AileyCamp to Serve Middle Schoolers in Nine Cities This Summer

AileyCamp, the nationally acclaimed full-scholarship program, will use the power of dance to provide a life-changing experience that stretches the minds, bodies, and spirits of students in nine cities this summer. Founded in 1989 by Alvin Ailey and Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey to positively impact young lives,  AileyCamp will serve 11–14-year-old middle schoolers in New York, where Children's Aid/AileyCamp marks 35 years, and Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Berkeley, CA; Kansas City, KS and MO; Miami, FL; Newark, NJ; and Seattle, WA.

Spanning several weeks, the AileyCamp curriculum instills discipline and unlocks potential during daily classes in ballet, Horton-based modern dance, jazz, and West African dance, personal development, and creative communication, which helps develop positive expression, conflict resolution, and critical thinking skills. Daily affirmations, such as “I will not use the word 'can't' to define my possibilities,” guide them on a journey to becoming confident, productive and motivated individuals.

“I am thrilled to engage with students across the country to offer the unique inspiration provided by AileyCamp,” says National Director, Nasha Thomas. “For over three decades, it has been remarkable to witness how many young lives are impacted each summer. I am honored, along with our dedicated faculty and alumni, to help the next generation step into their unlimited potential as we embody our national theme, TIME: Teach, Inspire, Mentor, Elevate.”

An important aspect of the program's success is in providing positive adult and peer role models and giving campers an invaluable opportunity to explore their creativity, learn to master their bodies, and strengthen their respect for themselves and others within a supportive framework that gives them an important foundation for the future. Camp tuition, uniforms, dance attire, field trips, breakfast and lunch are provided to each student free of charge.

Each AileyCamp presents a special final performance for family, friends, and community leaders, where campers showcase their hard work in original productions of choreographed dances, poetry readings, and theatrical improvisations. AileyCampers will have the opportunity to perform an excerpt inspired by Ronald K. Brown's masterwork, Grace, a rapturous blend of modern and West African dance originally created for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. To celebrate the metro area youth's transformation and accomplishments, AileyCamp Newark's final performance will be on Friday, August 7 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Children's Aid/AileyCamp New York on Friday, August 13 at Hostos Community College.

The AileyCamp experience extends beyond the summer sessions with reunions and special activities, including witnessing a performance by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which includes three AileyCamp alumni: Solomon Dumas (Chicago), the first former AileyCamper to join the troupe; Christopher Taylor (Newark), who also studied on scholarship at The Ailey School and danced with Ailey II prior to joining the company; and Sebastian Garcia (Washington Heights, NY). Although AileyCamp is not meant to be a training ground for professional dancers, some students receive scholarships for further study at The Ailey School or pursue training at other accredited dance schools and have later performed with professional dance companies. 

2026 AileyCamp Schedule:

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