Summer Intensive (ages 17 to 25)
Summer in New York City!
July 12 to July 23, 2021
The Ailey School’s Summer Intensive offers intermediate to advanced dancers an opportunity to train in a vibrant professional environment centered in the heart of New York City’s Theater District. Motivated students ages 17 to 25* with at least three years of consistent training receive first class dance training among a student body of versatile dancers who strive for excellence.
**Student ages by the start of the program (not at the time of audition).
Enrollment Options
In-person classes: This year, we will offer an in-person option taught by a distinguished faculty. Our curriculum includes ballet, Horton, Graham-based modern, and a master class with a guest artist. An optional somatic course will also be available. Due to COVID-19 restrictions as well as state and local travel bans, only residents that reside in New York and one of the following 5 states that are contiguous to New York will be permitted to attend the in-person option: New York; New Jersey; Connecticut; Massachusetts; Vermont; and Pennsylvania. All other students may participate in online classes this summer.
Online option: For all other students, we will offer a Virtual Horton Technique Workshop introducing the foundational components of the Lester Horton Technique as taught at the Ailey School. No audition is required.
Register for Horton Workshop




Admission
In-Person Summer Intensive
Acceptance to the in-person 2021 Summer Intensive is by submission of the following:
- an online application
- two dance photos in specified positions
- a video audition
- a $20 application fee.
An Audition Video Demonstration is posted on our Auditions page. Students should refer to that video for specifications on video requirements.
Video Audition Deadline: Video auditions are accepted between January 14 and June 1, 2021. We recommend sending video auditions as early as possible, as we expect the program to fill before the deadline. Videos applications received after the program is full will be placed on a waiting list.
A significant early discount on tuition is only available if full payment and all enrollment materials are received by May 14.
Online summer option
Admission to the Virtual Horton Summer Workshop does not require an audition.
Enrollment will take place from February 1 to June 4, 2021.
Curriculum
Alvin Ailey believed that dancers should have the versatile training that produces a “ballet bottom and a modern top”. The in-person training at The Ailey School is structured with this philosophy in mind.
In-Person curriculum:
The curriculum includes a daily ballet class, and a daily modern technique class of either Horton and/or Graham–based modern. Students will be assigned to either a morning session, or an afternoon session of classes. Each session will consist of two in-person technique classes per day. One special master class with a guest artist will be offered during the 2-week session, and an optional somatic course will also be offered online.
Student technique levels are determined based on the video audition submitted by the applicant. Each applicant is evaluated based on their video submission, and placed in the appropriate technique levels for their proficiency.
Students who exhibit the strongest technical and artistic potential for a career in dance will be considered for a merit-based scholarship, awarded by video audition.
Online Curriculum:
This virtual workshop will introduce the foundational components of the Lester Horton Technique as taught at the Ailey School. The approach and understanding of these foundational skills—including development of beginning level vocabulary, stretching and strengthening the body, building alignment, and the artistic use of this knowledge—will be shared in this workshop.
Each class will consist of warm up exercises, center studies (fortifications, preludes, and coordination combinations) and class sequences. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a deeper understanding of the history and framework of the Lester Horton technique and its integration to Alvin Ailey’s choreographic process and iconic works.
The online option is taught by The Ailey School Horton instructor, Lakey Evans-Peña. A total of 12 pre-recorded classes will be available to participants between Monday, July 12 - Friday, July 23, allowing students to take the workshop at their own pace. No audition is required.
Tuition & Fees
2021 Summer Intensive Tuition
The cost of the in-person Summer Intensive is as follows:
If paid in full by 4:00pm on May 14, 2021: $540 (includes a $50 registration fee & deposit)
If paid in full by 4:00pm on June 4, 2021: $750 (includes a $50 registration fee & deposit)
A $300 deposits is due within two weeks of acceptance in order to reserve your space. Space in the program is limited! We recommend sending video auditions as early as possible, as we expect the program to fill before the deadline.
The early tuition discount is only available if full payment and all enrollment materials are received by May 14.
All deposits and fee payments are non-refundable.
The cost of the Virtual Horton Workshop is as follows:
If paid in full by 4:00pm on May 14, 2021: $210 (a $35 registration fee is waived)
If paid in full by 4:00pm on June 4, 2021: $245 (includes a $35 registration fee)
Summer Scholarships
Students may be awarded a merit-based scholarship to the Summer Intensive, awarded by video audition. Scholarship awards cover the cost of tuition only. Housing costs are the sole responsibility of the recipient.
