Our staff is available to help. See below and direct questions accordingly for a timely response.

• First Steps and Bounding Boys: juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org - Attn: Dawn 
• Pre-Professional Program: juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org - Attn: Merceditas 
• Registration questions: juniordivisionregistrar@alvinailey.org
• Tuition and Payments: Bursar@alvinailey.org

Scroll down for updated Junior Division events and announcements. 

From the Ailey Safety Task Force 

Use of the HealthCheck App has been discontinued. The Joan Weill Center for Dance home to The Ailey School, will no longer require proof of vaccination or HealthCheck surveys for building entry. To allow Security to monitor building occupancy and enhance safety, a new building entry system called Sign In App will be utilized for signing in and signing out of the building.  

Junior Division students in Levels III-VII who attend classes on weekdays and weekends will receive more information about new procedures for building entry from Blythe Koster, Administrative Coordinator.  

Level II students should continue to check-in with staff at the freight elevator upon arrival.  

Level I students will be greeted by a staff member upon arrival and admitted to the second floor for class by school staff.  

First Steps and Bounding Boys students should continue to proceed to Studio 1A upon arrival.  

Mid-Year Feedback on Student Progress is Available 

Faculty have provided written feedback noting student progress to date. Keep in mind, feedback is provided not as a report card, but with the intent to highlight areas where progress has been made and to indicate where there is room for growth. Feedback will be shared at the end of the year as well. In addition, student progress will be assessed throughout preparation for performances and during year-end placement classes in April.  

Frequently Asked Questions about mid-year feedback.  

Q: Why does feedback vary from teacher to teacher?  

A: A student’s response to each technique can vary for many reasons.  

Feedback often differs from class to class given varied levels of energy required, instructional approaches and level of enjoyment experienced by a student in each class.  

Q: How can I help my child understand feedback and how can I help them understand constructive yet critical feedback regarding areas that require improvement? 

A: Encourage your child by congratulating them on their achievements and let them know we are here to help them improve in areas that need improvement. Many instructors have provided students with warm up exercises or steps to be practiced at home that reinforce concepts presented in class. Merceditas is available at juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org as a resource if further assistance is required. 

If you have any other questions regarding feedback received, feel free to contact Dawn Tricarico, First Steps and Bounding Boys Program Coordinator, or Merceditas Mañago-Alexander, Pre-Professional Program Coordinator at juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org.  

Feedback will be emailed to parents of students in First Steps/Bounding Boys, and Levels I-III via juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org from Blythe Koster, Administrative Coordinator, the week of February 13th. Feedback is available for students in Levels IV-VII in Google Classroom.  

To access information in Google Classrooms please login to your Ailey.school email account, go to classroom.google.com, and visit your level-specific Bulletin Board.  

Spring 2023 Junior Division Open Houses for Prospective Families 

Do you have a friend or family member interested in attending The Ailey School? The Office of Junior Division Admissions will hold Open Houses on February 25, March 11, and April 22. Inquiring families will have the opportunity to meet faculty members, observe classes, and tour The Ailey School studios. More information is available on our website for the: First Steps and Bounding Boys Program (Ages 3-6) or for the: Pre-Professional Program (Ages 7-17). 

First Steps and Bounding Boys Year-End Presentations May 6 – Save the Date 

First Steps and Bounding Boys Year-End Presentations will be held in-studio on Saturday, May 6 at The Ailey School. More information will be sent next month.  

Junior Division Spring Concert May 21 – Save the Date 

Junior Division Spring Concert will be held on Sunday, May 21 at 12:30 and 4:30pm at Hostos Community College (500 Grand Concourse, The Bronx, NY 10451). Technical rehearsals will be held Thursday, May 18 through Saturday, May 20. Each class will be assigned a technical rehearsal time and one or more performance times.  More details will be sent in March. 

December Reminders as of 12/8/22

Nutrition Lectures and Injury Prevention Workshops for Levels 4-3+

Nutrition Lectures: In November, we invited Maria Scioscia, The Ailey School Nutritionist and Founder of CINCH Nutrition, to conduct a virtual nutrition lecture with students in Levels IV-VII. Topics covered included How to Eat for Energy and Daily Eating Habits for the Scholar/Dancer. Ms. Scioscia will return to answer follow-up questions on December 9. 

