THE COMPANY in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Photo by PAUL KOLNIK Revelations. Photo by PAUL in Alvin Ailey’s THE COMPANY

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On March 30, 1958, Alvin Ailey led a group of young African-American modern successor, and over the next 21 years, she brought the Company to unprecedented dancers in a now-fabled performance at the 92nd Street Y in New York City that success. Ms. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her forever changed the perception of American dance. Mr. Ailey was a pioneer in in 2011. In announcing his appointment, she stated, “Combining an intimate establishing a multi-racial repertory company that presented important works knowledge of the Ailey company with an independent perspective, Robert Battle by both dance masters and emerging choreographers. Regarded as one of the is without question the creative force of the future.” Through the remarkable world’s premiere dance companies, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a artistry of 30 extraordinary dancers, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater recipient of the National Medal of Arts and is recognized by a U.S. Congressional continues to celebrate the African-American cultural experience and to preserve resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World.” Having and enrich the American modern dance tradition. With a repertory of over 200 performed in 71 countries on 6 continents for an estimated 23 million people works by more than 70 choreographers and a permanent home at The Joan Weill worldwide—as well as millions more through television broadcasts—Alvin Center for Dance in New York City—the largest building dedicated to dance in Ailey American Dance Theater continues to inspire and unite people of all New York City, the dance capital of the world—the Ailey legacy flourishes, using backgrounds around the globe. the universal language of dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey named Judith Jamison as his the present and fearlessly reaching into the future.

Artistic Director Robert Battle’s leadership has wowed audiences and critics alike:

“...So far under Mr. Battle’s direction it has been smooth sailing for the Ailey company...” —THE NEW YORK TIMES

“...Mr. Battle has made a point to expand the company’s repertory...”—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

“Be prepared for 2 things: a continued devotion to tradition, but also big, refreshing surprises.” —CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“Artistic Director Robert Battle has the troupe’s forward momentum well in hand.” —THE WASHINGTON POST

Robert Battle. Photo by Paul Kolnik. In addition to presenting dance on the concert stage, and in accordance with Mr. Ailey’s dictum “dance is for everybody,” Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater offers many programs that further his long-standing commitment to building an extended cultural community.

Ailey II Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Under the artistic direction of Troy Powell, the Ailey II name has come to epitomize stunning modern dance and distinguished style.

The Ailey School Each year, more than 5,000 students of all ages from NYC, across the country and around the globe benefit from world-class training in a full range of techniques at The Ailey School, directed by Tracy Inman and Melanie Person.

The Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. in Dance Program The B.F.A. in Dance offers the best of two worlds: the artistic pre-eminence of The Ailey School combined with Fordham University’s exceptional liberal arts education that stresses intellectual development and personal growth.

The Ailey Extension Ailey’ offers “real classes for real people” at all levels in a welcoming, non-competitive environment. Up to 80 dynamic classes are offered each week, taught by expert teachers in West African, Salsa, Hip Hop, Ballet, Horton (the modern dance technique featured in Mr. Ailey’s classic, Revelations) and more.

Arts In Education and Community Programs The Ailey Organization is committed to bringing dance into classrooms, communities and lives of people throughout the world. Each year, more than 100,000 people from diverse backgrounds enjoy the opportunity to explore their creative potential and build their self- esteem while fostering an appreciation for the art of dance.

AileyCamp The unique summer day camp serves under served youth ages 11–14. The program provides a safe environment where they can explore their creativity and strengthen their respect for themselves and others within a supportive framework that gives them an important foundation for the future. AileyCamps are currently operating in nine cities around the country, including NYC.

Ailey’s Home In 2004, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater moved into its permanent home, The Joan Weill Center for Dance, on 55th Street and 9th Avenue in Manhattan. The striking glass- enclosed building, featuring 12 studios and a 275-seat theater, is the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world.

Top to bottom: Ailey II in Thang Dao’s Echoes. Photo by Eduardo Patino, NYC; First Steps. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor Photography; Students from The Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. Photo by Eduardo Patino, NYC; Horton class at The Ailey Extension. Photo by Arthur Coopchik; AileyCamp 2010. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.

ALL ABOUT AILEY

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 23 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents – and has reached millions more online and through television broadcasts.

In 2008, a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Company as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” that celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage.

When Mr. Ailey began creating dances, he drew upon his "blood memories" of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel as inspiration, which resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work, Revelations.

Although he created 79 ballets over his lifetime, Mr. Ailey maintained that his company was not exclusively a repository for his own work. Today, the Company continues Mr. Ailey's mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 200 works by over 80 choreographers have been part of the Ailey company’s repertory.

