April is Jazz Appreciation Month and this year, April 29 marks Duke Ellington’s 125th birthday. AILEY tips its hat to the jazz legend and recognizes the enduring impression he left on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and…
Naia Neal, one of The Ailey School’s brightest stars and recipient of the Denise Jefferson Memorial Scholarship, discusses how AILEY has changed her life. In her first year at The Ailey School, Naia Neal’s class was…
Ailey II Artistic Director Francesca Harper pays homage to five decades of the company in her newest work titled Luminous, premiering at the Joyce Theater. Drawing from memories of some of Ailey II’s renowned alumni, it…
I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people." - Alvin AileyThis notion from Mr. Ailey remains one of our core missions and is the foundational principle of Ailey Arts…
During Black History Month, Ailey is highlighting artists from different disciplines—music, poetry, visual arts—whom Alvin Ailey collaborated with and whose own works explore Black American cultural heritage. The final artist…
Alvin Ailey appointed Sylvia Waters as the Artistic Director of Ailey II in 1974. Ms. Waters understood the significance of the new role: she had seen Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958 during its first-ever…
Steel bars. Somber moves. The cry for justice. Survivors, Alvin Ailey’s moving tribute to Nelson and Winnie Mandela, returns to New York City CenterMasazumi Chaya, former Associate Artistic Director, who danced with the…
It was October 30, 1965, when Judith Jamison made her debut as a dancer with the Ailey company, and the world of dance would forever be transformed. The performance took place at the Harper Theater Dance Festival in Chicago,…, 1/ 4 Mari Kajiwara, Melvin Jones, and Judith Jamison in Alvin Ailey's Revelations,…
Get to know Francesca Harper and how her deep understanding of the Ailey legacy influences her work with Ailey II. Ailey II Artistic Director Francesca Harper follows in the footsteps of the strong Black women that came…
Announcing Ailey II's New Artistic Director, Francesca Harper Internationally renowned performer, choreographer, director, and multi-disciplinary artist Francesca Harper has been appointed Artistic Director of Ailey II, the…
While we truly wish we could host our traditional in-person Opening Night Gala, we’re thrilled that going virtual means even more of our Ailey family can join us on this very special night. This year’s first-ever Opening…
We hope you and your families remain safe and healthy. While this time continues to test us all, it also continues to reinforce our perseverance, humanity, creative courage, and deep commitment to each other. We are grateful…
"Not all the works are political, but they certainly reflect my feelings about what goes on in this country. I mean I can't get over that, I'm a black man living in this." —Alvin Ailey As a black man living in this and as the…
Even in these hard times, our dancers strive to bring the world joy from the comfort of their own homes. During this stressful period, we find comfort and relief in the beauty of dance. Please enjoy this video created by some…
The 35-block Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, dubbed America's "Black Wall Street" by Booker T. Washington, became a prosperous center for black commerce in the early 1900s. On May 30, 1921 a 19-year-old black man named…
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