Injury Prevention Workshops: Also coming up, a multi-series injury prevention workshop, How to Prevent and Manage Injuries, with Dr. Katherine Yao from Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Yao will be covering the following topics: Care, Rest, and Injury Prevention for the Dancing Body, What is and How to Work through Injury and When to Seek Medical Care If Injured. 

Parent Observation Week - December 13 - 17, 2022

The Ailey School is excited to welcome our Junior Division parents for class observation in person on December 13 through December 17. Please see the Parent Observation Schedule below with the assigned observation days for each level, more detailed information will be sent from juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org.  

Note: In keeping with our current safety protocols mandated by the Ailey Safety Task Force, each student will be allowed 2 guests only inclusive of any siblings or extended family members. 

Parent Observation Schedule

Winter Break

In observance of the Winter holidays and various school breaks, The Ailey School will be closed Monday, December 19, 2022, through Monday, January 2, 2023. Classes will resume Tuesday, January 3, 2023. We wish everyone a restful holiday break. 

January Explosion Concert at the Ailey Citigroup Theater

On Wednesday, January 11 and Thursday, January 12, 2023, Level 5/6, and Level 7 dancers will be performing with students from our PPAS/Ailey and Professional Division Programs. Junior Division dancers will be performing specially choreographed works by Adrienne Hurd and Sonia Dawkins. A limited number of General Sale tickets will go available on sale starting Thursday, December 15. Visit The Ailey School Performance Calendar for more information about January Explosion and upcoming Ailey School performances. 

Note For Level 5/6 and 7 parents: Kaitlyn Miller, The Ailey School Production Manager, and Blythe Koster, Junior Division Administrative Coordinator, will be sending more production information in the coming week. Please watch for important communications. 

Performance Calendar

Thanksgiving Break 

The Ailey School will be closed on November 23- November 26. Classes resume on November 28th. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at NY City Center-Ailey Family Day! 

We invite you to take advantage of two exclusive discounts for Ailey School families to see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York City Center, November 30 - December 24.  

Please see the email from juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org for directions on how to claim discount offers and to learn more about Ailey Family Day on Sunday, December 4. This program has been curated especially for young audiences and Ailey School families. This is the perfect show for our First Steps and Bounding Boys through Level 3+ students to learn more about Mr. Ailey's work as well as participate in a Q&A with Ailey Artistic Director, Robert Battle, and a company dancer. 

Please visit www.alvinailey.org for more information about the City Center season.

First Steps and Bounding Boys Halloween Party

Note: Level I-VII students should attend class in proper dress code attire.

The Ailey School is excited to invite our First Steps and Bounding Boys dancers to wear a Halloween costume for classes on Saturday, October 29. Additionally, parents will be invited to attend a portion of the class and participate in activities. One thing we do ask is that students, and parents, wear clothes they feel comfortable moving in.

Please note: Due to Ailey Forward Safety Regulations, only one parent per child can be invited into the studio.

We look forward to seeing all the creative costumes and welcoming our families into the studios on October 29!

Level 1 Meet and Greet

Please join us for a brief Level I Faculty Meet and Greet this Saturday, October 29.

Level I parents are invited to meet and greet their child’s Ballet and West African instructors. Level I faculty will introduce themselves, talk about material covered in class, and provide tips on what students should and should not practice at home. Faculty members will be in Studio 1A for 10-15 minutes at the following times:

• 1A - 11:20am
• 1B - 12:20pm
• 1C - 1:20pm
• 1D - 2:20pm

*Please note: Due to Ailey Forward Safety Regulations, only one parent per child can be invited into the studio.

Program Wide In-Studio Photo Sessions

Students will be photographed in class on Saturday, November 5 and November 12. Students will be photographed in Ailey School dress code, Images captured will be used for promotional and archival purposes only. Student appearance and attire will need to be fresh, neat and clean. Impeccable grooming is a must.

Notes from the Ailey Safety Task Force

Vaccination Requirement Update, as of October 14:

As you are aware, The Ailey School requires all students to be fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19. If your child has received two doses, more than 5 months ago, they are currently eligible to receive a booster.  

The new bivalent booster is now available to ages 5 and up. As a result of this and the new omicron variants that are spreading, Ailey is updating its policy. The grace period for children under 12 who have not yet received a booster will end on Nov 30.  

Once they receive their booster, please upload their vaccine card here.

If your child has not submitted proof of booster or request for exemption is not received by Dec 1, they will be denied entry into the building.