Before his untimely death in 1989, Alvin Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and over the next 21 years, she brought the Company to unprecedented success. Ms. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her in 2011. In announcing his appointment as Artistic Director, she stated, “Combining an intimate knowledge of the Ailey company with an independent perspective, Robert Battle is without question the creative force of the future.”

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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gratefully acknowledges The Joan & Sandy Weill Global Ambassador Fund, which provides vital support for Ailey’s national and international tours. ______

ROBERT BATTLE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Robert Battle became artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in July 2011 after being personally selected by Judith Jamison, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. Mr. Battle has a long-standing association with the Ailey organization. A frequent choreographer and artist-in-residence at Ailey since 1999, he has set many of his works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, and at The Ailey School. The Company’s current repertory includes his ballets The Hunt, In/Side, Strange Humors and Takademe. In addition to expanding the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Ronald K. Brown, Garth Fagan, Bill T. Jones, Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor, Robert Moses, Ohad Naharin, and Paul Taylor, Mr. Battle has also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. Mr. Battle’s journey to the top of the modern dance world began in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida. He showed artistic talent early and studied dance at a high school arts magnet program before moving on to Miami’s New World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis and Gerri Houlihan, and finally to the dance program at The Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, where he met his mentor, Carolyn Adams. He danced with the Parsons Dance Company from 1994 to 2001, and also set his choreography on that company starting in 1998. Mr. Battle then founded his own Battleworks Dance Company, which made its debut in 2002 in Düsseldorf, Germany, as the U.S. representative to the World Dance Alliance’s Global Assembly. Battleworks subsequently performed extensively at venues including The Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, American Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Mr. Battle was honored as one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, and he received the prestigious Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2007. In 2014, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts. Most recently, Mr. Battle was named a 2015 Visiting Fellow for The Art of Change, an initiative by the Ford Foundation. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and has addressed a number of high-profile organizations, including the United Nations Leaders Programme and the UNICEF Senior Leadership Development Programme.

MASAZUMI CHAYA ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Masazumi Chaya was born in Fukuoka, Japan, where he began his classical ballet training. Upon moving to New York in December 1970, he studied modern dance and performed with the Richard Englund Repertory Company. Mr. Chaya joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1972 and performed with the Company for 15 years. In 1988, he became the Company’s Rehearsal Director after serving as Assistant Rehearsal Director for two years. A master teacher, both on tour with the Company and in his native Japan, he served as choreographic assistant to Alvin Ailey and John Butler. In 1991, Mr. Chaya was named Associate Artistic Director of the Company. He continues to provide invaluable creative assistance in all facets of its operations. In 2002, Mr. Chaya coordinated the Company’s appearance at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, broadcast on NBC.

Mr. Chaya has restaged numerous ballets, including Alvin Ailey’s Flowers for the State Ballet of Missouri (1990) and The River for the Royal Swedish Ballet (1993), Ballet Florida (1995), National Ballet of Prague (1995), Pennsylvania Ballet (1996) and Colorado Ballet (1998). He has also restaged The Mooche, The Stack-Up, Episodes, Bad Blood, Hidden Rites, and Witness for the Company. At the beginning of his tenure as Associate Artistic Director, Mr. Chaya restaged Ailey’s For ‘Bird’ - With Love for a Dance in America program entitled Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Steps Ahead. In 2000, he restaged Ailey’s Night Creature for the Rome Opera House and The River for La Scala Ballet. In 2003, he restaged The River for North Carolina Dance Theatre and for Julio Bocca’s Ballet Argentina. Most recently, Mr. Chaya restaged Blues Suite, Mary Lou’s Mass, Three Black Kings, Forgotten Time, Hymn, and Streams for the Company. As a performer, Mr. Chaya appeared on Japanese television in both dramatic and musical productions. He wishes to recognize the artistic contribution and spirit of his late friend and fellow artist, Michihiko Oka.

ALVIN AILEY FOUNDER Alvin Ailey was born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas. His experiences of life in the rural South would later inspire some of his most memorable works. He was introduced to dance in Los Angeles by performances of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, and his formal dance training began with an introduction to Lester Horton’s classes by his friend Carmen de Lavallade. Horton, the founder of one of the first racially-integrated dance companies in the United States, became a mentor for Mr. Ailey as he embarked on his professional career. After Horton’s death in 1953, Mr. Ailey became director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works. In the 1950s and 60s, Mr. Ailey performed in four Broadway shows, including House of Flowers and Jamaica. In 1958 he founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to carry out his vision of a company dedicated to enriching the American modern dance heritage and preserving the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience. He established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now The Ailey School) in 1969 and formed the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (now Ailey II) in 1974. Mr. Ailey was a pioneer of programs promoting arts in education, particularly those benefiting underserved communities. Throughout his lifetime he received numerous honors and awards, and in 2014, he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to civil rights and dance in America. When Mr. Ailey died on December 1, 1989, The New York Times said of him, “you didn’t need to have known [him] personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm, and exuberance and his courageous stand for multi-racial brotherhood.”

