AILEY Honors the Life & Legacy of Judith Jamison During 2024-25 Season with Inspiring Performances, New Certification Program & Workshops for All Ages
With heavy hearts, we share that Judith Jamison (age 81), Artistic Director Emerita of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 9, 2024, after a brief illness surrounded by the love of close friends.
Miami Living remembers her for her artistry, humanity and incredible light, which inspired many. She will be dearly missed but her legacy will live on at AILEY for generations to come.
Leading Force
Ms. Jamison was an unparalleled force in American dance, a powerhouse performer, and a visionary. Every person who has met her or seen her dance, even briefly, was affected by her beauty, grace, love, and sincerity. As a dancer, Ms. Jamison embodied Alvin Ailey’s tenet to make the choreography her own more than any other. She left an unforgettable personal stamp on many of his ballets, most powerfully in the solo Cry, which Mr. Ailey choreographed on her in 1971, catapulting her to international stardom.
She became Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Mr. Ailey asked her to succeed him before his untimely death. She went to work furthering everything he began – championing choreographers, nurturing dancers, expanding arts in education programs, and leading the effort to achieve the long-time dream of AILEY’s permanent home - The Joan Weill Center for Dance, and so much more. Under her stewardship, the Company flourished, reaching new heights of success with expanded international touring. Ms. Jamison carried on Mr. Ailey’s legacy by mentoring, and inspiring hundreds of dancers in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, The Ailey School, and Ailey Extension. She did not just teach dance; she embodied Mr. Ailey’s legacy. She taught that dance was about more than just well-executed steps, it was about the ability to bring one’s whole humanity to a performance, to be a human being on the stage.
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER KICKS OFF SEASON CELEBRATING ‘LEGACY IN MOTION’ AND LIFE AND LEGACY OF BELOVED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR EMERITA JUDITH JAMISON WITH HOLIDAY ENGAGEMENT AT NEW YORK CITY CENTER DECEMBER 4 - JANUARY 5
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, America’s cultural ambassador to the world, returns to the New York City Center stage for its annual holiday engagement, December 4, 2024–January 5, 2025. The five-week run kicks off the 2024-25 season celebrating Legacy in Motion and the life and legacy of beloved Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison, with new works by choreographers inspired by founder Alvin Ailey’s artistry alongside returning favorites. Throughout the season audiences will be treated to the world premieres of Sacred Songs by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, Finding Free by Hope Boykin, Many Angels by Lar Lubovitch, and Al-Andalus Blues by Jamar Roberts. The season also includes the 25th anniversary staging of Ronald K. Brown’s rapturous blockbuster Grace and a new production of Elisa Monte’s mesmerizing Treading. Live music will be presented at select performances of Finding Free, Sacred Songs, and Alvin Ailey’s soul-stirring masterpiece Revelations.
Performances kick off with a one-night-only Opening Night Gala on Wednesday, December 4 honoring legendary dance educator Jody Gottfried Arnhold for her steadfast commitment to accessible dance education for all and her invaluable support of AILEY’s mission. Honorary Chairs for the evening are Gayle King, co-host of CBS Mornings and editor-at-large of Oprah Daily, and Phylicia Rashad, two-time Tony® Award-winning actress. This extravaganza begins with a special program showcasing Grace with a special live music performance by Tony® and GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Leslie Odom, Jr. with composer, visual artist, and GRAMMY® Award-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant; and the indelible Revelations, accompanied by a live choir. Immediately after, guests will gather at the Ziegfeld Ballroom for a delightful evening of dinner and dancing.
Following the New York City Center performances, the Company will embark on its 2025 coast-to-coast US tour, including a return to Atlanta's Fox Theatre, February 12–16, with additional stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC, among others.
EDGES OF AILEY EXHIBITION AT THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART WOWS CROWDS
Edges of Ailey, the first ever large-scale museum exhibition to reflect on Alvin Ailey’s life, work, and legacy, opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art this fall attracting a multitude of AILEY fans — including a special visit from former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama — to witness the allure of Mr. Ailey’s vast cultural influence. Dubbed “one of the most ambitious shows the museum has ever presented” by The New York Times, the landmark installation caused an immediate stir, generating positive reviews and drawing massive crowds to the museum, from longtime AILEY fans to people discovering his work for the first time. With artworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Faith Ringgold, and Kara Walker; letters from Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes; archival footage of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; and Alvin Ailey’s own diaries, Edges of Ailey offers a deep and sprawling look at the vast reach of Mr. Ailey’s cultural and artistic influence. The multifaceted exhibition also encompasses a suite of dance performances—including upcoming presentations from Ailey II—and workshops for all ages led by AILEY teaching artists.
