Ailey II

Ailey II 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 outstanding emerging choreographers. Founded in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, the company embodies his pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people. Ailey II has flourished into one of the most popular modern dance companies, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programs. Dance Magazine calls Ailey II "second to none," and The New York Times declares, "There's nothing like an evening spent with Ailey II, the younger version of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater."

Featured Images

Ailey II with Artistic Director Francesca Harper and Rehearsal Director Lakey Evans-Pena. Photo by Nir Arieli

Ailey II with Artistic Director ... (Read More) Ailey II with Artistic Director Francesca Harper and Rehearsal Director Lakey Evans-Pena. Photo by Nir Arieli (Hide)

Ailey II's Artistic Director Francesca Harper and Rehearsal Director Lakey Evans-Peña. Photo by Nir Arieli

Ailey II's Artistic Director ... (Read More) Ailey II's Artistic Director Francesca Harper and Rehearsal Director Lakey Evans-Peña. Photo by Nir Arieli (Hide)

Ailey II. Photo by Nir Arieli

Featured News Releases

February 23, 2023

Ailey II - The Next Generation Of Dance - Returns To The Ailey Citigroup Theater For Two-Week Season March 22 - April 2

NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 23, 2023 — Ailey II, the renowned second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will return to its home, The Ailey Citigroup Theater, for a highly anticipated two-week season—the second led by Artistic Director Francesca Harper—featuring 14 exhilarating performances from March 22- April 2. The gifted ensemble of rising stars will treat audiences to two dynamic programs, Poetic Motion and Empowered, spotlighting works by founder Alvin Ailey, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle, William Forsythe, Francesca Harper, Andrea Miller, and former Ailey Company member Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish.

January 18, 2023

Ailey II, The Next Generation Of Dance, Sets Out On U.S. Tour Led By Francesca Harper In Her Second Season As Artistic Director

NEW YORK – UPDATED January 18, 2023 — Ailey II, the next generation of dance, will embark on a 22-city United States tour October 7 - February 25 stretching from Miami, Florida to South Bend, Indiana to Tacoma, Washington. Following the tour, the renowned ensemble of 12 rising stars will return home for an annual New York season at The Ailey Citigroup Theater March 22 – April 2, 2023.

July 06, 2022

Ailey Moves NYC! Free Summer Dance Celebration Delivers Dance To The People In All Five Boroughs July 23 - August 1, 2022

New York, NY, July 6, 2022—Embracing people everywhere in the city that is its home, the Ailey organization presents Ailey Moves NYC! a summer celebration with free outdoor events throughout all five boroughs, July 23 – August 1, 2022. Featuring Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Ailey Extension—which provides dance and fitness classes for all experience levels—and Ailey Arts In Education programs, Ailey Moves NYC! offers performances, dance classes, Revelations workshops, and screenings of Jamila Wignot’s acclaimed 2021 documentary Ailey.

Featured Press Coverage

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November 09, 2022

All Arts - How Dancer Elijah Lancaster Found His Way to The Stage

For Elijah Lancaster, the love of dance took root at age six. The seed was seeing Desmond Richardson perform in New York City with Complexions Contemporary Ballet. “He was on stage in a solo, in a spotlight with a chair, and the moment his leg went up, I saw the muscles,” Lancaster, now a company member at Dallas Black Dance Theatre, recounts in a recent episode of “Rising Artist.”

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November 05, 2022

News Channel 5 Nashville - School Patrol: Dance Troupe Treats Students At TPAC In Nashville

(NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At least 600 area students were in the audience at TPAC to watch a Performance by the Ailey II Dance Troupe, a dance company formed by Alvin Ailey in the mid-70s. Most of these students were invited because they take dance or theatre classes at school. The dancers performed for an hour, and then the director and artists answered questions from students about their training and the challenges of their profession.

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October 06, 2022

Chicago Tribune - Chicago Native Travon M. Williams among Ailey II Dancers To Perform In University Park

While attending The Chicago High School for the Arts, Travon M. Williams hoped to eventually join Ailey II, which is billed as The Next Generation of Dance. “When I was in high school, we wrote letters and we couldn’t open them until graduation. In my freshman letter I wrote, ‘I hope you get in to Juilliard or Ailey II.’ Actually I got wait-listed for Juilliard and I’m in Ailey II,” said Williams, who is in his second season with Ailey II.