JUDITH JAMISON ARTISTIC DIRECTOR EMERITA

Judith Jamison joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and quickly became an international star. Over the next 15 years, Mr. Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, most notably the tour-de-force solo Cry. During the 1970s and 80s, she appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies all over the world, starred in the hit Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, and formed her own company, The Jamison Project. She returned to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Mr. Ailey asked her to succeed him as Artistic Director. In the 21 years that followed, she brought the Company to unprecedented heights – including two historic engagements in South Africa and a 50-city global tour to celebrate the Company’s 50th anniversary. Ms. Jamison is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them a prime time Emmy Award, an American Choreography Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, a National Medal of Arts, a “Bessie” Award, the Phoenix Award, and the Handel Medallion. She was also listed in “The TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People” and honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first Dance Series event. In 2013, Ms. Jamison was the 50th inductee into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance.

As a highly regarded choreographer, Ms. Jamison has created many celebrated works, including Divining (1984), Forgotten Time (1989), Hymn (1993), HERE . . .NOW. (commissioned for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad), Love Stories (with additional choreography by Robert Battle and Rennie Harris, 2004), and Among Us (Private Spaces: Public Places) (2009). Ms. Jamison’s autobiography, Dancing Spirit, was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and published in 1993. In 2004, under Ms. Jamison’s artistic directorship, her idea of a permanent home for the Ailey company was realized and named after beloved chairman Joan Weill. Ms. Jamison continues to dedicate herself to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture, and she remains committed to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy – using dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future.

MATTHEW RUSHING REHEARSAL DIRECTOR & GUEST ARTIST

Matthew Rushing was born in Los Angeles, CA. He began his dance training with Kashmir Blake in Inglewood, CA and later continued his training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He is the recipient of a Spotlight Award and Dance Magazine Award and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and later became a member of Ailey II, where he danced for a year. During his career, Mr. Rushing has performed as a guest artist for galas in Vail, Colorado, as well as in Austria, Canada, France, Italy, and Russia. He has performed for Presidents George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House Dance Series. During his time with the Company he has choreographed three ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur Rahim-Jackson, and Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance, and ODETTA (2014), a celebration of “The queen of American folk.” In 2012, he created Moan, which was set on Philadanco and premiered at The Joyce Theater. Mr. Rushing joined the Company in 1992 and became Rehearsal Director in June 2010.

All Photos by Andrew Eccles. Headshot of Alvin Ailey by Eric N. Hong. WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY

HOPE BOYKIN (Durham, NC) is a three-time recipient of the SEAN AARON CARMON (Beaumont, TX) attended New York American Dance Festival’s Young Tuition University’s Tisch School of the Arts Scholarship. She attended Howard and later graduated from the University and while in Washington, DC she Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in performed with Lloyd Whitmore’s New Dance. He was a member of Elisa World Dance Company. Ms. Boykin was a Monte Dance and subsequently student and intern at The Ailey School. She originated the role of Phaedra in the was assistant to the late Talley Beatty and 2010 Tony Award–winning revival of La an original member of Complexions. Ms. Cage Aux Folles. Mr. Carmon also Boykin was a member of Philadanco and performed in the Broadway production received a New York Dance and Performance Award (“Bessie”). In of The Phantom of the Opera. He has appeared as a guest artist 2005, Ms. Boykin choreographed Acceptance In Surrender in with the International Dance Association in Italy and with the Cape collaboration with Abdur-Rahim Jackson and Matthew Rushing for Dance Company in South Africa. As a choreographer and jazz Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Most recently she teacher, he has taught at and set works, both original and as a choreographed Go In Grace with award-winning singing group répétiteur, on numerous high schools, colleges and for the Youth Sweet Honey In The Rock for the Company's 50th anniversary American Grand Prix competition. Mr. Carmon joined the Company season. Ms. Boykin joined the Company in 2000. in 2011.

