Explore the genius of Alvin Ailey through the eyes of those who knew him in a college-level lecture, technique, and repertory residency.

Sylvia Waters, former principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and founding Artistic Director of Ailey II, is offering a college-level intensive residency for students to take a definitive look into the history of the legacy created by Alvin Ailey—a celebration of the African-American heritage and the Modern Dance tradition.

Ms. Waters will present lecture/discussion sessions and teach sections of iconic Ailey repertory, including excerpts of Blues Suite, Streams, and Mr. Ailey's signature masterpiece, Revelations. A master teacher of the Horton technique, will lead Horton classes that focus on developing range of movement in an anatomically-corrective manner. Working closely in tandem, the instructors will enable students to create an interactive discourse about history, theory and applied practice.

All my life I’ve been fascinated by the precipice in all of us. When you come to it, you either choose to fall or you don’t.

 - Alvin Ailey

Program Features:

Lecture/Discussion: Through the use of selected texts, including Jennifer Dunning's biography Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance, and archival footage of performance and interviews, students will explore Mr. Ailey's singular vision by cultivating an appreciation of the impact of his work in the artistic, societal, and cultural realms. Special attention will be paid to his musical collaborations with Duke Ellington, Max Roach, Ralph Vaughn Williams and Charlie Mingus, among others.

Repertory Class: In the repertory component of the intensive, students will be encouraged to discover the compatibility of the Horton technique with other disciplines and styles of dance, and how it was used as a source of Mr. Ailey's choreographic language. The class features excerpts from iconic Ailey works.

Horton Technique Class: Created by Mr. Ailey's mentor, Lester Horton, the Horton technique is based on a series of core movements meant to broaden a dancer's range of movement. The class is comprised of movement studies including Fortifications, Balance, Isolations and Progressions. Fortifications form the basic structure of the technique, and serve as the basis for movement mechanics, development of muscular coordination, movement phrasing, and range rhythm.

Class components may be split between days and scheduled to accommodate department and student availability. Number of days, frequency/lengths of classes and content are flexible and will be priced accordingly. Technique and repertory classes are for experienced dancers only. Customized seminars may be requested for students from non-dance disciplines and departments.