Tag: alvin ailey american dance theater

3 Reasons Why We're Pumped for the New "AILEY" Documentary

Calling all dance history enthusiasts: the AILEY documentary opens today in movie theaters nationwide. Directed by Jamila Wignot, the work is a moving biography of the legendary choreographer, dancer, director, and activist Alvin Ailey. Here are just a few reasons why we can’t wait to watch it. #1 The doc enables us to explore Ailey’s […]

8 Dance-Centric Juneteenth Celebrations to Check Out This Weekend

Dance organizations across the country have been planning ways to celebrate Juneteenth since well before it was declared a federal holiday by Congress this week. June 19 marks the date on which news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Galveston, TX, more than two years after the Civil War was declared over and enslaved people in […]

Essential Viewing: “WE. DANCE.”, a Powerful Video by Ailey’s Dancers

“When our hearts break, WE Dance.” That’s the caption for this video, created by and featuring dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Made in the midst of widespread protests over the death of George Floyd and so many other innocent Black people, it features poetic text written and performed by company member Hope Boykin, […]

Jamar Roberts Writes a Letter to His Teenage Self

Jamar Roberts is an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater icon. He’s danced with the company for more than 15 years, and at 6′ 4″, he cuts a powerful and immediately recognizable figure onstage. As a choreographer, he is prolific, passionate, and political—his most recent, instantly iconic piece for Ailey, Ode, is a meditation on the […]

6 Dancers Dish on Their Toughest Roles of All Time

As an audience member, it’s easy to overlook how much work went into the performance onstage—a dancer’s job is to make it look effortless, after all. But every pro has tackled a role that made them doubt themselves, whether by testing their stamina, pushing them out of their comfort zones, or touching on their vulnerabilities […]