JEROBOAM BOZEMAN (Brooklyn, NY) began his dance training ELISA CLARK (Brandywine, MD) received her early training from under Ruth Sistaire at the Ronald the Maryland Youth Ballet and earned her Edmonds Learning Center. He later joined B.F.A. from The Juilliard School under the Creative Outlet, under Jamel Gaines, and direction of Benjamin Harkarvy. She was a was granted full scholarships at the founding member of Robert Battle’s Joffrey Ballet School and Dance Theatre Battleworks Dance Company from 2001 to of Harlem School. Mr. Bozeman is a gold- 2006, where she also served as company medal recipient of the NAACP ACT-SO manager. In addition, Ms. Clark was a Competition in Dance. He performed in member of the Mark Morris Dance Group Elton John and Tim Rice’s Broadway and the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, as musical Aida (international tour in China) and was a part of well as a dancer at the Metropolitan Opera, where she worked with Philadanco, Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theater, and Ailey II. Crystal Pite, among others. She has assisted Mr. Battle on several Mr. Bozeman joined the Company in 2013. commissions, including Juba and Love Stories. As a teacher, Ms. Clark has been on faculty at the American Dance Festival, taught numerous master classes throughout the nation and abroad, and worked closely alongside Carolyn Adams. She is a 2008 Princess Grace Award winner. Ms. Clark joined the Company in 2013. SARAH DALEY (South Elgin, IL) began her training at the KIRVEN DOUTHIT-BOYD (Boston, MA) began his formal dance Faubourg School of Ballet in Illinois under training at the Boston Arts the direction of Watmora Casey and Academy and joined Boston Youth Tatyana Mazur. She graduated from the Moves in 1999 under the direction Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance in of Jim Viera and Jeannette Neill. 2009. Ms. Daley has trained at institutions He also trained on scholarship at such as the Kirov Academy, National Ballet the Boston Conservatory and as a School of Canada, The San Francisco scholarship student at The Ailey Conservatory of Dance, and intensives at School. Mr. Douthit-Boyd has Ballet Camp Illinois and Ballet Adriatico in danced with Battleworks Dance Italy. She is a recipient of a Youth America Grand Prix Award and Company, The Parsons Dance an ARTS Foundation Award. She was a member of Ailey II and Company, and Ailey II. He performed at the White House Dance joined the Company in 2011. Series in 2010. Mr. Douthit-Boyd joined the Company in 2004.

GHRAI DeVORE (Washington, DC) began her formal dance training SAMANTHA FIGGINS (Washington, DC) began dancing at Duke at the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center Ellington School of the Arts under the and was a scholarship student at The Ailey tutelage of Charles Auggins and School. She has completed summer Sandra Fortune-Greene and programs at the Kirov Academy, Ballet attended summer intensives at Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem under the American Ballet Theatre, and Alonzo direction of Arthur Mitchell. She King’s LINES Ballet. Ms. DeVore was a continued her education at SUNY member of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Purchase Conservatory of Dance. 2, Hubbard Street 2, Dance Works There, she performed works by Chicago, and Ailey II. She is a recipient of George Balanchine, Bill T. Jones, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharpe. the Danish Queen Ingrid Scholarship of Honor and the Dizzy Feet Upon graduating cum laude, Ms. Figgins became a member of Foundation Scholarship, and she was a 2010 nominee for the first Complexions Contemporary Ballet, performing works by Dwight annual Clive Barnes Award. Ms. DeVore joined the Company in Rhoden, Jae Man Joo, and Camille A. Brown. She also performed 2010. at the 2014 DanceOpen Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ms. Figgins was featured both on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine and in Pointe magazine's “10 Careers to Watch” in 2013. She has worked with Beyoncé and can be seen in the film Enemy Within alongside Tiler Peck and Matthew Rushing. Ms. Figgins joined the Company in 2014.

ANTONIO DOUTHIT-BOYD (St. Louis, MO) began his dance VERNARD J. GILMORE (Chicago, IL) began dancing at Curie training at age 16 at the Center of Performing and Creative Arts High School Contemporary Arts under the direction of in Chicago and later studied at the Joseph Lee Nolting and at the Alexandra School of Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre with Ballet. He also trained at North Carolina Harriet Ross, Marquita Levy, and Emily School of the Arts, the Joffrey Ballet School, Stein. He attended Barat College as a San Francisco Ballet, and the Dance dance scholarship recipient and received Theatre of Harlem School. Mr. Douthit-Boyd first place in the all-city NAACP ACT-SO became a member of Dance Theatre of Competition in Dance in 1993. He studied Harlem in 1999 and appeared in featured as a scholarship student at The Ailey roles in the ballets South African Suite, Dougla, Concerto in F, School and was a member of Ailey II. In 2010, he performed at the Return, and Dwight Rhoden’s Twist. He was promoted to soloist in White House Dance Series. Mr. Gilmore is an active choreographer 2003. He also performed with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de for the Ailey Dancers Resource Fund and has choreographed for Montréal. Mr. Douthit-Boyd joined the Company in 2004. Fire Island Dance Festival 2008 and Jazz Foundation of America Gala 2010; he also produced the Dance of Light Project in January 2010. Mr. Gilmore is a certified Zena Rommett Floor-Barre® instructor. He continues to teach workshops and master classes around the world. Mr. Gilmore joined the Company in 1997.

