Alvin Ailey in Paris - dancing with attitude

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (AADT) is back in Paris, playing to packed houses in a three-week stint at the Théâtre du Châtelet.

Even those with only a passing interest in contemporary dance are likely to have heard of Alvin Ailey, and if you haven't and are lucky enough to catch one of the company's performances either here in Paris or the other European venues during its international tour, you'll be in for a treat.

It's all part of the company's 50th anniversary celebrations and coincides with the French capital's festival of dance "Les Etés de la Danse", now in its fifth year and aimed at (so the promotional material goes) bringing "quality dance performances to fans" and at the same time "allowing a wider section of the public to discover an art form all too often reserved for those 'in the know'".

Indeed what better introduction could there be for anyone to dance than the AADT? Its founder, the late Alvin Ailey is one of those choreographers acclaimed for bringing both African-American cultural expression and the tradition of American modern dance to stages around the world.

And its current artistic director, Judith Jamison, who took over the reigns when Ailey died in 1989, has very much continued along the same vein, ensuring that the 30-strong company retains its legacy of being a "cultural ambassador to the world".

But how do you possibly reduce 50 years into a couple of hours? Well the answer is you don't. It's just not possible.

Instead what Paris audiences are getting at the moment is a selection of some of the most memorable routines, either choreographed by Ailey or inspired by him, and to an extent what you see depends on which of the three different performance you've booked.

This past weekend saw the company performing programme B, and although it didn't include the roof-raising classic, "Revelations" - arguably Ailey's most recognisable work, setting dance to spiritual, gospel and blues music - there was still more than enough for those in the audience to catch a glimpse of the genius of the man, the legacy he has left us through the work of other choreographers he influenced, and proof that music in not the only "universal language".

From the force and energy of Twyla Tharp's choreography in "The Golden Section" to accompany music by David Byrne, when the dancers power their way through a series of seemingly effortless moves which to mere mortals would surely be impossible, to Hans van Manen's three-man "Solo" with its stunning agility and grace set to Bach.

Then Camille A. Brown's work "The Groove to Nobody's Business" in which the dancers add a new dimension (is it possible) from the very opening strains of Ray Charles' music and a score by Brandon McCune as "strangers meeting at a subway station"

And finally - sadly all too soon - "Love Stories", choreographed by Jamison herself along with Robert Battle and Rennie Harris with some reworked music of (Little) Stevie Wonder, touches that had the audience predictably on its feet demanding more and getting just the briefest of encores.

The whole performance (with breaks) runs just short of three hours. The dancers make the transitions in musical styles appear effortless if the expressions on their faces are anything to go by. But of course it's surely far from being that even though each sequence slips seamlessly into the next.

The AADT will be performing here in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet until July 26, then it's off to the Tivoli concert hall in the Danish capital Copenhagen from September 14-20, winding up the international tour in Athens from September 24-27.

There's really only one recommendation to make. Go see it if you get the chance.