ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROBERT BATTLE ANNOUNCES TWO-WEEK LINCOLN CENTER ENGAGEMENT JUNE 8th – 19th

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ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROBERT BATTLE ANNOUNCES TWO-WEEK LINCOLN CENTER ENGAGEMENT JUNE 8th – 19th

15-Performance Engagement at David H. Koch Theater Features Diverse Repertory
World Premieres Deep by Mauro Bigonzetti and Untitled America: Second Movement by Kyle Abraham, New Productions of Ulysses Dove’s Vespers and Robert Battle’s The Hunt are Part of Over a Dozen Works on Five Different Programs

Season Kicks Off with One-Night-Only Ailey Spirit Gala Benefit on Tuesday, June 8th

Tickets starting at $25 go on sale April 11th, 2016

New York – April 7, 2016 – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, beloved as one of the world’s most popular dance companies, will return to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for a two-week 15-performance engagement at the David H. Koch Theater June 8th – 19th, 2016.  Today, Artistic Director Robert Battle announced repertory for the season, including the world premieres of Deep by acclaimed Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti and Untitled America: Second Movement, the second work in a three-part suite by MacArthur “Genius” Kyle Abraham. The season also includes new productions of Vespers, Ulysses Dove’s breathtaking ballet for six women, and The Hunt, Robert Battle’s thrilling work for six men, as part of over a dozen works featured on five different programs.

The 2016 Lincoln Center engagement opens on Wednesday, June 8th at 7pm with The Ailey Spirit Gala benefit sponsored by FedEx Corporation. Actor Anthony Anderson of black-ish and Barbershop: The Next Cut and journalist Roland S. Martin of TV One and the Tom Joyner Morning Show will serve as Honorary Chairs. The benefit will raise vital funds to support scholarships for talented students of The Ailey School and Ailey’s extensive Arts In Education & Community Programs. Along with the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the one-night-only Ailey Spirit Gala will include performances by the rising stars of Ailey II, gifted young dancers from The Ailey School, and blossoming students from AileyCamp. A soirée on the promenade follows the performance, and tickets are available online at alvinailey.org/ailey-spirit-gala or by calling 212-405-9031.

Throughout the season the incomparable Ailey dancers will perform in five exhilarating programs. The 21st Century Voices program on Thursday, June 9th features inventive works by today’s preeminent modern dance artists. The program includes the world premiere of Untitled America: Second Movement, the second installment of MacArthur “Genius” Kyle Abraham’s three-part suite. Set to original music by contemporary composer Jordan Chiolis, Abraham continues to explore the impact of incarceration on African-American families in part two of the series. Also on the program are the 2015-16 season premieres Open Door, Ronald K. Brown’s Cuban-inspired work set to music from Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra’s latest album Cuba: The Conversation Continues; Exodus, hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris’ celebratory piece that explores the idea of “exodus” as a necessary step toward enlightenment; and Robert Battle’s No Longer Silent, which brings to life a score by Erwin Schulhoff, a composer whose music was banned by the Nazis, and who died in a concentration camp in 1942. 21st Century Voices returns on Saturday, June 11th (evening), Friday, June 17th, and Sunday, June 19th (matinee).

On Friday, June 10th, the Dance Trailblazers program will introduce audiences to Mauro Bigonzetti’s world premiere Deep, set to the soulful music of Ibeyi, twin sisters who sing in English and Yoruba. Last at Ailey with 2008’s Festa Barocca, the newly appointed director of La Scala Ballet is known for his seamless integration of classical and modern techniques, and has been praised for his fresh and inventive sensibility. This program will also include works by two seminal American choreographers: Paul Taylor’s 2015-16 Company premiere Piazzolla Caldera, set in a smoky tango club where 12 men and women engage in a series of fiery encounters, and Alvin Ailey’s must-see masterpiece, Revelations. Dance Trailblazers returns on Saturday, June 11th (matinee) and Sunday, June 12th (evening).

In addition to Revelations, the All Ailey program on Sunday, June 12th (matinee) and Thursday, June 16th will include 2015-16 season new productions of three beloved Ailey classics: Cry, the tour-de-force solo made famous by Judith Jamison and dedicated to “all black women everywhere,” Love Songs, set to music by Nina Simone and Donny Hathaway and often considered the male counterpart to Cry, and Blues Suite, Ailey’s original masterpiece that launched the Company during its first performance in 1958.

