About Ailey

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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 23 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 Transports Ailey Extension Workshops And Ailey II Performance From New York City For Destination Dance Ailey Atlanta

(New York) October 10, 2019 – Now entering its third consecutive year, Destination Dance Ailey Atlanta presents a weekend of workshops at AREA with prominent instructors from Ailey Extension on Saturday, October 12, 2019 and Sunday, October 13, 2019; followed by a spirited performance from Ailey II on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University. Destination Dance Ailey Atlanta is a series of partnerships between the Ailey organization and Atlanta-based cultural, civic, and educational organizations which make Ailey’s New York City experience accessible to the Atlanta community.

Ailey Extension Offers Special Opportunities This Fall To Train With Celebrated Dancers And Take The Stage At The Ailey Citigroup Theater

(New York) October 7, 2019 – This October Ailey Extension offers a wealth of opportunities for dancers of all ages to learn moves from internationally-acclaimed dance icons and veterans of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Pose on FX’s Dashaun Wesley, will teach every element of vogue in a workshop focused on the culturally rich and highly stylized history and fundamentals of this alluring technique. Veteran Ailey dancer Vernard Gilmore will lead multiple Rommett Floor Barre® workshops allowing dancers to correct alignment and understand their energy. New and seasoned dancers alike will have the exciting chance to dance in a Contemporary workshop taught by Ailey’s Jamar Roberts, before he makes his premiere as Ailey’s first-ever resident choreographer. Students can take part in an exciting new collaboration project between famed Afro Latin Artist/Choreographer Sekou Miller and Senegalese Experimental Sabar Innovator Babacar Top during a lively Afro Fusions Masterclass combining African modern dance with traditional and social dances from West Africa, the Caribbean and the US. Dancers of all experience levels can learn the basics of vogue from Cesar Valentino - an icon of New York City’s famed Ballroom Vogue scene - and put their moves to the test on the runway during a Halloween- themed Vogue Workshop/Mini Ball. Ailey Extension also invites the public to join In Conversation with Masazumi Chaya, moderated by former Ailey Company member Renee Robinson, to reflect on Chaya’s history-making five-decade journey with the Ailey organization prior to his final season as Associate Artistic Director at New York City Center from December 4, 2019 – January 5, 2020.

Ailey II - The Next Generation Of Dance - Embarks On 2019-2020 World Tour With Performances In More Than 30 Cities

(New York) – September 13, 2019 – Over the next six months Ailey II is traveling around the globe inspiring audiences in more than 30 cities. The tour will take the acclaimed 12-member ensemble of rising stars across the U.S. from Towson, MD to Atlanta, GA to St. Louis, MO. Ailey II will also reach international audiences in Germany, France, and Italy before returning home for its annual New York season, taking place March 25 – April 5, 2020 at Ailey Citigroup Theater. Ailey II, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s junior company that serves as a bridge between The Ailey School and the professional dance world, is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most promising emerging choreographers.

Featured Press Coverage

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Pix 11 - Renowned Ailey School Still A Force In Dance World Half A Century Later

For 50 years, the Ailey School on the west side of Manhattan has provided world class training to dancers of all ages and backgrounds from New York City and around the globe. From Madonna to Jasmine Guy, alumni have gone on to be trailblazers in the industry. Launched by Alvin Ailey in 1969, the school started out with just 125 students and aimed to provide access to arts and dance to under-resourced communities. Ailey’s message of inclusivity is one that resonates to this day with the school’s co-directors, Tracy Inman and Melanie Person.

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WWD - Keeping Up With Choreographer Camille A. Brown

Camille A. Brown has had a marquee year. The choreographer and dancer earned her first Tony nomination for best choreography for “Choir Boy,” making her the first black woman to be nominated for the category in over two decades (Marlies Yearby was nominated for “Rent” in 1996). And this fall, she has two major revivals on the horizon: the Met Opera’s season-opening “Porgy and Bess,” which marks Brown’s debut at the major arts institution, and Ntozake Shange’s influential “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf” at the Public Theater. She’s also choreographing a piece for Alvin Ailey’s upcoming season at City Center and working with director George C. Wolfe on the film adaptation of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” There are two tours on the horizon, too: for “Once on This Island” and her namesake company, Camille A. Brown and Dancers, for which she continues to dance.

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Dance Spirit - Letter To My First-Year Self: Meagan King

After all the work that goes into applying to college BFA programs, it can seem like getting that long-awaited acceptance letter is the be-all and end-all. But talk to most seniors, and they'll tell you that acceptance is just the beginning of a whirlwind experience. We asked five senior dance majors from some of the nation's top programs to look back on their college journeys and offer advice to their freshman selves. From The Ailey/Fordham BFA program, we spoke to Meagan King.