Face masks are required at all times inside the building. Anyone, regardless of age, who enters the Ailey building must wear a face mask that covers the nose and mouth and remain masked for the entire time they are in the building. This includes during dance classes. Students must bring their own masks; however, Ailey will also have enough disposable masks, and hand sanitizer available. 

Students must download the HealthCheck Screening Application. Please see the HealthCheck User Instructions and Video Tutorial in the right hand sidebar of this page.

Positive COVID test results and all inquiries about Ailey’s response to COVID-19, Monkeypox and additional health and safety concerns should be sent to aileyforward@alvinailey.org. 

Welcome Back to the Joan Weill Center for Dance

On Saturdays only, we are excited to offer Studio 1A as a parent waiting area. The cold, winter months are moving in and AileyForward has been gracious in allowing us this provision. With that, there are a few rules regarding the space that we need to pass along. 

1. Please do not leave belongings in the studio unattended.  
2. Water is the only food or beverage allowed in the studio.  
3. Scooters are not allowed in the building. 
4. Masks must be worn at all times.  

From the Ailey Boutique

Junior Division Dress Code requirements are now in effect for all classes. 

This includes hair pulled cleanly away from the face secured in a bun towards the back of the head; no hair accessories, or jewelry. Please no holes in tights and wear the appropriate footwear. 

All dress code materials are now back in stock and available for purchase and/or pick up. 

Ailey Boutique hours of operation for Junior Division: 

Tuesdays - Fridays                 12:00pm - 6:30pm 
Saturdays                               9:45am - 3:00pm* 

*No shoe fittings on Saturdays between 12pm-1pm.  

Parents, who show proof of vaccination will be granted entry to The Joan Weill Center for Dance to shop at the Boutique. For more information, visit Ailey Boutique.  

Attendance

There are approximately 16 weeks in the Fall Term. Absences are set by Level and the number of days they are scheduled for class.

• First Steps and Bounding Boys - 5 absences per term
• Level 1 - 5 absences per term
• Level 2 - 7 absences per term
• Level 3 - 7 absences per term
• Level 4 - 7 absences per term
• Level 5 - 14 absences per term
• Level 5/6 - 14 absences per term
• Level 7 - 14 absences per term

*While missing class this frequently is NOT recommended and may impede one’s ability to maintain progress, we recognize temporary leniency in the attendance policy for some of our adolescent students is warranted until further notice.

Note change, this is for the 2022-2023 School Year only. More information to come from Ms. Merceditas.

Absences

Please communicate ALL absences through the Absence Notification Form. This is the fastest and most efficient way to notify the office if your dancer will be out. Please also include as much information as possible in the “Additional Details” section. We will follow up via email if we have any questions or concerns. 

Absence Notification Form  

Early Dismissal/Late Arrival 

Students are not allowed to leave class early or to arrive late. Students must attend all classes scheduled for the day to receive credit for attendance. To clarify, on day(s) the student is scheduled to take two or more classes they may not attend one class and skip the other. They may not take one class and leave early, or miss the first class and take the 2nd or 3rd. 

Class Observation 

At this time, students are not allowed to attend or observe class if they are sick or injured. If students are sick or injured, please keep them home, allow time for rest, and recovery. Then, send them back well and refreshed for the next class. Please contact juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org ATTN: Dawn (First Steps and Bounding Boys) or ATTN: Merceditas (Levels I-VII) before coming to class if injured.  

External Auditions

If you are planning to attend an external audition, you MUST meet with your advisor and complete the Ailey External Audition Form PRIOR to attending the audition.

Ailey External Audition Form

Medical and Attendance

To request a personal or medical leave of absence, school year students please email juniordivisionparent@alvinailey.org.

• Level I-VII - ATTN: Merceditas
• First Steps and Bounding Boys – ATTN: Dawn

Confirmation of Medical Visit

Preferred Dancewear of The Ailey School

Use code VEBZMG to order your dancewear online 
and BLOCH will donate a portion of the proceeds to The Ailey School. 

Upcoming Auditions

Summer Audition in New York City

Sunday, March 26, 2023

• 11:00AM - Ages 12 to 13 - Register
• 1:00PM - Ages 14 to 15 - Register

To view the full National Audition Tour, visit the Audition Calendar.

NOTE: Students are no longer required to submit a PCR test prior to the first day of school.

Message from the Co-Directors

As New York City strives to return to a semblance of normalcy under the safety guidelines of New York State’s Governor and New York City’s Mayor, the leadership within the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation remains focused on how the organization can safely, effectively, and efficiently continue to offer quality educational programming.