The second week of performances begins with the Bold Visions program on Tuesday, June 14th, presenting a diverse quartet of adventurous works. Highlights will include new productions of two dynamic and complementary ballets for six – one cast all-male, one all-female. The Hunt (2001), Artistic Director Robert Battle’s athletic work for six men reveals the predatory side of human nature and the primitive thrill of the chase.  Thundering percussion by Les Tambours du Bronx drives the ritualized movement and pushes the dancers to their physical limits. Originally set on the Company in 2010, just after it was announced that Battle would take over as Artistic Director the following year, The Hunt is inspired by Battle’s martial arts background and showcases the masculinity of Ailey’s male dancers. Ulysses Dove‘s bold choreographic voice and daring athleticism are embodied by the phenomenal Ailey women in Vespers, a dramatic work full of raw energy and profound grace. Mikel Rouse‘s electronic score matches the dancers’ insistent drive as they propel themselves across the stage. Inspired by Dove’s memories of his grandmother’s place of worship, this powerhouse work has captivated audiences around the world with its intensity and passion. This program also includes Mauro Bigonzetti’s world premiere Deep and Alvin Ailey’s signature classic, Revelations. Bold Visions returns on Saturday, June 18th (matinee) and Sunday, June 19th (evening).

The Musical Inspirations program on Wednesday, June 15th and Saturday, June 18th (evening) includes Awakening, Robert Battle’s December 2015 world premiere – his first since becoming Artistic Director. Buoyed by the complex rhythmic quality of John Mackey’s score, Battle’s work is a powerful ensemble dance of dissonance and harmony, chaos and resolution. The program also includes the 2015-16 season new production of Judith Jamison’s emotional and sensual A Case of You duet from Reminiscin’, performed to Diana Krall’s version of Joni Mitchell’s song by the same title; Ronald K. Brown’s Open Door, driven by the music of Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra’s Cuba: The Conversation Continues; and Revelations, set to a suite of traditional gospel spirituals, invoking Alvin Ailey’s “blood memories” of the South.

A free question-and-answer session with Ailey’s much-admired dancers will follow the inspiring finale of Revelations on the Family Matinee performances scheduled for Saturday, June 11th and 18th at 2pm.

Tickets starting at $25 can be purchased beginning April 11th at the David H. Koch Box Office, by phone at 212-496-0600, and online at www.alvinailey.org.  For further information about discounts for groups, students, and Ailey’s tour performances, please visit www.alvinailey.orgThe program schedule is detailed below.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is currently on a 20-city coast-to-coast national tour that ends in the tri-state area on Mother’s Day weekend May 6 – 8 at the beautiful Prudential Hall of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, where Ailey is the Principal Resident Affiliate.  For schedule and tickets, visit www.njpac.org.

The Ailey Spirit Gala is sponsored by FedEx Corporation.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gratefully acknowledges the support of Diageo.

Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s New York Spring Season.

American Express is a major supporter of the new production of Blues Suite.

Major support for the creation of Awakening is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

The creation of Awakening is supported in part by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County with lead sponsor support from Ira and Carole Hall.

Awakening is supported by commissioning funds from Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley.

The creation of Open Door is supported by commissioning funds from New York City Center.

The World premiere of Untitled America: Second Movement is made possible by Denise R. Sobel and Tikkun Olam Foundation, Inc.

The 2016 spring season is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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 (L to R) AAADT with Artistic Director Robert Battle, Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, and Rehearsal Director and Guest Artist Matthew Rushing. Photo by Andrew Eccles; Rachael McLaren in Alvin Ailey’s Cry. Photo by Paul Kolnik; AAADT in Robert Battle’s Awakening. Photo by Paul Kolnik; AAADT’s Jacqueline Green and Jamar Roberts. Photo by Andrew Eccles. (CTRL+ CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR HI-RES DOWNLOAD)  – Please Credit Photos