JACQUELINE GREEN (Baltimore, MD) began her dance training at DEMETIA HOPKINS-GREENE (Orange, VA) began her dance the Baltimore School for the Arts under the training at the Orange School of Performing direction of Norma Pera, Deborah Robinson, Arts under the direction of her uncle Ricardo and Anton Wilson. She is a graduate of the Porter and Heather Powell. She has studied Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance. with the National Youth Ballet of Virginia, Ms. Green has attended summer programs Virginia School of the Arts, the Summer Dance at Pennsylvania Regional Ballet, International Course in Burgos, Spain, The Chautauqua Institution, Earl Mosley’s Rock School, and Dance Theatre of Harlem Institute of the Arts, and Jacob’s Pillow. She has performed works by School. Ms. Hopkins-Greene graduated with a variety of choreographers, including Elisa Monte, Helen Pickett, honors from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance in 2009, Francesca Harper, Aszure Barton, Earl Mosley, and Michael Vernon. and she was a recipient of a Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Ms. Green was the recipient of the Martha Hill Fund's Young Arts in 2011. Ms. Hopkins-Greene was a member of Ailey II and Professional Award in 2009 and the Dizzy Feet Scholarship in 2010. joined the Company in 2010. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011. MICHAEL JACKSON, JR. (New Orleans, LA) began his dance DANIEL HARDER (Bowie, MD) began dancing at Suitland High training at age 14 at the Duke Ellington School School’s Center for the Visual and Performing of the Arts in Washington, DC under the Arts in Maryland. He graduated from the direction of Charles Augins. He became a Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance, member of Dance Theatre of Harlem Dancing where he was awarded the Jerome through Barriers Ensemble in 2005. In 2006, he Robbins/Layton Foundation Scholarship. He joined Dallas Black Dance Theatre and in 2008 participated in the Holland Dance Festival with joined Philadanco, where he also worked as The Ailey School and as a member of the Artistic Director of D3. Mr. Jackson joined the Francesca Harper Project. After dancing in Company in 2011 and rejoined in 2015. the European tour of West Side Story, Mr. Harder became a member of Ailey II. He joined the Company in 2010. MEGAN JAKEL (Waterford, MI) trained in ballet and jazz in her JACQUELIN HARRIS (Charlotte, NC) began her dance training at hometown. As a senior in high school, she spent Dance Productions Studios under the a year dancing with the City Ballet of San Diego. direction of Lori Long. In 2010, as a finalist In 2005, Ms. Jakel was an apprentice and for National Foundation for the Advancement rehearsal director for the Francesca Harper of the Arts, Ms. Harris received a silver ARTS Project. She graduated with honors in May 2007 award and was a semifinalist for the from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She Dance. Ms. Jakel has performed works by attended summer programs at Jacob’s Pillow choreographers David Parsons, Debbie Allen, and Joffrey Ballet School and has performed Thaddeus Davis, Hans van Manen, and Dwight Rhoden. She was a works by Kate Skarpetowska, Daniel member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2009. Catanach, Troy Powell, and Erika Pujic. She recently graduated with honors from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance. She was a member of Ailey II. Ms. Harris joined the Company in 2014. YANNICK LEBRUN (Cayenne, French Guiana) began training in COLLIN HEYWARD (Newport News, VA) began his training at The his native country at the Adaclam School Academy of Dance and Gymnastics in under the guidance of Jeanine Verin. After Newport News, VA, under the direction of graduating high school in 2004, he moved to Linda Haas, and later at Denise Wall’s New York City to study at The Ailey School as Dance Energy in Virginia Beach. Mr. a scholarship student. Mr. Lebrun has Heyward also attended several dance performed works by choreographers Troy intensives, including Earl Mosley’s Institute Powell, Debbie Allen, Scott Rink, Thaddeus of the Arts, and Hofesh Shechter Davis, Nilas Martins, and Dwight Rhoden and Company, and has performed works by danced with the Francesca Harper Project, and Modo Fusion. He Sidra Bell, Francisco Martinez, Elisa Monte, and Scott Rink. He has was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2011, and in made guest appearances with Company Stefanie Batten Bland and 2013, France-Amérique magazine highlighted him as one of the 50 in the revival of E. Clement Bethel’s The Legend of Sammie Swain, most talented French in the United States. Mr. Lebrun was a directed by Philip A. Burrows in Nassau, Bahamas. Mr. Heyward is member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2008. also a featured dancer in the Fox Searchlight film Black Nativity. He graduated with honors from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance and was a member of Ailey II from 2010 to 2012. Mr. Heyward joined the Company in 2014. MICHAEL FRANCIS McBRIDE (Johnson City, NY) began his training DANICA PAULOS (Huntington Beach, CA) began her dance training at the Danek School of Performing Arts and at Orange County Dance Center in southern later trained at Amber Perkins School of the California and also studied in Los Angeles with Arts in Norwich, NY. Mr. McBride attended Yuri Grigoriev. She graduated from the Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts for two Professional Performing Arts School in New York consecutive summers and was also assistant and trained at The Ailey School as a scholarship to Mr. Mosley when he set the piece Saddle student. Ms. Paulos attended summer intensives UP! on the Company in 2007. In January 2012, at Kirov Academy of Ballet, The Juilliard School, Mr. McBride performed and taught as a Guest Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Jacob’s Artist with the JUNTOS Collective in Pillow. She has performed works by Robert Battle, Judith Jamison, Guatemala. Mr. McBride graduated magna cum laude from the Matthew Rushing, Hope Boykin, Erika Pujic, Christian von Howard, Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance in 2010 after he joined the and Kate Skarpetowska. Ms. Paulos received a Level 1 award as a Company in 2009. YoungArts finalist by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. In 2015, she was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine as one of “25 to Watch.” Ms. Paulos was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2014.

