Alvin Ailey News

Generously sponsored by Herb Chambers Toyota, FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS is coming to The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester on Wednesday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m.

'America's not used to seeing a black face in this particular art form,' says 16-year-old Naazir Muhammad about ballet. He should know. He and his twin brother, Shaakir, both practice ballet at the American Ballet Theatre School in New York. Both are aware that ballet is expected to have a certain face. The Dance Theatre of Harlem defies these expectations. Because of this, the company is special in two ways. It is innovative and radical in existing as well as being innovative and radical in dance. Aretha Franklin en point? You never.

FirstWorks, a non-profit presenting arts organization, today announced their 2014 - 2015 season will kick off in September with a 10th anniversary bash and includes a year full of extraordinary performances, arts learning programs and the next FirstWorks Festival on the Plaza in June 2015.

FirstWorks, a non-profit presenting arts organization, today announced their 2014 - 2015 season will kick off in September with a 10th anniversary bash and includes a year full of extraordinary performances, arts learning programs and the next FirstWorks Festival on the Plaza in June 2015.

Princeton Ballet School's Summer Intensive Program will be hosting several guest teachers this year, including New York City Ballet dancer Unity Phelan. Phelan originally trained at Princeton Ballet School from 2000 to 2009, and then continued her training at the School of American Ballet, the official training academy of New York City Ballet. She became an apprentice of the company in December of 2012, and joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in November of 2013.

Thodos Dance Chicago is gearing up to let its ensemble call all of their own shots at the company's popular, highly-charged New Dances performance series, this weekend, July 18-20, 2014 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago.

The New York Dance and Performance Awards (The Bessies), NYC's premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, celebrates a milestone 30th anniversary this year. Today, the 36 nominees for the 2013-14 season were announced at a press conference by members of The Bessies Selection Committee. The nominations (listed below) were selected by an independent committee of 40 dance industry professionals. Produced in partnership with Dance/NYC, Bessie Award categories include Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Production, Outstanding Visual Design, Outstanding Music Composition or Sound Design and Outstanding Revival.

Pump Boys and Dinettes, the final production of the 2014 Encores! Off-Center series, stars Jordan Dean, Hunter Foster, Mamie Parris, Randy Redd, Katie Thompson and Lorenzo Wolff. Pump Boys, running today, July 16, through the 19th, is directed by Lear deBessonet and choreographed by Danny Mefford. Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off-Center artistic director; Chris Fenwick is the music director.

American Repertory Ballet has named Vanessa Logan as its new Executive Director. Logan joins ARB from Boston Ballet, where she most recently served as Chief of Staff.

New York Live Arts today announced further programming details for the suite of all-new world premiere works created by 2012-2014 Resident Commissioned Artist(RCA) Kyle Abraham, including a fourth, previously unannounced ensemble work. Known for creating “voluptuous movement phrases with touches of dance-theater” (The New York Times) Abraham and his company, Abraham.In.Motion, will present four works-one evening-length, two ensemble works and one trio-over two programs titled The Watershed and When the Wolves Came In at New York Live Arts from September 23 through 27 and September 30 through October 4, 2014. Exploring two totemic triumphs in the international history of the civil rights, the 150 year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 20 year anniversary of the abolishment of apartheid in South Africa, the works feature visual design by acclaimed conceptual artist Glenn Ligon and original music performed live by world renowned jazz artist Robert Glasper, accompanied by two musicians and a vocalist.

The Second Annual Southern Vermont Dance Festival July 17-20 in downtown Brattleboro features the works of renowned and emerging artists in three galas - two at the Latchis Theatre and one at the Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College, NH, along with a less formal concert series at the Stone Church in downtown Brattleboro, VT.

Princeton Ballet School's Summer Intensive Program will be hosting several guest teachers this year, including New York City Ballet dancer Unity Phelan. Phelan originally trained at Princeton Ballet School from 2000 to 2009, and then continued her training at the School of American Ballet, the official training academy of New York City Ballet. She became an apprentice of the company in December of 2012, and joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in November of 2013.

Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post, Long Island's leading showplace, today announced its 2014-15 season, featuring some of the most celebrated stars of comedy, music, and dance.

Chicago Dancing Festival founders Lar Lubovitch and Jay Franke are pleased to announce today additional works being added to the 2014 Festival lineup, including two more World Premieres, plus plans for a pre- and post-performance sponsors party around the "Celebration of Dance" Grand Finale performance, Saturday, August 23. Free tickets for the Festival's indoor performances become available to the public this week, July 8 and 9. The 2014 Chicago Dancing Festival, featuring top ballet, modern and hip-hop companies from Chicago and across the country, is set to take place August 20 - 23.

Chicago Dancing Festival founders Lar Lubovitch and Jay Franke have announced today additional works being added to the 2014 Festival lineup, including two more World Premieres, plus plans for a pre- and post-performance sponsors party around the "Celebration of Dance" Grand Finale performance, Saturday, August 23. Free tickets for the Festival's indoor performances become available to the public this week, July 8 and 9. The 2014 Chicago Dancing Festival, featuring top ballet, modern and hip-hop companies from Chicago and across the country, is set to take place August 20 - 23.

The National Alliance For Musical Theatre (NAMT) announced today its selections for the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals. Beautiful Poison, Cubamor, Great Wall, How To Break, Mary Marie, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes, String and Stu For Silverton make up the eight new musicals that will be presented at the 26th Annual Festival of New Musicals on Thursday, October 23, 2014 and Friday, October 24, 2014 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).

On June 23, 2014, many young dancers started summer dance programs with Princeton Ballet School at its Cranbury studio and on campus at Princeton University. These programs are known as Summer Intensive Intermediates and Summer Intensive Juniors. They are divisions of Princeton Ballet School's Summer Intensive, a nationally recognized program in its 32nd year.

“Gotta Dance: A Tribute To…Life!” a spectacular, new stage extravaganza celebrating dance through the years, is set for a World Premiere showcase July 2 and 3, 2014, at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in the Troesh Studio Theatre, presented by The HAND Company, directed and choreographed by Giulio Scatola, and produced by Steve Hand, with production design by Emmy Award winner, Andy Walmsley and music produced by Josh Connolly.

Michael Cerveris, Isaiah Johnson, Randy Newman, Laura Osnes, Vonda Shepard, Brooklyn Shuck, Tony Vincent and Broadway Inspirational Voices have been cast in Randy Newman's Faust: The Concert, which will be performed tonight, July 1 as the second Encores! Off-Center presentation of the 2014 season. Faust will be directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Marcos Santana. Jeanine Tesori is the Encores! Off-Center artistic director; Chris Fenwick is its music director.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Lincoln Center season features audience favorites along with fresh additions to the company's already extensive repertoire. The array of lineages celebrated in every Ailey program is not only a testament to the virtuosity of the company, but also highlights the astute curatorial eye of Ailey's Artistic Director Robert Battle.