CALENDAR LISTING INFORMATION
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
, beloved as one of the world’s most popular dance companies, will present a two-week, 15-performance engagement at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater June 8th – 19th, 2016.  Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Ailey’s acclaimed dancers will perform a diverse repertory featuring the world premieres of Deep by acclaimed Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti and Untitled America: Second Movement, the second work in a three-part suite by MacArthur “Genius” Kyle Abraham. The season also includes new productions of Vespers, Ulysses Dove’s breathtaking ballet for six women, and The Hunt, Robert Battle’s thrilling work for six men, as part of over a dozen works performed on five different programs.  Other highlights include encores of 2015-16 season premieres and repertory favorites, including Robert Battle’s Awakening, his first premiere for the Company since becoming Artistic Director, Ronald K. Brown’s Cuban-inspired Open Door, Alvin Ailey’s tour-de-force woman’s solo Cry, and his must-see American masterpiece Revelations.  The season kicks off with The Ailey Spirit Gala benefit performance on Wednesday, June 8th, featuring the world-renowned Ailey dancers, and appearances by the rising stars of Ailey II, gifted dancers from The Ailey School, and students from AileyCamp, followed by a soirée on the promenade. Tickets starting at $25 are on sale beginning April 11th and can be purchased at the David H. Koch Box Office, by phone at 212-496-0600, or online at www.alvinailey.org. Student tickets may be available on the day of the performance for $15 at the box office with a valid student ID (one per student – subject to availability).  On Saturday afternoons, bring the whole family to enjoy the matinee and stay afterward for a free Q & A with the Ailey dancers in the theater. Additional discounts for groups of 10 or more are now available by phone 212-405-9082 or e-mail [email protected].   For further information about Ailey’s performances, please visit www.alvinailey.org.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
June 8th – 19th, 2016 at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater
20 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY (Columbus Avenue at 63rd Street)
(212) 496-0600 /
www.davidhkochtheater.com

Programming – Subject to Change
The Ailey Spirit Gala
: Performances by AileyCamp, The Ailey School, Ailey II & Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, including Revelations
Wednesday, 6/8 at 7:00pm

21st Century Voices: Open Door, Untitled America: Second Movement / No Longer Silent / Exodus
Thursday, 6/9 at 7:30pm, Saturday, 6/11 at 8:00pm, Friday, 6/17 at 8:00pm, Sunday, 6/19 at 3:00pm

Dance Trailblazers: Deep / Piazzolla Caldera / Revelations
Friday, 6/10 at 8:00pm, Saturday, 6/11 at 2:00pm*, Sunday, 6/12 at 7:30pm

All Ailey: Blues Suite / Love Songs, Cry / Revelations
Sunday, 6/12 at 3:00pm, Thursday, 6/16 at 7:30pm

Bold Visions: Deep / Vespers, The Hunt / Revelations
Tuesday, 6/14 at 7:30pm, Saturday, 6/18 at 2:00pm*, Sunday, 6/19 at 7:30pm

Musical Inspirations: Open Door / Awakening, A Case of You / Revelations
Wednesday, 6/15 at 7:30pm, Saturday, 6/18 at 8:00pm

*Family Matinee – followed by a post-performance Q&A session with the dancers

PRESS:

For additional press materials please visit the links below or pressroom.alvinailey.org

Photo/Video Document
Sizzle Reel For Broadcast
Electronic Press Kit

The 2016 Lincoln Center Engagement:  Highlights
Artistic Director Robert Battle and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will present a two-week 15-performance engagement at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater from June 8th – 19th, 2016, featuring over a dozen works on five different programs. Ailey’s acclaimed dancers will perform a diverse repertory including Deep, a world premiere by Mauro Bigonzetti, Untitled America: Second Movement, the second work in the three-part suite by Kyle Abraham, and new productions of Robert Battle’s The Hunt and Ulysses Dove’s Vespers. Encores of 2015-16 season premieres and new productions also highlight the season, including Ronald K. Brown’s Open Door, Robert Battle’s Awakening, his first world premiere since becoming Artistic Director, and legendary works by Alvin Ailey – including the American masterpiece Revelations.

WORLD PREMIERES
Deep (World Premiere)
Choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti                                                                         Music: Ibeyi, Bernard Hanighen, Theolonious Monk,
Sakamoto Ryuichi, Cootie Williams, Performed by Ibeyi

Mauro Bigonzetti, newly appointed director of La Scala Ballet, returns to Ailey to create a world premiere set to the soulful music of Ibeyi, twin sisters who sing in English and Yoruba (“Ibeyi” is the Yoruba word for twins). Bigonzetti, whose last work for the Company was 2008’s Festa Barocca, is known for his seamless integration of classical and modern techniques, and has been praised for his fresh and inventive sensibility.

Untitled America: Second Movement (World Premiere)
Choreography by Kyle Abraham                                                                                                                          Music:  Jordan Chiolis
In the second installment of this three-part suite, MacArthur “Genius” Kyle Abraham continues to explore the impact of incarceration on African-American families. Original music by contemporary composer Jordan Chiolis will underscore Abraham’s distinct and captivating movement style. Dance Magazine praised the first installment of Untitled America: “This is something our culture should be looking at…. Kudos to Ailey—and Abraham—for keeping the revelations relevant.”