RACHAEL McLAREN (Manitoba, Canada) began her formal dance BELEN PEREYRA (Lawrence, MA) began her formal dance training at training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. After the Boston Arts Academy, where she graduated graduating high school, she joined the Toronto cast as valedictorian. She was also a member of of Mamma Mia! Ms. McLaren moved to New York Origination Cultural Arts Center in Boston. Upon City to study at The Ailey School as a scholarship moving to New York City, Ms. Pereyra was student and later joined Ailey II. She has performed closely mentored by Earl Mosley and danced with works by Karole Armitage, Dwight Rhoden, Camille A. Brown & Dancers for three years, Francesca Harper, and Nilas Martins. Ms. McLaren during which time she performed at The Joyce joined the Company in 2008. Theater, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and Dancers Responding to AIDS' annual events, RENALDO MAURICE (Gary, IN) began his dance training with Tony Dance from the Heart and The Fire Island Dance Festival. Ms. Pereyra Simpson and is a graduate of Talent Unlimited was an apprentice for Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company, High School. He attended the Emerson and has performed with Lula Washington Dance Theater, Nathan Trice, School for Visual and Performing Arts and and Roger C. Jeffrey. She assisted Matthew Rushing with his ballet studied with Larry Brewer and Michael Davis. Uptown for the Ailey company in 2009. Ms. Pereyra joined the Mr. Maurice was a scholarship student at The Company in 2011. Ailey School, has trained on scholarship at Ballet Chicago and Deeply Rooted Dance JAMAR ROBERTS (Miami, FL) graduated from the New World School Theater, and had an internship at the Martha of the Arts. He trained at the Dance Empire of Graham School of Contemporary Dance. In 2008, he received second Miami and as a fellowship student at The Ailey place in modern dance from the National Foundation for Advancement School. Mr. Roberts was a member of Ailey II in the Arts and received the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship in 2009. and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He first In February 2012, Mr. Maurice was honored with the key to the city of joined the Company in 2002. Gary, Indiana, his hometown. He was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011.

AKUA NONI PARKER (Kinston, NC) began dancing at the age of SAMUEL LEE ROBERTS (Quakertown, PA) began his dance training three. She later moved to Wilmington, DE and under the direction of Kathleen Johnston continued her training at the Academy of the and attended The Juilliard School. He Dance until she graduated high school. In 1999, performed in the first international show of she joined Dance Theater of Harlem where she Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Mexico danced leading roles in Giselle, Agon, and The City and danced with the New York cast Four Temperaments. In 2005, she joined from 1999-2004. Mr. Roberts performed Cincinnati Ballet where she danced soloist roles during the award ceremony at the 2002 Salt in Swan Lake and Lambarena. In 2006, Ms. Lake City Winter Olympics, worked with Parker joined Ballet San Jose where she was the first African- Corbin Dances and Keigwin + Company, American woman to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. and was a founding member of Battleworks Dance Company. In May She teaches master classes throughout the country, has coached 2006, Mr. Roberts was named Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise” Dancer. young dancers for YAGP, and worked on the film Enemy Within as a He performed several roles in Julie Taymor’s film Across the Universe wardrobe consultant and rehearsal director. Since joining the and the original opera Grendel. Mr. Roberts joined the Company in Company, she has had the pleasure of performing at the Gala of 2009. International Dance Stars. She joined the Company in 2008.

