Alvin Ailey News

MIAMI, Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts), the non-profit organization that contributes to the cultural vitality of the nation by supporting the artistic development of talented young artists, is celebrating YoungArts Awareness Day, a nationwide initiative to 'keep arts alive' today, Monday, September 8, 2014. Encouraging everyone who has a creative instinct to take part, YoungArts Awareness Day will feature pop-up performances and events in Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville and New York City, and invites artists across the country to create and share their own work or their artistic experiences via social media with the tags #keepartsalive, #youngarts and #youngartsawarenessday.

Longtime arts patrons Ann and William Van Ness welcomed guests to their art filled townhouse for a very special kickoff cocktail reception for the committees and honorees of the upcoming ROLEX presents NEW YORK NEW YORK a helluva town - Career Transition For Dancers' 29th Anniversary Jubilee which takes place Monday, October 6, 2014 followed by dinner at The Grand Ballroom at The Hilton New York. Scroll down for photos from the soiree!

California Shakespeare Theater continues its 2014 season with Shakespeare's comic exploration of love in all its glory and madness, A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Shana Cooper, with movement by Erika Chong Shuch. A Midsummer Night's Dream plays at the Bruns Amphitheater now through September 28. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Company XIV presents the World Premiere of Rococo Rouge, conceived, directed and choreographed by Austin McCormick. Rococo Rouge runs from September 9 to November 2, 2014 in a limited 8-week engagement at Company XIV's new intimate, 100-seat theatre-lounge home, XIV, located at 428 Lafayette Street, between Astor Place and East 4th Street in New York City. Previews begin September 9 for a September 20 opening.

This September, American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School will be participating in community events throughout central Jersey: Cranbury Day in Cranbury, Septemberfest in Hamilton, and the Hub City Sounds Festival in New Brunswick.

FirstWorks and the City of Providence announce the final line-up of artists from across the globe for the FirstWorks Urban Carnevale. The Urban Carnevale is a celebratory evening of music, spectacle, art, and food capping four days of activities celebrating FirstWorks 10th Anniversary. The free public celebration brings the world to Providence with awe-inspiring performances from Australia, Italy, Morocco, Mali, and Rhode Island on Saturday, September 20, 2014, starting at 5:00 PM in the Providence Rink and surrounding parks, Kennedy Plaza, downtown Providence.

Randy James' all male dance company, 10 Hairy Legs continues the company's aggressive repertory expansion in its third season exploring the range of the male dancer, adding 8 new works to its already extensive list.

Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director Devon Carney today announced the appointment of three new members of the artistic staff: Grace Holmes as the new Director of Kansas City Ballet School, Kristi Capps as the new Ballet Master and Anthony Krutzkamp as newly created position of Manager of KCB II. Carney also announced eleven new members of the Company, increasing the Company from 28 to 29 members for the 2014-2015 season. He also announced the appointment of four new KCB II dancers, which stands at six members. Carney also announced the creation of a Trainee Program with five students, two selected from Kansas City Ballet School.

ROLEX presents NEW YORK NEW YORK a helluva town - Career Transition For Dancers' 29th Anniversary Jubilee on Monday, October 6, 2014 at 7:00 pm at New York City Center, 131 West 55 Street (btwn. 6th & 7th Aves) NYC followed by dinner at The Grand Ballroom at The Hilton New York. Angela Lansbury will receive the 2014 Rolex Dance Award. The Rockette Alumnae and Karen Ziemba will perform "I Want To Be A Rockette." This special number was written by Alan Menken and Tom Eyen.

Soho Rep. and The Play Company, in association with John Adrian Selzer, announce casting and the creative team for the U.S. premiere of debbie tucker green's generations. The production, September 30-October 26, reunites the playwright with director Leah C. Gardiner, who worked together on the OBIE Award-winning 2011 production of born bad. generations features a 12-person community chorus led by music director Bongi Duma (The Lion King). The cast includes Shyko Amos (An Octoroon), Mamoudou Athie, Khail Toi Bryant (The Lion King), Ntombikhona Dlamini (Sarafina!), Thuli Dumakude (The Lion King, Poppie Nongena), Jonathan Peck (The Lion in Winter) and Michael Rogers (born bad, Breakfast With Mugabe).

