About Ailey

Ailey All Access. Still, We Dance
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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

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Invites Viewers To Enjoy Family Programs During Ailey Forward - First-Ever Virtual Season Celebrating Six Decades Of Revelations

New York – December 4, 2020 – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater invites families around the world to gather for special family programming during Ailey Forward – the Company’s first-ever virtual holiday season. Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Ailey’s extraordinary dancers will elevate a legacy of artistic innovation and excellence while celebrating six decades of Alvin Ailey’s timeless Revelations. Nine presentations through the holidays, each available free online for a week, carry on the tradition of uplifting audiences and making dance accessible to all with engaging family-friendly programs and interactive experiences to uplift and unite across generations.

Ailey's "Revelations Reimagined" Opening Night Benefit Launches First-Ever Virtual Holiday Season, Ailey Forward Celebrating Six Decades Of Timeless American Masterpiece Revelations

New York – December 3, 2020 – Last night the premiere of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s “Revelations Reimagined” Opening Night Benefit for the groundbreaking Ailey Forward first-ever virtual holiday season began inspiring viewers around the world with incomparable performances introduced by Artistic Director Robert Battle and Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison. Special guest appearances included Sterling K. Brown, Jasmine Guy, Jillian Hervey of Lion Babe, Nigel Lythgoe, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Phylicia Rashad, Shonda Rhimes, Lynn Whitfield, Vanessa Williams, Oprah Winfrey, and Jeffrey Wright. The star-studded event honored Dove®, the No. 1 personal wash brand nationwide, for its groundbreaking commitment to real beauty and racial equality.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Opening Night Virtual Benefit, "Revelations Reimagined" Launches Season Celebration Of Revelations At 60 Wednesday, December 2 at 7:30pm ET

New York – November 25, 2020 – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s holiday virtual season Ailey Forward celebrating six decades of the beloved American masterpiece, Revelations, will launch on Wednesday, December 2 at 7:30pm ET with a “Revelations Reimagined” Opening Night Virtual Benefit. The joyous program will feature a series of pièce d'occasion performances by Ailey’s extraordinary dance artists, along with planned appearances by special celebrity guests Sterling K. Brown, Jasmine Guy, Jillian Hervey of Lion Babe, Nigel Lythgoe, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Phylicia Rashad, Shonda Rhimes, Lynn Whitfield, Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright and more. It will surely be a night to remember — one of celebration, dance, and love shared with people around the world.

Featured Press Coverage

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The New York Times - Review: A Quieter, Virtual Fall For Dance, With Starriness Intact

For 17 years, New York City Center’s annual Fall for Dance festival has relied on a winning formula. Naturally, this year is somewhat different. Still, it was the new pieces that dazzled. Jamar Roberts, the resident choreographer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, presented a solo, “Morani/Mungu (Black Warrior/Black God).” A big, beautiful dancer, Mr. Roberts has no trouble impersonating a god, powerful enough for battle yet benevolent. But the dance also reveals his rarer gifts of subtlety and singular musicality.

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The New York Times - Alvin Ailey Announces December Season

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is the latest company to move ahead with new work while performing arts spaces remain almost completely shut down in New York. The troupe's monthlong December season will include a world premiere from Jamar Roberts, Ailey's choreographer in residence, and the debut of a collaborative response to Alvin Ailey's "Revelations" by Matthew Rushing, Clifton Brown and Yusha-Marie Sorzano.