NEW PRODUCTIONS
The Hunt (2001 / New Production 2016)
Choreography by Robert Battle                                                                                                                 Music: Les Tambours du Bronx
Artistic director Robert Battle’s athletic work for six men reveals the predatory side of human nature and the primitive thrill of the hunt. A thundering percussion score by Les Tambours du Bronx drives the ritualized movement and pushes the dancers to their physical limits.

Vespers (1987 / New Production 2016)
Choreography by Ulysses Dove                                                                                                                 Music: “Quorum” by Mikel Rouse
Ulysses Dove’s bold choreographic voice and daring athleticism are embodied by the phenomenal Ailey women in Vespers, a dramatic work full of raw energy and profound grace. Mikel Rouse’s percussive score matches the dancers’ insistent drive as they propel themselves across the stage, in a piece inspired by Dove’s memories of his grandmother’s place of worship.

2015-16 SEASON WORLD PREMIERES
Awakening (2015)
Choreography by Robert Battle                                                                                                                                 Music: John Mackey
Battle uses his signature taut, ritualistic choreographic style and a score by composer John Mackey in his first world premiere since becoming artistic director, following a community on a cathartic journey from lamentation to peace.  Buoyed by the complex rhythmic quality of Mackey’s music (“Turning” and “The Attentions of Souls”, the third movement from the symphony “Wine-Dark Sea”) and a cast of a dozen of Ailey’s extraordinary dancers, Battle’s work leads the audience on a cathartic journey of dissonance and harmony, chaos and resolution.

Exodus (2015)
Choreography by Rennie Harris                                       Music: Original compositions by Raphael Xavier, “A New Deal” by Ost & Kjex
Acclaimed hip-hop choreographer Rennie (Lorenzo) Harris created a work that explores the idea of “exodus” – from one’s ignorance and conformity – as a necessary step toward enlightenment. Set to gospel and house music along with spoken word, the work underscores the crucial role of action and movement in effecting change. Exemplifying his view of hip hop as a “celebration of life,” Exodus marks Harris’ latest invitation to return to spiritual basics and affirm who we are. His previous contributions to the Ailey repertory include Home (2011) and Love Stories (2004), Judith Jamison’s dynamic collaboration with Harris and Robert Battle.

Open Door (2015)
Choreography by Ronald K. Brown                                                                    Music: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra
Acclaimed choreographer Ronald K. Brown’s Cuban-inspired Open Door is a work for 10 dancers set to the music of Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, including their recent Grammy-Award winning album Cuba: The Conversation Continues. Brown’s travels to Cuba inspired much of the movement, from the salsa partnering to the references to Elegba – the Santería god who opens pathways. A testament to the power of dance and music as vehicles for culture and compassion, Open Door marks Brown’s sixth Ailey world premiere.

2015-16 SEASON NEW PRODUCTIONS

Blues Suite (1958 / New Production 2015)
Alvin Ailey                                                                                                                                                                             Music: Traditional
“Blood memories” of rural, Depression-era southern Texas, come to life in Alvin Ailey’s hugely popular Blues Suite, his first masterpiece that launched the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in the inaugural 1958 performance.  With the rumble of a train and the toll of distant bells, a cast of vividly-drawn characters from the barrelhouses and fields of Alvin Ailey’s southern childhood are summoned to dance and revel through one long, sultry night. Ailey’s first masterpiece poignantly evokes the sorrow, humor and humanity of the blues, those heartfelt songs that he called “hymns to the secular regions of the soul.”

Cry (1971 / New Production 2015)
Choreography by Alvin Ailey                                                                          Music: Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro, Voices of East Harlem
In 1971, Alvin Ailey choreographed the ballet Cry, as a birthday present for his mother Mrs. Lula Cooper, and created the dance on his stunning muse, Judith Jamison.  It was an instant sensation and went on to become an enduring work of American art. This physically and emotionally demanding 16-minute solo is dedicated to “all black women everywhere – especially our mothers.”  The solo is made up of three parts – the first set to Alice Coltrane’s “Something about John Coltrane,” the second to Laura Nyro’s “Been on a Train” and the last has the Voices of East Harlem singing “Right On, Be Free.” Ms. Jamison, who has since taught the treasured role to subsequent generations of Ailey women, wrote of the work in her autobiography Dancing Spirit: “In my interpretation, she represented those women before her who came from the hardships of slavery, through the pain of losing loved ones, through overcoming extraordinary depressions and tribulations. Coming out of a world of pain and trouble, she has found her way-and triumphed.”

