The Ailey School

The Ailey School Co-Director Tracy Inman with students from the Professional Division
Please Credit Photo: The Ailey School Co-Director Tracy Inman with students from the Professional Division. Photo by Nir Arieli
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The Ailey School is the official school of the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 1969, Alvin Ailey founded The Ailey School (then called the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center) in Brooklyn, New York, with an initial enrollment of 125 students. Guided by Mr. Ailey’s mission that dance is for everybody, the School offers programs for aspiring dancers from ages 3 to 25.

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Co-Directors of The Ailey School, Tracy Inman and Melanie Person
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Students from The Ailey School Professional Division
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The Ailey School's Junior Division
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Ailey School co-director Melanie Person with students from the Professional Division
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Ana Marie Forsythe with The Ailey School students
Ana Marie Forsythe with The ... (Read More) Ana Marie Forsythe with The Ailey School students (Hide)
Co-Directors of The Ailey School, Tracy Inman and Melanie Person
Students from The Ailey School Professional Division
The Ailey School's Junior Division
Ailey School co-director Melanie Person with students from the Professional Division
Ana Marie Forsythe with The Ailey School students
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Featured Video

The Ailey School Overview
The Ailey School Overview
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Featured News Releases

ALL ARTS Presents a Look Inside Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle’s New Directions Choreography Lab in an Eight-Part Digital Series, Premiering May 2

ALL ARTS, the streaming platform and channel dedicated to the arts, will premiere Alvin Ailey New Directions, an eight-part digital series documenting the creative process of two choreographers as they explore new directions in dance during their residencies at the New Directions Choreography Lab, a creative residency program hosted by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle and The Ailey School, with Co-Director Melanie Person.

Ailey Shares The Gift Of Holiday Revelations With Free Streaming Of Opening Night Gala From December 21 Through January 2

NEW YORK – December 21, 2022 – The Ailey organization is sharing the gift of holiday Revelations with a free streaming of the 2022 Opening Night Gala at New York City Center from today, Wednesday, December 21 through Monday, January 2 on Ailey All Access, YouTube and Facebook. The one-night-only celebration features special appearances from Honorary Chair Tamron Hall, the two-time Emmy-winning TV host, journalist, author and producer, and philanthropist Denise Littlefield Sobel, the Honoree.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Return to Atlanta February 16-19, 2023 For Five Exciting Performances At The Fox Theatre

ATLANTA – December 21, 2022 – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, beloved as one of the world’s most popular dance companies, returns to the Fox Theatre, February 16-19 for five show-stopping performances featuring eight different dance works as part of a 22-city North American tour. Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Ailey’s extraordinary dancers will move audiences with world and company premieres by Kyle Abraham, Jamar Roberts, and Twyla Tharp. In addition to two repertory favorites by Robert Battle, founder Alvin Ailey’s choreography is spotlighted with a new production of Survivors for the first-time ever, a dance from his legendary collaboration with Duke Ellington, and the must-see masterpiece Revelations as the inspiring finale of all performances.

Featured Press Coverage

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All Arts - When Feeling Wrong Is Right: How Choreographer Quilan 'Cue' Arnold Plays With Responsibility

Note: This article is presented as part of the ALL ARTS program “Alvin Ailey New Directions” by filmmaker Steven Tabakin. The eight-part digital series follows choreographers Quilan “Cue” Arnold and Maria Bauman as they work with dancers from The Ailey School as part of their New Directions Choreography Lab residencies. Here, Arnold shares further insight into his process.

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Dance Magazine - A High Degree of Success: The Ailey/Fordham Dance BFA Turns 25

The story took flight with a chance encounter at the 60th Street post office in Manhattan. It was the mid-'90s and Denise Jefferson, then head of The Ailey School, and Edward Bristow, then dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, would often bump into each other in the neighborhood. At that point, both schools were already looking for ways to expand their relationship, and Jefferson had previously floated the idea of starting a BFA program. While standing in line to buy stamps, Bristow says, their friendly chitchat set in motion an idea to form a planning committee tasked with creating a BFA program that would change the lives of scores of young dancers.

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All Arts - At Alvin Ailey, Choreographers Explore New Directions in Dance

The eight-part ALL ARTS digital series "Alvin Ailey New Directions" traces the creative journeys of choreographers Quilan “Cue” Arnold and Maria Bauman during their New Directions Choreography Lab residencies. The studio is a stage in filmmaker Steven Tabakin’s “Alvin Ailey New Directions,” an eight-part digital series that follows choreographers Quilan “Cue” Arnold and Maria Bauman as they work with dancers from The Ailey School as part of their New Directions Choreography Lab residencies.