Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Opens Two-Week Lincoln Center Season with Gala Tonight

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's two-week spring engagement at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater kicks off tonight, June 10th with The Ailey Spirit Gala, a one-night-only benefit performance and party honoring the Ford Foundation.

The second annual Ailey Spirit Gala benefit performance at 7pm includes the world-renowned Ailey dancers in excerpts of Matthew Rushing's ODETTA and in Robert Battle's Takademe. The rising stars of Ailey II will perform an excerpt of Manuel Vignoulle's Breakthrough, gifted young dancers from The Ailey School (ages 6 to 23) will showcase their talents and the breadth of the program's training in a yet to be titled work, and talented students from AileyCamp will perform a work inspired by Christopher Huggins' Anointed. An expanded cast of the present and future stars of Ailey will come together for a memorable finale of Alvin Ailey's timeless Revelations. Following the performance, a dance party on the promenade will be driven by the musical stylings of deejay to the stars, DJ M.O.S.

The benefit, sponsored by FedEx, features supermodel and actor Tyson Beckford as Honorary Chair. Gala Co-Chairs are Gina F. Adams, Ricki Lander, Almaz & Marc S. Strachan, and Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach. Gala Vice Chairs are Michele & Timothy Barakett, Dr. N. Anthony & Robyn Coles, Leslie & Tom Maheras, and Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer.

Attendees, including confirmed celebrity guests Omari Hardwick, Naturi Naughton, Condola Rashad and Tituss Burgess, will have the opportunity to witness the impact of their charitable giving firsthand as Ailey's talented young students take the stage. Gala proceeds support scholarships to The Ailey School and Ailey's Arts In Education & Community Programs-including AileyCamp, an innovative, full-scholarship summer program that uses the art of dance as a means to help young people stretch their minds, bodies and spirits. In all, these programs serve more than 100,000 young people annually. For more information on benefit tickets starting at $500 call 212-405-9031.

Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Ailey's 15-performance engagement runs through June 21st and includes the world premiere of Exodus by bold hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris, new productions of Talley Beatty's Toccata and Judith Jamison's A Case of You, and the Company premiere of Robert Battle's No Longer Silent. For further information, and to purchase tickets starting at $25, visit www.alvinailey.org.