Love Songs (1972 / New Production 2015)\
Choreography by Alvin Ailey                                                                                                       Music: Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone
Love Songs, a three-part technical and dramatic tour-de-force originally created for the legendary Dudley Williams, is often viewed as the male counterpart to Cry, the famous woman’s solo that Mr. Ailey originally choreographed for his muse, Judith Jamison.  The suite opens with Donny Hathaway’s tender “A Song For You,” followed by Nina Simone’s rendition of “A Field of Poppies,” an anti-narcotics song in which the audience witnesses the man’s descent into self-destruction, and closes with Hathaway singing “He Aint Heavy” as the dancer travels around the stage bearing an imaginary load with resolve.  The work gives the soloist a unique opportunity to display both the power and gentleness of the male dancer while digging deep into all the aspects of his relationships – with himself, his fellow man, his brother.

A Case of You (excerpt from Reminiscin’ 2005 / New Production 2015)
Choreography by Judith Jamison                                                                                        Music: Joni Mitchell, Performed by Diana Krall
A Case of You is an emotional and sensual duet by Judith Jamison, performed to Diana Krall’s version of Joni Mitchell’s song by the same title. The duet was originally created in 2004 as a birthday tribute to Chairman Emerita Joan Weill and premiered publicly the following year as part of Ms. Jamison’s larger work, Reminiscin’, inspired by Edward Hopper’s famous painting Nighthawks and great female jazz artists.

2015-16 SEASON COMPANY PREMIERES
Piazzolla Caldera (1997 / Ailey Company Premiere 2015)
Choreography by Paul Taylor                                                                                        Music: Astor Piazzolla and Jerzy Peterburshsky
Set to music by Astor Piazzolla and Jerzy Peterburshsky, Piazzolla Caldera is a finely wrought work sizzling with erotic energy by modern dance master Paul Taylor that captures the essence of tango culture. Men and women engage in a series of fiery encounters, in turns playful and predatory, in vivid duets and trios through the work’s four sections in this passionate homage to tango’s Argentinian working class roots.

No Longer Silent (2007 / Ailey Company Premiere 2015)
Choreography: Robert Battle                                                                                                                                 Music: Erwin Schulhoff
No Longer Silent
is a large ensemble work featuring the imaginative interplay of four groups of dancers evoking a complex and mysterious ritual to Erwin Schulhoff’s percussive score “Ogelala.”  Originally created in 2007 for The Juilliard School, Robert Battle’s alma mater, it was part of a concert of choreography that brought to life long-forgotten scores by composers whose work the Nazis had banned.  Powerful phrases stir the imagination with images of flight and fatigue, chaos and unity, and collectivity and individualism as dancers travel in military rows.  Created between 1922-1924, the music tells the story of a pre-Columbian Mexican warrior and its ever-shifting mechanical cadence is the backdrop against which the dancers, dressed in all black, dramatically build to the work’s piercing conclusion.  Lamentably, the composer was denied employment after the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia and, after being prevented from emigrating, died of tuberculosis in the Wülzburg concentration camp in 1942.

SIGNATURE MASTERPIECE
Revelations (1960)
Choreography by Alvin Ailey                                                                                                                         Music: Traditional Spirituals
More than just a popular dance work, Revelations has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans.  An American classic acclaimed as a must‐see for all, Alvin Ailey’s signature masterpiece is a tribute to his heritage and genius. Using African-American spirituals, the work fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul. Seeing Revelations for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

ONE-NIGHT-ONLY OPENING BENEFIT PERFORMANCE AND PARTY
Sponsored by FedEx Corporation, The Ailey Spirit Gala benefit on June 8th at 7pm raises vital funds to support scholarships for talented students of The Ailey School and Ailey’s extensive Arts In Education & Community Programs.  Actor Anthony Anderson of black-ish and Barbershop: The Next Cut and journalist Roland S. Martin of TV One and the Tom Joyner Morning Show will serve as Honorary Chairs. The one-night-only performance features Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, The Ailey School, and AileyCamp, and will be followed by a soirée on the promenade. Tickets are available online at alvinailey.org/ailey-spirit-gala or by calling 212-405-9031.

SATURDAY FAMILY MATINEE SERIES
On Saturdays June 11th and 18th at 2pm, bring the whole family to enjoy the performance, which concludes with an inspiring performance of Ailey’s must-see masterpiece Revelations, followed by  a free Q & A with the Ailey dancers in the theater.

All Programming – Subject to Change

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, 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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