Scholarship Participation fees are as follows:
Due within two weeks of acceptance: $250 (includes a $50 registration fee)
Other Fees during the Summer
- Audition Fee: $20
- Late Fee: $75 (if tuition is not received in full by June 4. Space in the program cannot be guaranteed after June 4.)
All fees are non-refundable.
Housing
The Ailey School will offer limited housing at the Ludlow Residence for students* attending the Summer Intensive. A list of off-campus residences is also available.
Cost: $900
*Only those students who reside in New York or one of the following five contiguous states may enroll for in-person classes: New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Pennsylvania.
The Ludlow Residence
Students 17 and older may be housed at the Ludlow Residence, located in Manhattan’s vibrant Lower East Side neighborhood, a short subway commute from The Ailey School. The Ludlow Residence offers air-conditioned single rooms. Rooms come with basic dorm-style furnishings, a small refrigerator, and a microwave oven. The facility features a large common kitchen and an outdoor patio. A dedicated Ailey School Resident Assistant also lives on the premises to offer support to students as they acclimate navigating around New York City. COVID-19 safety measures are strictly enforced at Ludlow.
(Space at the Ludlow Residence is limited)
Included in the cost of housing is wireless internet and free laundry facilities. Meals and transportation to and from The Ailey School are not included.
Off-Campus Housing
The Ailey School provides a list of independent residences and housing resources for those students in all Professional Division Programs who wish to live independently.
Email admissions@alvinailey.org for a Housing List.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, because of the short duration of the Summer Intensive, it is not possible to attend less than the two-week session.
This question is understandable given the enthusiasm for in-person learning and the promise of the vaccine. However, The Ailey School is guided by government safety mandates and by the predictions of medical experts on the vaccine's efficacy by the start of the Summer Intensive. Therefore, we plan to enroll only dancers from New York and the 5 contiguous states regardless of a student's vaccine status. The Ailey School will continue to require face masks in all classes throughout the summer session. All safety and health mandates currently in place at The Ailey School will continue as well. Please refer to our COVID-19 Announcements, to Ailey Forward, and to New York Forward for the most up to date guidelines and detailed information.
Yes, a negative PCR test will be required. Antigen or antibody tests are not acceptable. The nasal swab PCR test is the only test we will accept.
The test must be dated no more than 5 days prior to the first day of class (not later than July 7 for Professional Division students, and not later than July 21 for Junior Division students).
Yes. Students are encouraged to bring their own mask that can be washed and re-used daily. Ailey will also have enough masks, gloves, face shields, hand sanitizers, and wipes on hand for everyone in the building.
Yes. For the safety of everyone in the building, all students, faculty, and musicians are required to wear a mask at all times during class. All staff in The Joan Weill Center for Dance are also required to wear a mask at all times.
Yes. The Ailey School uses the HealthCheck by Stratum, used to screen for potential COVID-19 related symptoms prior to students entering the building. Every day, students must complete the HealthCheck screening in the app before departing from home, 2 hours prior to the start of class. Only those students who receive a green notification at the end of the screening will be admitted to enter the building.
Healthcheck user instructions>
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Healthcheck FAQ's>
Yes, students must take their temperature every morning prior to logging into the HealthCheck app. All students are required to have a digital thermometer.
Yes. Members of Ailey’s security staff will be present to assist as you take your no-touch temperature on temple or wrist. If you register a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, you will not be permitted to proceed into the building.
No, there is no formal dress code. However, students should abide by the following:
- Appropriate dance attire must be worn in all classes.
- Ballet shoes must be worn in ballet classes.
- Dance attire must be form fitting (leggings are permitted).
- No loose or baggy articles of clothing. No layers.
- No transparent dance attire.
- No shorts, cut-offs, crop-tops, or bra tops are allowed.
- Clothing must not inhibit your ability to fully execute movement.
We are complying with COVID-19 safety precautions and are keeping class sizes to no more than 12 students per cohort. Classes of this size will also allow faculty to have better interaction and make more focused evaluations of students work.
Yes, a limited number of spaces will be available at the Ludlow Residence for students who do not reside permanently within a reasonable commuting distance to New York City.
Scholarships for the in-person option may be awarded to students who exhibit the highest potential on their video audition. We regret that scholarships are not available for the online option.