About Ailey

Ailey All Access. Still, We Dance
Photo by Normand Maxon.
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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” has performed for over 25 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on 6 continents, celebrating the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition. Ailey’s permanent home is The Joan Weill Center for Dance, the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City,  the dance capital of the world.

The Ailey Organization includes: Ailey II (a second performing company of young dancers and emerging choreographers), The Ailey School (one of the world's most extensive dance training programs), Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs (which bring dance into classrooms and communities), and Ailey Extension (offering dance and fitness classes to the public). 

Featured News Releases

Ailey Extension Celebrates National Dance Day On September 18 By Reopening Studios For Public To Enjoy Weekend Hybrid And In-Studio Only Classes For First Time Since March 2020

New York, NY – September 2, 2021 – Ailey Extension will celebrate National Dance Day by welcoming New York City area dancers back to the studios to experience the vibrant energy of its “real classes for real people” in person starting Saturday, September 18. For the first time since March 2020, New Yorkers of all experience levels and backgrounds are invited to join in the dance at the Joan Weill Center for Dance – NYC’s largest building dedicated to dance – with their favorite instructors, inspiring guest artists and esteemed musicians. An updated schedule of classes allows fully vaccinated New Yorkers ages 12+ to gather in small groups on Saturdays and Sundays. Virtual class options remain available seven days a week for those 16+ who cannot join in-studio and for children ages 5-11 under the Kids & Teens Sunday Dance Series.

Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation Names Francesca Harper As Artistic Director Of The Ailey II Company

New York – September 1, 2021 – Robert Battle, Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, announced today that internationally renowned performer, choreographer, director, and multi-disciplinary artist Francesca Harper has been appointed Artistic Director of Ailey II, the Ailey organization’s acclaimed company of young dancers. Ms. Harper will assume her duties on September 7, 2021, and will immediately begin preparing for Ailey II’s return to the stage. Ailey II’s 2021-2022 season will kick off in December with participation in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s annual season at New York City Center, in which Ailey II will perform in Mr. Ailey’s classic Memoria, and will continue with the company’s own 2022 New York City season March 23-April 3 at The Ailey Citigroup Theater, as well as a U.S. tour.

Ailey All Access Returns With A Fall Series Of Free Digital Broadcasts August 25 - November 17

New York, NY – August 25, 2021 – The Ailey organization resumes Ailey All Access with a fall series of free programs from August 25 – November 17 in advance of the much-anticipated return to the New York City Center stage for live performances this December. The online initiative, which has built community and celebrated the indomitable human spirit through dance since March 2020, features presentations of performance broadcasts, Ailey Extension dance and fitness classes, and more.

Featured Press Coverage

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The Cut - Alvin Ailey Dancer Khalia Campbell Talks Faith, Skin Care, Self-Discovery

Few dance companies are more prestigious and competitive to get into than Manhattan-based Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. So, despite years of training and confidence in the skills she’d honed, Bronx native Khalia Campbell was stunned when she was asked to join in 2018. “I cried and cried,” she says. “I was totally in shock, but I was elated and I was grateful. I think that’s the best word to describe the feeling I had — grateful. One could say that it was destined to be.” “I don’t come from a musical background, but my dad was pretty musically inclined,” Campbell says of her father, who died when she was 1. “He was a DJ and he also played the drums. He used to put his headsets around my mom’s stomach when she was pregnant with me, so I just came out being able to listen to rhythm and move to it."