The Ailey Studios at The Joan Weill Center for Dance, which houses Ailey Extension, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School are located at 405 W. 55th at 9th Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

The Joan Weill Center for Dance is within walking distance from Columbus Circle Station (accessible via 1, 2, 3, A, C, B, D lines) and 57th and 7th Ave. Station (accessible via N, R, & Q lines). Convenient buses include M30, M31, M57 & M11.

You must be 16 years or older to take Ailey Extension classes and workshops.

We offer Kids & Teens classes for age 2 & 5-17 every Sunday if you or your child is not yet old enough to take our drop-in classes. Learn more about Kids & Teens classes here.

• ​Absolute Beginner (ABS BEG): for first time students with no prior experience or knowledge of technical vocabulary.
• Beginner (BEG): for students with a basic understanding of the fundamentals and foundations of the technique.
• Advanced Beginner (ADV BEG): for students with prior experience and a more comprehensive understanding of the technique and vocabulary .
• Open: open to all levels.

Once your account has been created and you’ve purchased a class or class package, simply click the “Sign Up Now” button next to the desired class. You will receive an automated email confirmation for your registration.

Please note that there are no refunds or exchanges, and all classes are non-transferrable and may not be used by another client. You may ‘early cancel’ yourself out of a class up to 1 hour before the class starts.

As you enter the Joan Weill Center for Dance, the Extension desk will be off to your right. They can let you know what studio your class is in if you don't know already and point you in the right direction.

Locker rooms and showers are available on the lower level.

Students will not be permitted into class after 15 minutes.

If you are running late, you may early cancel out of an existing class reservation up to one hour before class starts. When you early cancel your reservation, you class package will go back into your account for you to use on a future class.

To cancel a reservation, log in to manage your account, navigate to "My Schedule" and click "Cancel" next to the class you to do not want to attend. You will receive an automated email confirming your cancellation.

You must cancel your class up to 1 hour before the class start time or you will forfeit your spot in class and you are no longer eligible for a refund. Late cancellations and no-shows cannot be refunded.

In general, we suggest you wear comfortable loose-fitting clothes that you can move in, like sweats, yoga pants, t-shirts, tanks, etc.

• For contemporary, Horton, and most world dance and fitness classes, we suggest you don't wear shoes or socks, just bare feet.
• For ballet, we suggest ballet shoes and leotards or other form-fitting ballet attire.
• For jazz, we suggest you wear jazz shoes or dance sneakers.
• For tap, we encourage you wear tap shoes.
• For hip-hop, please wear clean street shoes.
• For salsa and other latin style and partner dance courses, we suggest wearing a skirt and shoes with a low heel for those wishing to be a follower (typically female-presenting) or wearing trousers, a shirt, and regular shoes for those wishing to be a leader (typically male-presenting), or whatever you feel most comfortable in.

Yes! Dressing rooms and showers are open at a limited capacity, please ask the front desk for more information upon check-in.

Lockers are available for daily usage and must be cleared out by the end of the day.

You may early cancel out of an existing class reservation up to one hour before class starts.

To cancel a reservation, log in to manage your account, navigate to "My Schedule" and click "Cancel" next to the class you to do not want to attend. You will receive an automated email confirming your cancellation.

 If you cancel your class reservation within 1 hour of the class start time, you will forfeit your spot in class and you are no longer eligible for a refund.

Yes. Follow these steps:

1. Make sure the person you are buying a class has an Ailey Extension Mindbody account (to create an account for a family member, click the 'Profile' section in 'My Account' and select 'Add Family Member').
2. Find the desired class in the schedule and select the “Sign Up Now” button and log-in to your account when prompted. Once you are logged-in you’ll come to the Make a Reservation screen where you will have the option of making a reservation for ‘Myself’ or for ‘Someone Else’.
3. Enter the name of your friend/relative in the search bar. The ‘Pay for this client?’ box will always remain checked. Since packages may not be shared, even if you have a class card, you will not have the option of using any of your packages to sign another client into class. You must purchase a new class for the requested client.
4. Select the pricing option and add to cart.

Please note that there are no refunds or exchanges, and all classes are non-transferrable and may not be used by another client. You may ‘early cancel’ yourself out of a class up to 1 hour before the class starts.

The Joan Weill Center for Dance is a mask-optional environment. While masks are still be encouraged, they are not mandatory for students, faculty, musicians, and staff of Ailey Extension. We continue to monitor case levels, prioritizing the safety of our community. In the event of another COVID-19 surge or a new variant of concern arises, our guidance will adjust accordingly.

Read more about our detailed in-studio policies and other FAQs about our COVID-19 procedures here.