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

Masazumi Chaya, Associate Artistic Director And Beloved Mainstay Of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, To Retire At The End Of Upcoming New York City Center Season

NEW YORK, NY, July 9, 2019 – Robert Battle, Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, announced today that the Company’s beloved mainstay for nearly five decades, Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, intends to retire on January 5, 2020, following the conclusion of the Company’s New York City Center season. Having joined the Company in 1972 as a dancer, Mr. Chaya performed under Mr. Ailey’s direction for 15 years, subsequently assumed responsibility for rehearsing the Company—a role for which Mr. Ailey had cultivated him—and for more than 28 years, as Associate Artistic Director, has maintained the repertoire, handled innumerable creative decisions, and guided generations of the Company’s dancers.

AileyCamp - Nationally Acclaimed Free Summer Program - Transforms Inner-CIty Youth Through Dance, Stretching Their Minds, Bodies and Spirits

New York, NY – July 1, 2019 – This summer, AileyCamp will provide 1,000 inner-city students in 10 cities nationwide a safe space to be themselves and explore their creativity during a six-week life-changing program. Founded by Alvin Ailey and Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey in 1989, this innovative full-scholarship day camp uses dance as a vehicle for developing self-esteem, self-discipline, creative expression, and critical-thinking skills. Driven by Alvin Ailey’s mission to bring dance to everybody, AileyCamp continues Ailey’s legacy inspiring students in Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Berkeley/Oakland, CA; Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; Kansas City, KS; Miami, FL; Newark, NJ; New York, NY; and Seattle, WA.

Ailey Extension Heats Up The Dance Floor All Summer Long With Summer Workshops And Classes For Kids, Teens, Adults, And Dance Teachers

(New York) June 27, 2019 – Shimmy into summer at Ailey with a variety of exciting workshops, classes and more for movers of all ages and experience levels. As temperatures rise, Ailey Extension opens its doors for novice and professional students alike to refine their technique, learn from the city’s top instructors, connect with others in the NYC dance community, and have an unforgettable experience with the Ailey legacy all summer long at the Joan Weill Center for Dance – home of the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School.

Featured Press Coverage

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The New York Times - Associate Director To Step Down At Ailey

Masazumi Chaya, the associate artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 1991, will retire on Jan. 5 after the company's annual City Center season. But he'll still be involved with the organization: After he steps down, Chaya, 72, will be in charge of a licensing project that will assist in the restaging of Ailey's works. Matthew Rushing, a veteran dancer and the company's rehearsal director, will take over as associate artistic director, while Ronni Favors, a former Ailey member, will become the company's rehearsal director. Clifton Brown, a current dancer, will join Linda Celeste Sims as an assistant to the rehearsal director.

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ELLE - Dancer Samantha Figgins Finds Balance

Dance is all about balance: long lines, landing exaggerated pirouettes, and maintaining perfect form from head to toe. Often, that sense of balance—of remaining strong and steady through every turn—starts in the ear. Samantha Figgins knows this all too well. A life-saving surgery during infancy left her with unilateral hearing loss, or deafness in one ear (her right). In our latest episode of The Movement, Figgins reveals the life-changing decision that allowed her to hear — and perform — fully, for the very first time.

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Fox 5 New York - Voguing For Pride

In celebration of Pride Month, Ailey Extension’s Vogue instructor Cesar Valentino hosted a special Vogue Workshop and Mini Ball. Voguing is a style of modern dance that has become popular once more thanks to the hit FX TV series "Pose."