About Ailey

Ailey Moves NYC!
Please Credit Photo: Ailey Moves NYC! Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Jeroboam Bozeman. Photo by Andrew Eccles
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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

The Ailey Spirit Gala Celebrates The Art And Soul Of Dance On May 24 At Jazz At Lincoln Center For First Time Ever

NEW YORK, NY, May 10, 2023 — For the first time, the Ailey organization’s annual Ailey Spirit Gala will be held in the home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. The special event celebrates the art and soul of dance with a unique performance featuring a piece d’occasion entitled Chasing the Spirit created by choreographer and former Ailey Company member Hope Boykin, as well as an excerpt of Alvin Ailey’s uplifting Revelations, followed by a festive soirée.

Noggin and Ailey Launch Dance Squad to Introduce Children to Dance and Different Cultures

New York, NY – May 1, 2023 - Noggin, Nickelodeon's interactive learning platform, announced today the launch of Dance Squad with Ailey, an on-demand video dance class for young children (ages two to seven) developed in partnership with the Ailey organization. The six-episode series introduces kids to dance, celebrates different cultures and encourages self-expression.

Ailey Extension Makes National Physical Fitness Month Fun With Free Dance In Times Square Workshop Series, A Spirited World Dance Celebration, And Energetic New Weekly Classes

(NEW YORK) April 24, 2023 – Ailey Extension is adding some excitement to National Physical Fitness Month by offering a variety of flavorful dance and fitness classes to get people of all backgrounds and experience levels moving throughout May and into the summer. All are encouraged to shake up their wellness routines by joining in the dance during performance workshops which explore high energy movement styles from around the world, new weekly classes available both online and in-studio at the Joan Weill Center for Dance – NYC’s largest building dedicated to dance, and a free series of up-tempo outdoor workshops accessible to all in the heart of Times Square.

Featured Press Coverage

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Hollywood Soapbox - INTERVIEW: Christopher Taylor on his Alvin Ailey journey back to Newark

Christopher Taylor will soon perform at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey, as part of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s annual season at the vaunted Garden State venue. For Taylor, the performance will be something of a homecoming because he’s originally from Newark, and he actually started his dance career in AileyCamp Newark’s summer program. He rose through the ranks, joining The Ailey School Junior Division, The Ailey School Professional Division and Ailey II, before making the jump (literally and figuratively) to the main company, according to his biography.

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Dance Magazine - How Judith Jamison Started Dancing for Alvin Ailey

“There is about her an aura of mysticism. She appears onstage, larger than life, more an apparition than a performer, compelling us to look upon her as we might a temple dancer—with a sense of religiosity, of awe.” Those were the opening lines of Olga Maynard’s November 1972 Dance Magazine cover story on Judith Jamison, then in her late 20s and at the height of her powers as a star performer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

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WBZ- TV Boston - Alvin Ailey dancers give free lessons to community before Boston shows

BOSTON - Movement, music, and "Ailey magic" drew a dancing crowd to the Salvation Army Kroc Center in Boston Wednesday night. Dancers of all ages and abilities came to experience the energy and emotion of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. "I feel like I'm a part of Mr. Ailey's legacy. When he founded his company in 1958 to celebrate the beauty of the African American experience and modern dance tradition, he wanted to put the beauty of Black people forward," said professional dancer Yannick Lebrun of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company.