Carmen De Lavallade News

The only African American lead producers on Broadway for the last 13 years they and their company Front Row Productions have blazed a trail of a?oefirsts,a?? Stephen C. Byrd and Alia Jones-Harvey have brought a unique brand of diversity to Broadway and London's West End by mounting new productions featuring non-traditional casting and diverse voices to the stage. Established in 2006, the Olivier Award Winning and Tony-nominated Producers strive to employ diverse talent, creative teams and management for all of their productions.

Theater Resources Unlimited presents the Writer-Producer Speed Date, a unique opportunity to pitch a project to a roomful of New York producers and artistic directors on Sunday, October 13, 2019 from 4:30pm to 8:30pm at the newly opened 797 Studios, 797 Eighth Avenue (betw. 48th and 49th), 3rd floor, NYC.

In celebration of 75 years of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library, From the Horse's Mouth will dedicate its next theater/dance performance event to the history of this storied institution and the establishment of its international dance archive. Rare film footage, videos and multimedia will enhance this edition of From the Horse's Mouth and its unique blend of movement and storytelling.

OVID.tv, the leading streaming service for documentary and art-house films, announced its line-up of 24 films joining its growing library of films in August 2019, most of which are not available on any other platform.

651 ARTS, Brooklyn's premier organization for the African Diasporic arts, today announced the appointment of seasoned nonprofit arts leader David J. Roberts as the renowned institution's new Executive Director. The selection of Roberts follows an extensive nationwide search led by cultural consulting firm CJAM Consulting, LLC and 651's Board of Directors. Roberts, who succeeds former Executive Director Shay Wafer, will report to the Board of Directors and will officially assume the role in August, 2019. 

Ford Theatres presents Rennie Harris Funkedified on Saturday, July 20 at 8:00 pm as part of its IGNITE @ the FORD! series. Celebrating the funk music and street dance of the 1970s, Funkedified challenges stereotypes and invites the audience to view hip-hop through a new lens.

The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals announced the winners of the 9th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off Broadway during the 2018-2019 season.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced today the Nominating Committee for the 2019-2020 Broadway season. The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2019 Lincoln Center engagement continued last night with the star-studded Ailey Spirit Gala. The centerpiece of Ailey's engagement celebrated the 50th Anniversary of The Ailey School, the official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and a springboard for many notable artists - including more than 70% of the Company's dancers.

Ford Theatres presents Rennie Harris Funkedified on Saturday, July 20 at 8:00 pm as part of its IGNITE @ the FORD! series. Celebrating the funk music and street dance of the 1970s, Funkedified challenges stereotypes and invites the audience to view hip-hop through a new lens.

Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will return to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts David H. Koch Theater for a seven-performance engagement from June 12-16. Highlights include the world premiere of Darrell Grand Moultrie's Ounce of Faith on Wednesday, June 12; The Ailey Spirit Gala benefit celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Ailey School on Thursday, June 13; performances celebrating and commemorating Pride Month; and a culminating program on Sunday, June 16 honoring dance legend Carmen de Lavallade.

Pioneering dancer, choreographer, founder, and LGBT icon Alvin Ailey will forever be remembered for taking a stand for equality, shining a spotlight on social justice, using his artistry to open hearts and minds around the world, and creating a safe space for other artists of all backgrounds to share their stories. Mr. Ailey said, to be who you are and become what you are capable of is the only goal worth living.' Carrying forward his revolutionary legacy, the Ailey organization celebrates Pride Month 2019 with an array of inspiring activities that will bring audiences to their feet and into the studios, including special performances during Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Lincoln Center engagement (June 12-16) and two Pride workshops for all movers at Ailey Extension.

The Kimmel Center Cultural Campus is thrilled to kick off the 50th anniversary season celebration for its beloved Resident Company, PHILADANCO, The Philadelphia Dance Company, with a presentation entitled GENESIS, followed by a star-studded, VIP reception honoring the legacy of PHILADANCO Founder & Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown, with proceeds from the event benefiting PHILADANCO. The reception will take place in the Academy of Music ballroom, home of PHILADANCO's first Gala in 1972. Reception attendees include former PHILADANCO dancer and former Tony Award-winning star of Hamilton Leslie Odom, Jr., who will perform at both the GENESIS performance on October 5 and at the reception. Both Odom, Jr. and Broadway & television star Sheryl Lee Ralph will serve as honorary co-chairs for the 50th anniversary year.

This June, Ailey Extension invites New Yorkers to celebrate dance onstage and off when NYC Dance Week returns Thursday, June 13 through Saturday, June 22, coinciding with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Lincoln Center engagement June 12-16, 2019. Throughout the annual citywide festival, Ailey Extension will offer over 25 free* dance and fitness classes for adults of all experience levels at The Joan Weill Center for Dance - New York's largest building dedicated to dance and the official home of Ailey. As a bonus, the entire family can come together on the dance floor during NYC Dance Week for a lively celebration of music, dance, and oral traditions with a free West African Family class with Maguette Camara on Friday, June 14 at 6:30pm.

The centerpiece of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Lincoln Center engagement is The Ailey Spirit Gala on Thursday, June 13th. The event launches the 50th Anniversary celebration of The Ailey School, which has served as a springboard for many notable artists, including more than 70% of the dancers in the Company. The evening's Honorary Chair is award-winning actress Lorraine Toussaint, who currently stars in NBC's The Village, Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, AMC's Into the Badlands, and the recently released supernatural thriller Fast Color. She will also star in the upcoming films Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark and The Glorias, where she will portray the iconic feminist and civil right activist Flo Kennedy opposite Julianne Moore. Toussaint is the parent of a student at The Ailey School.

Artistic Director Robert Battle has announced exciting highlights to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Lincoln Center season at the David H. Koch Theater June 12 – 16. In addition to a world premiere by Darrell Grand Moultrie and recent premieres by some of today's most revered choreographers across three distinct programs – Bold Visions, Trailblazers, and Timeless Ailey – the engagement includes The Ailey Spirit Gala benefit celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Ailey School; An Evening Honoring Carmen de Lavallade; and a series of special activities for people of all ages and backgrounds. The engagement also marks the debut of five new Company dancers.

The Juilliard School today announced that choreographer Alonzo King, actress Rita Moreno, and composer Kaija Saariaho will receive honorary doctorates during the school's 114th commencement ceremony

Capping off a joyous 60th Anniversary celebration that reached from coast to coast, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for seven performances at the David H. Koch Theater June 12 16, 2019. Helmed by Artistic Director Robert Battle, the season features a world premiere by Darrell Grand Moultrie his debut for the Company as well as recent premieres by some of today's most revered choreographers. The engagement also includes several rarely seen works by Alvin Ailey, an Ailey Spirit Gala benefit celebrating The Ailey School's 50th Anniversary, and a special evening honoring the legendary Carmen de Lavallade. Alvin Ailey's must-see masterpiece Revelations is the uplifting finale of each performance.

Bryan Arias, Artistic Director of ARIAS Company, receives the Jacob's Pillow Fellowship at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post. The fellowship includes a $15,000 grant, a residency at the Pillow Lab, and a residency at LIU Tilles Center. The newly established Fellowship represents a shared vision between the two organizations to broaden resources that allow artists to thrive and bring new work to stages in Massachusetts, New York, and beyond.

In celebration of her career as a dance critic, writer, dancer, choreographer and educator, From the Horse's Mouth will dedicate its next theater/dance performance event to Deborah Jowitt, whose lifelong accomplishments exemplify a storied career spanning more than 50 years.