which was created in 2006 for Ailey 2. It is set to music by Trio Mediaeval, and focuses on a woman trapped centre-stage in the folds of an elegant white dress.

Reviews for the show have been amazing and it has been a coup getting such a globally recognised dance company to come to the Pavilion as part of its Pavilion Dance initiative.

Ailey 2 will be at the Bournemouth Pavilion on Friday 4 – Saturday 5 March. Doors open 8pm. Tickets from £12.50.