KANJI SEGAWA (Kanagawa, Japan) began his modern dance JERMAINE TERRY (Washington, DC) began his dance training in training with his mother, Erika Akoh, and Kissimmee at James Dance Center. He studied ballet with Kan Horiuchi and Ju graduated cum laude with a B.F.A. in Dance Horiuchi at Unique Ballet Theatre in Tokyo. In Performance from the University of South Florida, 1997, Mr. Segawa came to the United States where he received scholarships for excellence in under the Japanese Government Artist performance and choreography. Mr. Terry was a Fellowship to train at The Ailey School. Mr. scholarship student at The Ailey School and a Segawa was a member of Ailey II from 2000 to member of Ailey II, and he has performed with 02 and Robert Battle’s Battleworks Dance Buglisi Dance Theatre, Arch Dance, Dance Iquail, Company from 2002 to 10. He worked and Philadanco. In 2013, he received the extensively with choreographer Mark Morris from 2004 to 11, Distinguished Alumnus Award from USF for outstanding service to the repeatedly appearing in Mr. Morris’ various productions, including as a arts. Mr. Terry joined the Company in 2010. principal dancer in John Adams’ Nixon in China at The Metropolitan Opera. He has also worked with Aszure Barton’s Aszure and Artists, Jessica Lang Dance, Earl Mosley, Jennifer Muller/The Works, and Igal Perry. Mr. Segawa joined the Company in 2011.

GLENN ALLEN SIMS (Long Branch, NJ) began his classical dance FANA TESFAGIORGIS (Madison, WI) is a graduate of the training at the Academy of Dance Arts in Red Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance, with a Bank, NJ. He attended The Juilliard School minor in journalism. She began training at Ballet under the artistic guidance of Benjamin Madison, under the direction of Charmaine Harkarvy. In 2004, Mr. Sims was the youngest Ristow, and Interlochen Arts Academy High person to be inducted into the Long Branch School. Ms. Tesfagiorgis also trained at High School's Distinguished Alumni Hall of summer and winter intensives at Earl Mosley’s Fame. He has been seen in several network Institute of the Arts, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, television programs including BET Honors, and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Dancing with the Stars, and The Today Show. Professionally, she has danced with Ailey II, In 2010, Mr. Sims taught as a master teacher Brian Harlan Brooks' Continuum, Alenka Cizmesja's Art in Ravenna, Italy for “Dance Up Ravenna,” sponsored by the International DeConstructed, Dance Iquail, Freddie Moore's Footprints, and Samuel Dance Association, and performed in the White House Dance Series. He Pott's Nimbus Dance Works. Ms. Tesfagiorgis has been a rehearsal has performed for the King of Morocco and is a certified Zena Rommett assistant for Hope Boykin, Earl Mosley, Pedro Ruiz, Matthew Rushing, Floor-Barre® instructor. Mr. Sims was featured on the cover of and wrote and Sylvia Waters. Ms. Tesfagiorgis joined the Company in 2013. a featured guest blog for Dance Magazine. Recently, he became a certified Pilates Mat trainer. He joined the Company in 1997. MARCUS JARRELL WILLIS (Houston, TX) began his formal training at the Johnston Performing Arts Middle School, LINDA CELESTE SIMS (Bronx, NY) began her dance training at Ballet the High School for the Performing and Hispanico School of Dance and is a graduate of Visual Arts, and Discovery Dance Group in LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts. Houston, Texas. At age 16, he moved to New In addition to a National Foundation for York City and studied at The Ailey School as Advancement in the Arts award, Mrs. Sims a scholarship student. Mr. Willis is a recipient recently won Outstanding Performance at the of a Level 1 ARTS award given by the prestigious New York Dance and Performance National Foundation for Advancement in the Awards (“The Bessies”). Featured on the cover Arts and has received scholarships to many of Dance Magazine, and in annual “Best of” schools, including The Juilliard School. He was a member of Ailey II and lists, she has performed as a guest star on So also worked with Pascal Rioult Dance Theater, Dominic Walsh Dance You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, and The Today Theater, and Tania Pérez-Salas Compañía de Danza. Mr. Willis joined Show. Mrs. Sims has also made guest appearances at the White House the Company in 2008. Dance Series, Youth America Grand Prix, Vail International Dance Festival, and galas in Budapest and Vienna. She teaches classes around the world and is a certified Floor-Barre instructor. Mrs. Sims joined the Company in 1996.

The Ailey dancers are supported, in part, by The Judith McDonough Kaminski Dancer Endowment Fund.

Ailey Milestones

1958 – Alvin Ailey, who believed passionately that “dance belongs to everyone,” and a group of young black dancers perform for the first time as members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York’s 92nd Street Y.

1960 – Alvin Ailey choreographs his classic masterpiece Revelations, which brings international acclaim. During the organization’s first 10 years, Ailey created 20 new ballets; during his lifetime, he choreographed 79 ballets.

1962 – AAADT is chosen to go on an extensive tour to the Far East, Southeast Asia and Australia as part of President John F. Kennedy’s progressive “President’s Special International Program for Cultural Presentations.”

1965 – Judith Jamison joins Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and becomes recognized internationally as a performer and as an exceptional choreographer.

