Ailey All Access Online Initiative Reaches Nearly 10 Million People to Date with More Exciting Programming to Come in Weeks Ahead
May 14 – Weekly Thursday Free Performance Broadcast Features
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Mass
Ailey Extension Encourages Students to Keep Dancing with
Livestream and Free On-Demand Classes
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| Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Robert Battle’s Mass. Photo by Paul Kolnik; Alvin Ailey. Photo by Normand Maxon; Pilates class at The Ailey Extension. Photo by Kyle Froman. |
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New York, NY – May 12, 2020 – For over six decades, the Ailey organization has brought people together through dance performances and programs manifesting founder Alvin Ailey’s belief that “dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.” Today his mission is carried forward during these challenging times with Ailey All Access, an online series featuring free weekly performance broadcasts, Ailey dancer curated content, an assortment of Ailey Extension dance and fitness classes that has already reached nearly 10 million people since its launch on March 30.
Performance Broadcasts
Ailey is thrilled to offer screenings of full-length works every Thursday 7pm ET. May 14 is the streaming premiere of Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Mass,which showcases 16 dancers in Robert Battle’s signature ritualistic choreography set to a score by John Mackey. In conjunction with the broadcast, Ailey will share behind-the-scenes footage as well as a special discussion hosted by dancer Hope Boykin with Robert Battle and composer John Mackey, giving viewers a chance to learn more about their collaboration for Mass, among other ballets such as Juba, Strange Humors, and Awakening. The performance series continues on May 21 withCamille A. Brown’s City of Rain – aquietly lyrical ballet honoring a close friend that passed away due to an illness that paralyzed him from the waist down. The following week Artistic Director Robert Battle’s The Huntwill make its streaming debut on May 28.
Two must-see programs are scheduled for June starting with the June 4 at 8pm streaming premiere of a 2015 film of an Ailey at Lincoln Center performance (in conjunction with the new Lincoln Center at Home portal). In addition to witnessing the soul-stirring Revelations, described by The New York Times as “one of the great works of the human spirit,” this electrifying program features Wayne McGregor’s sumptuous Chroma, set to a score by Joby Talbot with orchestrations of songs by The White Stripes; Ronald K. Brown’s Grace, a powerful meeting of modern and West African dance with a soundtrack by Duke Ellington, Roy Davis, and Fela Kuti; and Robert Battle’s humorous, high-flying Takademe. In addition, the Thursday, June 11 at 7:30pm Ailey Spirit Gala global broadcast will celebrate virtually around the world with a one-night-only program to be announced.
Dancer Curated Content Series
The Ailey dancers may be not be in the same place at this moment in time, but they are still finding ways to move together with #TheShowMustGoOn and Dancer Diaries video series. Recent Dancer Diary installment is entitled ‘Anxious,’ a dance improvisation from Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing. Today, viewers are in for a treat with a special dancer compilation video of Robert Battle’s choreographic language from his works Awakening, Ella, In/Side, Juba, Love Stories, Mass, No Longer Silent, Strange Humors, Takademe, The Hunt and Unfold, featuring current and former Company members. In addition to the dancer-at-home video series, fans are invited to visit Ailey’s Instagram live on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1pm ET to get to know the dancers up close. This week tune into conversations on Wednesday, May 13 hosted by Solomon Dumas with Khalia Campbell and on Saturday, May 16 hosted by Courtney Celeste Spears with Ghrai DeVore-Stokes.
Ailey Extension Dance and Fitness Classes
Ailey Extension continues inspiring people to keep moving throughout Physical Fitness Month in May with an assortment of live and on-demand virtual classes available seven days a week. For $12 per class, students can join in on as many as 23 weekly livestream classes on Zoom. Students can also access free on-demand classes in seven different styles on Ailey Extension’s YouTube channel. More details about how to access Ailey Extension’s variety of dance and dance fitness virtual class options – which include Horton, hip hop, vogue, samba, West African and more styles taught by Ailey Extension’s elite instructors – students can visit aileyextension.com/keepdancing.
Still, We Dance Campaign
In an effort to keep Ailey alive in the hearts of our community, the Still, We Dance campaign contributes to moving the organization forward during this uncertain time, while making it possible for Ailey to offer a variety of programming through Ailey All Access and prepare for the upcoming 2020-21 season paying tribute to six decades of Revelations. A gift of any size to the Ailey organization helps uplift communities around the world.
To enjoy a variety of digital content, follow Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Ailey Extension on Facebook and Instagram, Ailey II on Facebook, and The Ailey School on Instagram, as well as visit Ailey All Access and www.alvinailey.org regularly for updates.
Bank of America is Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s National Tour Sponsor.
The 2020 National Tour is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts.
About Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” grew from a now‐fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Founded by Alvin Ailey, recent posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor, and guided by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, the Company is now led by Robert Battle, whom Judith Jamison chose to succeed her on July 1, 2011. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents – as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms – promoting the uniqueness of the African‐American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year‐end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami‐Dade County in Miami, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate), and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world —named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.
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