Ailey's Opening Night Gala to Launch Four-Week Holiday Season In NYC

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's four-week holiday engagement will kick off on November 30 with a star-studded Opening Night Gala, including a performance at New York City Center and party at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. Artistic Director Robert Battle will lead a tribute to Honoree Denise Littlefield Sobel, a true patron of the arts and champion for social equity who is leaving an indelible mark on the dance world. Her dedication and commitment to the Ailey organization has spanned two decades with vital support for essential artistic initiatives like the commissioning of new works and international touring. Honorary Chair for the evening is two-time Emmy-winning TV host, journalist, author and producer Tamron Hall.

The one-night only performance at 7pm will feature a specially staged excerpt of acclaimed Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti's Festa Barocca with Constance Stamatiou and talented students from The Ailey School; Jacquelin Harris and James Gilmer in the "Softly, As I Leave You" romantic duet from Nine Sinatra Songs by Twyla Tharp; highlights from Alvin Ailey's Night Creature, a perennial favorite set to a sparkling score by Duke Ellington; and Artistic Director Robert Battle's tender Unfold danced to Gustave Charpentier's exquisite aria ("Louise, Act III, Depuis Le Jour") sung live by Brandie Sutton. Following the inspiring finale of Revelations, prominent figures in the worlds of entertainment, business, philanthropy, and politics will gather at the Ziegfeld Ballroom for dinner and dancing.

Proceeds from the gala support the creation of new works, scholarships for talented students at The Ailey School, and Ailey's innovative educational programs for children. The event's co-chairs are Emily & Len Blavatnik, Howard Bradnock, Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach, Joan & Sandy Weill, and Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer; vice chairs are Jill & Gunther Bright, Anthony S. Kendall, Anthony A. Lewis, and Raina & Jack Pitts.

Call 212-405-9031 or visit alvinailey.org/support/opening-night-gala for tickets.

Ailey's season of new works and returning favorites also features a variety of special programs, including two holiday performances on Christmas Eve, Ailey & Ellington showcasing four ballets Alvin Ailey created that celebrate the musical genius of Duke Ellington, and Ailey Jazz, an evening featuring live music performances by rising jazz stars. Tickets for the four-week engagement from November 30 through December 24, starting at $29, are on sale now at the New York City Center Box Office, by phone at (212) 581-1212, and at www.alvinailey.org or www.nycitycenter.org. Your health and safety are our top priority. Masks must be worn by all audience members at all times. Read more here about performance COVID-19 protocols.

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 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.

Photo Credit: Rosalie O'Connor

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