Edges of Ailey is on display now through February 9, 2025. For more information about the exhibition and accompanying performances and workshops, including how to get tickets, please visit whitney.org.
AILEY II, THE NEXT GENERATION OF DANCE, CONTINUES US TOUR WITH PERFORMANCES ACROSS AMERICA NOW THROUGH MAY 2025
Ailey II, the celebrated second company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, continues the second leg of its 28-city tour, with enchanting performances now through May 1, 2025. The next generation of dance is captivating audiences across the United States from Albuquerque, NM, to Kansas City, MO, and Miami, FL, before returning home for its annual New York City season at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, March 26–April 6, 2025. The 2024-25 repertory features two world premieres by former Ailey II member Alia Kache, and by Houston Thomas, as well as repertory favorites and beloved classics.
THE AILEY SCHOOL NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR INAUGURAL AILEY TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM: AILEY HORTON TECHNIQUE
The Ailey School is launching the Ailey Teacher Certification Program with its first dedicated field of study: Ailey Horton Technique. This new professional development program invites participants to deepen their understanding of the technique, preparing them to teach with confidence and become a part of the Ailey legacy. Through a combination of physical practice, independent study, and group discussion taking place in-person and online, the course develops in educators an expanded level of confidence and awareness in their teaching practice. This certification process will prepare instructors to communicate with artistic integrity and gain an elevated awareness of movement, musicality, and storytelling, allowing them to foster similar transformations among their own students.
Ailey Teacher Certification Program: Ailey Horton Technique begins in the summer of 2025 and applications for the Level 1 certification are now being accepted. For more information including how to apply, please visit ailey.org/training.
On October 18, students from The Ailey School appeared at the historic Carnegie Hall for Can We Know the Sounds of Forgiveness, a collaborative performance of music, visual art, and dance. Directed by Steven Jiménez and choreographed by Harrison Guy, the one-night-only performance also featured The Crossing, “America’s most astonishing choir”; text by bestselling author Benjamin Alire Sáenz; a performance by flutist Alejandro Escuer; and photography by Adam Holender.
AILEY EXTENSION OFFERS FOUR WORKSHOPS WITH FORMER COMPANY MEMBERS TO CELEBRATE
NEW YORK CITY CENTER SEASON
Ailey Extension is offering a series of four AILEY Legacy Workshops with former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater members to coincide with the New York City Center season. Director of Ailey Extension Lisa Johnson-Willingham will host the fifth annual FREE Revelations Around the World Workshop on December 7 at 3:30pm, inviting dancers from across the globe to come together online and learn sections of Alvin Ailey’s timeless masterpiece. Sarita Allen will lead an Ailey Classics Workshop on December 14 at 3:30pm, teaching in-studio and online participants choreography from Alvin Ailey’s Memoria, a moving ballet dedicated to Mr. Ailey’s friend Joyce Trisler that brings together dancers from the Company, Ailey II, and The Ailey School. Master ballet instructor Don Bellamy returns to AILEY for a special in-studio AILEY Masterclass on December 21 at 3:30pm. Wrapping up the season on January 5, 2025 at 1:30pm, former Ailey dancer Linda Celeste Sims will lead in-studio and online participants in a Celebrating Alvin Ailey Workshop exploring Mr. Ailey’s genius as a choreographer on what would have been his 94th birthday.
To learn more about upcoming Ailey Extension workshops and weekly classes, including to sign up, please visit ailey.org/classes.
AILEY ARTS IN EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS GET THE YOUNG AND YOUNG AT HEART MOVING IN NEWARK, NJ AND NEW YORK CITY
AileyDance for Active Aging has returned to reach older adults in community centers and residential homes for independent and assisted living across New York City and Newark, NJ. More than a fitness program, AileyDance for Active Aging serves as an outlet for artistic expression encouraging participants to generate choreography and cultivate their imaginations while building a greater sense of community and social engagement.
This marks the third year that AileyDance for Active Aging will take place at five individual Newark-based sites. On December 10, all five groups will unite for a joyful presentation and luncheon. The New York sites are in full swing at the Rodney Kirk Center at Manhattan Plaza (Actors Fund Home), with a culminating presentation on December 17, 2024; and at the Queens Community House-Pomonok Older Adult Center, with a culminating presentation on January 17, 2025.
Also returning to Newark, NJ, is AileyDance Kids, an inclusive dance education program that works with public, charter, private, and independent schools and community organizations in the New York City metropolitan area, serving grades Pre-K through 12. These innovative residencies are currently active and inspiring self-respect and confidence in students across seven different Newark schools now through April 2025.