Mr. Ailey's mission to make dance accessible to the people is a legacy which drives our school. The Joan Weill Center for Dance, home to The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Ailey Arts-In-Education and Community Programs, The Ailey Extension and The Ailey School, is operating with adherence to strict safety protocols under advisement from our medical and regulatory counsel and by government-related mandates.  Our administrative staff is working in hybrid mode, both in person and remotely, and public access to the building is kept at as low capacity as possible.  Limited student cohorts allow us to offer high quality training without compromising safety.

On-going communications regarding procedural and safety updates are regularly sent to students.  Our Administrative Staff can be reached at the email addresses in the sidebar of this page and a dedicated email, aileyforward@alvinailey.org, is in place to address your COVID-19 questions and concerns. Despite the challenges we face during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to offering high quality training with the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff as our first priority.  It is with true Ailey spirit that we continue to create safe new ways to move and dance together at The Ailey School and we look forward to welcoming students to our Professional Division Programs in the 2022-2023 school year and beyond. Above all, stay safe and healthy.

Tracy Inman and Melanie Person
The Ailey School Directors

Directions from Airports

Public transportation in New York City is very good and regardless of your port of entry you will probably have several options to consider. Remember that The Ailey School is not able to pick-up and transport students to and from the airport, so please plan ahead. Try to arrive in the daytime when more services are available.  You can find directions from the major airports at this link: http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk.html or refer to the information below:

From JFK International Airport or LaGuardia Airport

By Taxi

A taxi is the easiest, most direct way to The Ailey School, McMahon Hall, or the Ludlow Residence. The cost is approximately $45 (plus a few dollars tip). Taxis are available at ground level at each airport. Drivers are familiar with the way to most locations in Manhattan. Make sure you have the exact address of whichever location you are headed to for the driver.

By Bus & Subway

Buses provided by New York Airport Service are available to Manhattan and make stops at both Grand Central Station, (East 42nd Street and Lexington Ave.), and the NY Port Authority Bus Terminal (West 42nd Street and 8th Ave.). Buses depart from the airport every fifteen (15) minutes until 11:00pm. The fare is $15 and no advance reservations are necessary. For more info, contact New York Airport Service at 718-875-8200 or go to their web site: www.nyairportservice.com
Once you arrive at either Grand Central Station or Port Authority, you can take a taxi to your final destination for a fare of $10.00 - $20.00 (plus tips to the driver), or you can take the subway. For subway directions go to Google Maps and enter your starting destination as either “Grand Central Station” or “Port Authority Bus Terminal”, and one of the following addresses for your final destination:

From Newark International Airport

If you are arriving at Newark Airport, Olympia Trails operates a bus service from the Ground Transportation Information Booth. The fare is $15 and no advance reservations are necessary. For more info on this service, call Olympia Trails 1-877-8-NEWARK or go to their web site: www.olympiabus.com. Limousine and taxi service is also available for approximately $50 - $75 (plus a $15 surcharge).

The Joan Weill Center for Dance

The Ailey School is housed in the largest building in the United States that is devoted solely to the art of dance – The Joan Weill Center for Dance. The building has 16 climate controlled studios, 2 classrooms, a student lounge, an outdoor patio, an Ailey Boutique concession and gift shop, a physical therapy room, three floors of administrative offices, and a fully-equipped black box theater that seats 275. We are located in the heart of New York City's Theater District at 405 West 55th Street, corner of 9th Ave.

Preferred Dancewear of The Ailey School

Use code VEBZMG to order your dancewear online 
and BLOCH will donate a portion of the proceeds to The Ailey School. 

Calendars 

2022-2023 Academic Calendar
2022-2023 Performance Calendar
Audition Schedule

2022 Fall - Upcoming important dates 

October 15 - All students in Dress Code.

Saturday, October 29 - First Steps and Bounding Boys Halloween Party

Saturday, October 29 - Level I Meet and Greet with Faculty

Saturday, November 5 - In-Studio Photo Session, Day 1

Saturday, November 12 - In-Studio Photo Session, Day 2

Thursday, December 1 - Booster shot required for entry. Please direct all inquiries to AileyForward@alvinailey.org

NOTE:  FAQ's listed below pertain to procedures at The Ailey School prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and may not be applicable during the current school year. Please visit the Health & Safety tab at the top of this page for current FAQs.