Robert Battle News

The Auditorium Theatre announces programming for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's March 4-8, 2020 performances in Chicago, featuring Midwest premieres and Ailey classics. The company gives the Midwest premiere to three works: Ode, created by Ailey dancer and the company's first-ever Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts; Greenwood, Donald Byrd's ensemble work inspired by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre; and Ounce of Faith, Darrell Grand Moultrie's ode to teachers and mentors. The engagement also includes Chicago premieres of BUSK, Aszure Barton's 2009 work premiered by the Ailey company in 2019, and The Call by Ronald K. Brown, a joyous mix of modern and West African dance. The company brings new productions of Ailey Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison's Divining and Lar Lubovitch's Fandango, along with audience favorites In/Side and Ella by Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle. Keeping with Chicago tradition, every performance ends with company founder Alvin Ailey's masterpiece Revelations.

After experiencing a performance like last night's one yearns for another 1000 years of revelations. In keeping with honouring the affiliated school's anniversary, it feels comforting to know that there is a clear pipeline for keeping the company strong. Here's to a continued vision of strength in 2020.

On Tuesday, December 10th, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues its holiday season with a celebration of The Ailey School's 50th anniversary, honoring its standard of excellence for providing exceptional training to more than 3,500 students annually. This special evening features students performing alongside the Company in Alvin Ailey's Memoria and Revelations.

Battery Dance is now accepting applications for the 39th Annual Battery Dance Festival, with free performances on August 15-21, 2020. To apply, visit https://batterydance.org/apply/. The Deadline to apply is February 1, 2020.

Battery Dance is now accepting applications for the 39th Annual Battery Dance Festival, with free performances on August 15-21, 2020. To apply, visit https://batterydance.org/apply/.

Last night, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2019-2020 holiday season engagement at New York City Center kicked off with a star-studded Opening Night Gala Benefit performance and party led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, with award-winning actress and singer Renée Elise Goldsberry as honorary chair. 

“Mr. Ailey had this notion that a dancer needed to know or understand multiple techniques and styles,” she explains. “He was ahead of his time in that regard. Without realizing it, he was thinking about the future o

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater kicks off its five-week holiday season with a one-night only gala benefit on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm, complete with an exceptional performance at New York City Center and dinner-party at the Hilton New York Grand Ballroom.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater kicks off its five-week holiday season with a one-night only gala benefit on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm, complete with an exceptional performance at New York City Center and dinner-party at the Hilton New York Grand Ballroom. The gala honors Philanthropist Elaine Wynn & The Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation for their generous contributions which have supported the creation of new works as well as the Elaine Wynn & Family Education Wing, which in 2017 added three floors a?" featuring four dance studios and two classrooms a?" to The Joan Weill Center for Dance, New York's largest building dedicated to dance.  The event's co-chairs are Emily & Len Blavatnik, Paulette Mullings Bradnock & Howard Bradnock, Mellody Hobson & George Lucas, Daria L & Eric J. Wallach and Joan & Sandy Weill.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater announces programming for a historic night at Ailey celebrating Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya on Sunday, December 22nd at 7:30pm at New York City Center. Previously, Robert Battle, Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, shared the news that the Company's beloved mainstay for nearly five decades, Mr. Chaya, intends to retire on January 5, 2020, at the conclusion of the Company's New York City Center season. Having joined the Company in 1972 as a dancer, Mr. Chaya performed under Mr. Ailey's direction for 15 years, subsequently assumed responsibility for rehearsing the Company-a role for which Mr. Ailey had cultivated him-and for more than 28 years, as Associate Artistic Director, has maintained the repertoire, handled innumerable creative decisions, and guided generations of the Company's dancers.

Juilliard Dance, under the direction of Alicia Graf Mack, announces New Dances: Edition 2019 taking place December 11-15, 2019, in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater. The first-year dancers are working with alumna and acclaimed choreographer Amy Hall Garner. The second-year class is working with Jamar Roberts, a dancer and resident choreographer at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will launch a five-week holiday season on December 4 with a star-studded gala benefit performance at New York City Center and party at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. The special evening celebrates philanthropist Elaine Wynn and the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation. Wynn's generous contributions have supported the creation of new works as well as the Elaine Wynn & Family Education Wing, which in 2017 added three floors – featuring four dance studios and two classrooms – to The Joan Weill Center for Dance, New York's largest building dedicated to dance.

'DANCERS DEMAND ACTION,' a dance performance aligning art with activism, will take place at The Joyce Theater on November 11 at 7:30pm. The show is a collaboration between nine New York-based dance companies who are volunteering their time and creative energies to enable a portion of the proceeds to support Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a partner organization of Everytown for Gun Safety.

Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Season Preview featuring Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts on Monday, November 18 at 7:30pm.

a??a??a??a??a??a??a??The Ailey School, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, was selected to perform in the 2019 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Over 100 students from all programs of The Ailey School will answer the call of a?oeLet's Have a Parade,a?? the iconic phrase that has signaled the start of every Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1924.  Led by The Ailey School Co-Director Tracy Inman, the dancers from age seven to 25 will perform a dance inspired by the a?oeRocka My Soula?? finale of Alvin Ailey's American masterpiece Revelations.

Works & Process at the Guggenheim is pleased to announce its fall 2019 season. Since 1984 the performing arts series has championed new works and offered audiences unprecedented access to leading creators.

ODC/Dance is pleased to announce that company dancer Mia J. Chong has been honored with a Princess Grace Award in Dance, and will receive the Princess Grace Foundation's prestigious Chris Hellman Dance Award.  

BalletX, led by Artistic & Executive Director Christine Cox, is proud to announce that company dancer Stanley Glover is the recipient of a 2019 Princess Grace Award in Dance. The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) enlisted one of its most illustrious Award winners, Leslie Odom Jr., to announce the winners on August 13, 2019. The Awards will be presented at the Foundation's annual Gala and continue the legacy of Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco, who helped emerging artists pursue their artistic goals during Her lifetime. Since 1982, the Foundation has awarded nearly 800 artists with grants totaling over $1 million annually in theater, dance and film. In the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, this year's Gala will be held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on November 25, 2019.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, returns to the theater's stage from December 4, 2019 a?' January 5, 2020. Artistic Director Robert Battle leads Ailey's 32 extraordinary dancers during this annual five-week engagement, which has become a joyous holiday tradition.  The repertory features more than two dozen diverse works by some of the world's preeminent choreographers, including world premieres by Donald Byrd and Ailey dancer and newly announced Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts, company premieres by Aszure Barton and Camille A. Brown, and new productions by Judith Jamison and Lar Lubovitch.

Last year, in 2018, the third annual Dancers For Good Benefit supporting the Actors Fund Dancers Resource in East Hampton was so impressive that I challenged the founders to 'high-kick it up a notch even higher next year'. I'm thrilled to announce that not only did they clearly accept that challenge, they superseded all expectations!