Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Returns to Les Etés de la Danse

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater inspired audiences in Paris this summer and will continue to do so this fall worldwide. The new season is led by artistic director Robert Battle at the New York City Center November 28th to December 30th.

Welcomed with standing ovations, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returned to Paris and Les Etés de la Danse 8th International Dance Festival for the third time with an array of 15 works and 32 performances from June 25th to July 21st. Standing-room-only audiences are clamoring to see the first international presentation of Artistic Director Robert Battle’s inaugural season with acclaimed world and company premieres of hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris’ soul-lifting Home and Ohad Naharin’s unique and innovative Minus 16, which is bringing Parisians not only to their feet - but also to the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Ailey’s extraordinary dancers.

The four-week engagement supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch also includes weekly moderated performances tailored to students and a recent master class led by Ailey dancers Hope Boykin and Yannick Lebrun at Ecole Miroir, a dynamic performing arts school in the underserved Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine, coordinated by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Paris.

Recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital “American Cultural Ambassador to the World,” Ailey’s 2012 international performances will continue this fall in Geneva, Switzerland; Barcelona, Spain; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s inspiring artistry will return to New York City Center for their annual holiday engagement from November 28th through December 30th with a new season to be announced by Robert Battle. In addition to premieres and new productions adding dynamic choreographic voices to the repertory and showcasing the versatility of Ailey’s renowned artists, programs will include encore performances of new works from the current season, as well as a variety of repertory favorites and classic Ailey works.

Troy Powell Becomes Artistic Director of Ailey II

July 1st, Troy Powell became only the second person in almost 40 years to lead the renowned Second Company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II. Powell has had a unique rise to his current position as Artistic Director. His journey began at age 9 when Alvin Ailey selected him to receive a scholarship to The Ailey School. Over the years he grew from student to Ailey II company member and later, a star in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for ten years. Afterwards, he became a choreographer and Associate Artistic Director of Ailey II working under the tutelage of Sylvia Waters for ten years. Last summer, the legendary Waters chose him to succeed her as Ailey II's new artistic director. Join us in welcoming Mr. Powell to his new position by reading more about his personal story on The Ailey Blog. In the fall, Ailey II will kick off a 25-city world tour, visiting domestic locales such as Boulder, CO; Columbus, OH and Elon, NC. Stops on the international portion of their tour will include over a half a dozen cities in France and Germany.

Dancers and Teachers Take Center Stage with Summer Workshops at The Ailey Extension

The Ailey Extension is offering the ultimate New York dance experience with unique summer workshops for instructors and dancers of all levels and ages. This month, the Horton Pedagogy Workshop (Session 2: July 16-20), designed for new or experienced dance instructors, will provide an in-depth review of the Horton technique. Explore the range and depth of this uniquely American modern dance technique under master teacher and scholar of the Horton vocabulary, Ana Marie Forsythe! From August 6-17, renowned Ballet instructor Fabrice Herrault will return to The Ailey Extension to present his acclaimed two-week Ballet Intensive (ages 10-19). Fabrice will be joined by guest teachers Karin Averty (Paris Opera Ballet), Paloma Herrera (American Ballet Theatre), and Sofiane Sylve (San Francisco Ballet).

Whether you're a teacher or an aspiring dancer with a passion to learn more about the Ballet technique, master teacher Finis Jhung will turn mystery into mastery at his Annual NYC Workshop (August 11-12). Participants will learn the "untaught" preparations that make a world of difference in their technical skills and abilities. Lastly, The Ailey Extension will close the summer with its signature workshop, The Ailey Experience (August 6-17). Young dancers of all levels (ages 12-21) will get a taste of life as an Ailey School student through two unique, two-week-long workshops that include catered lunches, talks with industry experts, souvenirs and discounted performance tickets. This summer, develop your skills in a professional dance environment with exciting workshops at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s home - New York’s largest building dedicated to dance!

For additional information on The Ailey Extension or to register, visit www.aileyextension.com.

The Ailey School’s Summer Intensive Program Flourishes and Summer Sizzler Concerts Planned for July 25-27

Audition Dates Set for 2012-13 School Year

Since its kick off in late June, The Ailey School's 2012 Summer Intensive Program has been filled with excitement from young dance talent from around the world. During the intensive, Junior Division students received the opportunity to work with choreographers Theresa Howard, Cornelius Carter, Christian von Howard, Ray Tadio, Iyun Harrison, and Imani Faye. Professional Division students have also been busy learning challenging choreography from Carlos Dos Santos, Roy Mercer, Jean Emile and Daniela Malusardi. This year's culminating Summer Sizzler performances will take place during the last week of July at The Ailey Studios:

Wednesday, July 25 at 4:30 & 7:30PM
Junior Division Summer Sizzler Concert

Thursday and Friday, July 26 - 27 at 4:30 & 7:30PM
Professional Division Summer Sizzler Concert

The Ailey School offers one of the most extensive dance education programs in the world, training approximately 3,500 students and offering over 325 scholarships annually, as well as a pioneering Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program with Fordham University. Now under the direction of Tracy Inman and Melanie Person, The Ailey School has a faculty of 75 dance specialists and has attracted students from over 93 countries.

Many graduates from The Ailey School have gone on to careers with the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Mark Morris Dance Group, Ballet National de Espana and the Ailey Company itself. Over 65% of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s current members were trained at The Ailey School.

The Ailey School will hold auditions for its 2012-2013 Professional and Junior Division training programs on the following dates:
Saturday, July 14 at noon
Certificate Program (ages 17-23)
Independent Study Program (ages 17-25)

Sunday, July 15 at 10am for female dancers / 1:30PM for male dancers
Scholarship Program (ages 15-21)

AileyCamp Enriches Inner-City Youth this Summer in 10 Cities Nationwide, including Newark and Washington Heights

AileyCamp, the innovative full-scholarship day camp, will provide approximately 1,000 inner-city students with an inspiring six-week program that uses the art of dance as a means to stretch their minds, bodies and spirits. AileyCampers, ages 11-14, will learn important life skills through classes in a variety of dance techniques, as well as in personal development and creative communication. AileyCamp Newark returns after its successful launch last summer, and AileyCamp Washington Heights will celebrate over 20 years of providing local students with life-changing experiences.

“I remember being inspired by the Ailey company as a middle-school student when I saw Alvin Ailey’s Revelations as 12-year-old boy in Miami,” said artistic director Robert Battle. “I really do feel that experience motivated me on my journey and I’d like to ensure that other young people can have that same transformative experience. Now, being at the helm, it’s an honor to continue Mr. Ailey’s vision that ‘dance came from the people and should always be delivered back to the people.’”

AileyCamps will culminate with a final performance for family, friends and community leaders where campers showcase their hard work in an original production of specially choreographed dances, poetry readings and theatrical improvisation.