Randy James' all male dance company, 10 Hairy Legs continues the company's aggressive repertory expansion in its third season exploring the range of the male dancer, adding 8 new works to its already extensive list.

California Shakespeare Theater continues its 2014 season with Shakespeare's comic exploration of love in all its glory and madness, A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Shana Cooper, with movement by Erika Chong Shuch. A Midsummer Night's Dream plays at the Bruns Amphitheater from tonight, September 3 through September 28.

Dancers Over 40....And Friends will celebrate its 20th Anniversary season with a full roster of exciting events, including:

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized as a vital "American Cultural Ambassador" to the world and New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, returns to the New York City Center stage for the 43rd consecutive year from December 3, 2014 - January 4, 2015. The Company will present 39 performances during an exciting annual season that has become a joyous holiday tradition.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized as a vital "American Cultural Ambassador" to the world and New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, returns to the New York City Center stage for the 43rd consecutive year from December 3, 2014 - January 4, 2015. The Company will present 39 performances during an exciting annual season that has become a joyous holiday tradition.

The 1st Annual Blake Whyte Music Festival is Sunday, Sept.7 at 7 pm at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, 405 West 55th St. Actor/Singer/Songwriter Blake Whyte (Wicked, Mamma Mia!) is presenting an evening of World Premiere Music and Dance, Collaborating with Six Different Choreographers. For tickets, visit: blakewhyte.com

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 25 3-5pm MAG Gallery, 126 Larchmont Avenue, Larchmont, NY. Hours: Tues-Sat 11-5pm. Exhibition Oct 21-November 15. Hilda Green Demsky, a Fulbright Fellow, recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts grant and winner of the Andy Warhol Visual Arts Residency, has had an extensive, multi-faceted career focusing on the ebb and flow of her life. From the Pennsylvania coal mines of her youth, to our polluted waterways, to the cosmos, to the parks of New York and New England (Artist-in-Residence at Acadia National Park), Ms. Demsky shares the highlights of her career as a fine artist in this 60-year retrospective exhibition. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art & Design, Ms. Demsky began paintings of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, which were exhibited at City Center Gallery and Lincoln Center. Travel has been a big influence in her outpouring of canvases, as she received numerous art residencies, awards and fellowships from all over the world creating landscape, abstract and environmental paintings. Her outer space artworks were inspired by an invitation to witness a launch at the NASA Space Center in Florida after receiving the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship. Her exhibition at the National Gallery of Costa Rica reflected her love of painting 'en plein air' on canvas and Mylar. A resident of Larchmont, NY, Ms. Demsky has been a member of the Mamaroneck Artists Guild for 42 years and is a member of the Katonah Museum Art Association, the Pen & Brush, and National Association of Women's Artists. The book, 'Hilda Green Demsky: The Flow of the Artist's Life and Work,' containing her biography and more than 100 color photographs of her paintings, will accompany this exhibition. Contact: For more information contact: Suzanne Montresor MAG Gallery Director 126 Larchmont Avenue, Larchmont NY Tel: 914 834-1117 (closed in August) e-mail: mag2120@verizon.net or JordanaAlford@gmail.com, (617) 750-2085

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts), the non-profit organization that contributes to the cultural vitality of the nation by supporting the artistic development of talented young artists, today announces YoungArts Awareness Day, a nationwide initiative to "keep arts alive" on Monday, September 8. Encouraging everyone who has a creative instinct to take part, YoungArts Awareness Day will feature pop-up performances and events in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City and invites artists across the country to create and share their own work, or their artistic experiences at museums and concerts via social media with the tags #keepartsalive, #youngarts and #youngartsawarenessday.

This September, American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School will be participating in community events throughout central Jersey: Cranbury Day in Cranbury, Septemberfest in Hamilton, and the Hub City Sounds Festival in New Brunswick.