Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Jamar Roberts, one of the most riveting of dancers anywhere, is making a new piece for the season that is now in full swing at New York City Center.

Roberts' own movement quality is sinuous and sculptural. In our Dec. 2013 cover story, artistic director Robert Battle called him a "gentle giant." His new piece, Members Don't Get Weary, to music by John Coltrane, is inspired by the blues. In this footage, you'll see that Roberts takes his dancers through a range of moods from exuberance to sorrow, infused with his inimitable (sometimes extreme) movement style.

Members Don't Get Weary premieres Dec. 8, and the AAADT season, which includes over 20 works, runs through Dec. 31.