Ailey All Access Returns with a Fall Series of Free Digital Broadcasts

The Ailey organization will resume Ailey All Access with a fall series of free programs from August 25 - November 17 in advance of the much-anticipated return to the New York City Center stage for live performances this December. The online initiative, which has built community and celebrated the indomitable human spirit through dance since March 2020, features presentations of performance broadcasts, Ailey Extension dance and fitness classes, and more.

The Ailey All Access free programs, viewable on Ailey's YouTube, will debut on select Wednesdays at 7pm EDT from August through November and be available online for two-week period. The series will kick off with a Battle 10th Anniversary program on August 25 commemorating his decade-long leadership as Ailey's Artistic Director, in conjunction with his August 28th birthday, with two of his audience favorites - Ella, a high-energy comical dance that matches Ella Fitzgerald's virtuosic scatting, and Mass, a ballet showcasing 16 dancers in ritualistic choreography set to a score by John Mackey. Ailey fans are invited to watch a video of two young students representing Ailey Arts In Education AileyCamps in New York and Kansas City narrate highlights of the book for young readers "My Story, My Dance: Robert Battle's Journey to Alvin Ailey." Published by Simon & Schuster, "This is the story of determination and passion, of study and talent. This is the story of Robert Battle and how he came to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater."

The Wednesday, September 8 Back-to-School program will highlight talented young dancers from The Ailey School. The broadcast will include students in a special duet choregraphed by Freddie Moore, the Student Performance Group Rehearsal Director, set to "Hallelu" by Toshi Reagon, as well as a performance by Clifton Brown and dancers from The Ailey School in Bird Lives!, based upon Alvin Ailey's dance tribute to jazz legend Charlie "Bird" Parker.

Jazz has provided the soundtrack to many of Ailey Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts' works for the Company including A Jam Session For Troubling Times, which will return to Ailey All Access on Wednesday, September 22. At a time in our world rife with chaos and uncertainty, A Jam Session for Troubling Times uses the energy, nuance, and virtuosity of the 'bebop' sound as a vehicle to lift our spirits and demonstrate that we are stronger than our circumstances. The work celebrates the centennial of revolutionary saxophonist and composer Charlie "Bird" Parker. The series continues on Wednesday, October 6 with a presentation of Roberts' Holding Space, an examination of the ways in which we are taking care. It asks: in what ways can we collectively accommodate one another to better traverse this new and unprecedented terrain?

In a joyful nod to the 50th anniversary of Alvin Ailey's iconic masterpiece, Cry, a film adaption of Jacqueline Green performing the work will stream on Wednesday, October 20. Dedicated to "all Black women everywhere - especially our mothers," the 16-minute tour-de-force solo created on his stunning muse, Judith Jamison, was an instant sensation and went on to become an enduring work of American art. Jacqueline Green is seen performing Cry in "Really Love," a romantic feature film available on Netflix, August 25 about a rising Black painter who tries to break into a competitive art world set against the backdrop of gentrifying Washington, DC.

Alvin Ailey's uplifting "blood memories" are the inspiration for the 2020 world premiere Testament that will be broadcasted on Wednesday, November 3. Weaving together deep personal experiences and an original score by composer Damien Sneed, Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, Company member and Assistant to the Rehearsal Director Clifton Brown and former Company member Yusha-Marie Sorzano present a tribute to Alvin Ailey's Revelations that follows a community of people turning pain into power and lament into hope. With world-class gardens and stunning views, Wave Hill's vibrant landscape sets the background for the ballet.

The Ailey All Access fall series concludes on November 17 with a program highlighting the works premiered during the 2021 Ailey Spring gala virtual broadcast - Hope, Promise, Future and For Four. Company members, Ghrai DeVore-Stokes (Hope), Chalvar Monteiro (Promise) and Kanji Segawa (Future) made various iconic New York City locations their stage to create the new dance films, including Hudson Yards, St. Nicholas Park and The Unisphere, one of the largest globes ever made and built as a symbol of world peace. The program will also feature For Four, a filmed dance choreographed by Robert Battle set to "Delfeayo's Dilemma" by Wynton Marsalis.

The Ailey Extension's Kids & Teens Sunday Dance Series returns with both in-studio and virtual classes to keep kids ages 5-17 moving through Fall 2021 from Sunday, September 19 - Sunday, December 12. Children ages 5-11 can join virtual hip-hop and ballet classes from wherever they are to learn the fundamentals of dance as they develop coordination and musicality. Students ages 12-14 and 15-17 can explore, ballet, contemporary, and/or hip-hop styles in a judgement-free zone during in-studio classes with a small group of their peers. For more information and to enroll in the full 12-week session or register to drop-in to one of the weekly classes please visit alvinailey.org/extension.

For further updates on the Ailey All Access fall series and schedule, visit www.alvinailey.org/ailey-all-access. As we move forward together, the Ailey organization will continue to find ways to uplift the Ailey community through dance. During these unprecedented times, the Ailey organization is grateful for contributions to the Still, We Dance campaign that is making it possible to share Ailey All Access. To enjoy a variety of digital content, follow Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Ailey Extension on Facebook and Instagram, The Ailey School on Instagram, and visit www.alvinailey.org regularly for updates.