1967 – AAADT embarks on a 3-month, 10-country African Tour for the State Department.

1968 – AAADT performs for President Johnson at the White House

1969 – Alvin Ailey founds The Ailey School.

1970 – AAADT’s second State Department-sponsored tour of North Africa and Europe. AAADT also tours the USSR – the first visit by an American modern dance company since the days of Isadora Duncan. The Washington Post reports that the Company was kept onstage for 20 minutes of curtain calls after a sold-out opening night in Moscow.

1971 – Alvin Ailey choreographs Cry for Judith Jamison as a birthday present to his mother. Cry becomes an instant hit, bringing even greater popularity to Mr. Ailey as a choreographer and Ms. Jamison as a dancer.

1972 – Judith Jamison receives the distinguished Dance Magazine award.

1974 – Ailey II is founded to develop young artists and new dance audiences.

CBS airs “Ailey Celebrates Ellington,” Alvin Ailey’s dance tribute to the American jazz legend.

1975 – Alvin Ailey receives the Dance Magazine Award.

1976 – The NAACP awards Alvin Ailey the prestigious Springarn Medal.

1977 – AAADT performs at the inaugural gala for President Jimmy Carter at the White House

1982 – Alvin Ailey receives the United Nations Peace Medal.

1983 – AAADT celebrates its 25th anniversary with an anniversary benefit The New York Times calls “the biggest celebration of all” and further proclaims that “The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is not just a company, it is a school of thought.”

Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey is founded and subsequently launches the Company’s national AileyCamp program.

1985 – AAADT is the first modern dance company to go on a US government-sponsored tour of the People’s Republic of China since the normalization of Sino-American relations.

1987 – Alvin Ailey receives the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award, modern dance’s greatest honor.

1988 – 30th Anniversary Gala with Bill Cosby is recorded as a special tribute to Mr. Ailey entitled “Cosby Salutes Ailey,” which later airs on NBC.

Alvin Ailey receives The Kennedy Center Honors for Lifetime Contributions to American Culture through the Performing Arts and New York’s City’s highest cultural honor – the Handel Medallion.

1989 – Upon Alvin Ailey’s death and at his request, Judith Jamison is named Artistic Director. Under her leadership, the company flourishes, building an unparalleled reputation for performance, education, and innovation.

1991 – AileyCamp established in New York City. This program is successfully replicated in cities nationwide and continues to inspire thousands of inner-city youth.

1993 – AAADT celebrates its 35th Anniversary with a gala that includes Maya Angelou, Jessye Norman, Anna Deavere Smith, Maya Angelou, Denzel Washington, Al Jarreau and Dionne Warwick.

1994 – AAADT performs at the televised inaugural gala for President Bill Clinton, seen by 80 million viewers, and was featured on The Phil Donahue Show, reaching 18 million viewers.

New York City’s West 61st Street (where the company is renting studio and office space) is renamed Alvin Ailey Place.

Judith Jamison’s autobiography, Dancing Spirit, edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, is published by Doubleday.

Historic Annie Liebovitz photo shoot produces poster image that becomes a classic.

Ailey in the Park attracts 30,000 spectators, who congregate in New York City’s Central Park to see the live performance.

1995 – Judith Jamison and the Company are featured in a very successful American Express ad campaign. Advertising Age calls it “the campaign of the decade.”

1996 – Jennifer Dunning’s loving, biographic tribute, Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance, is published by Addison Wesley.

1997 – Historic AAADT residency in South Africa, signaling the end to a long cultural boycott of the old apartheid regime by the world performing arts community.

1998 – AAADT celebrates its 40th Anniversary. A two-CD box set, containing the music of Revelations and other Ailey favorites, is released through V2 Records.

The Ailey organization pioneers its new B.F.A. program – a joint venture between the Ailey and Fordham University, which offers students a unique opportunity to receive both superb dance training and a superior liberal arts education.

Judith Jamison is the youngest person ever to receive the Dance/USA Award during the Spoleto Festival USA – as well as the New York State Governor’s Arts Award.

1999 – Judith Jamison receives The Kennedy Center Honors for Lifetime Contributions to American Culture through the Performing Arts. Orlando Bagwell’s documentary “A Hymn for Alvin Ailey” is broadcast nationally on PBS’ Great Performances, inspired by Judith Jamison’s work Hymn, her powerful tribute to Alvin Ailey, in collaboration with Tony nominee Anna Deavere Smith. Judith Jamison wins a Prime Time Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Choreography.

2000 – Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation launches A Soaring Spirit: The Campaign for Ailey to catapult the organization to new levels of achievement and to ensure its future.

2001 – Ailey purchases a building site at 55th Street and 9th Avenue for the organization's first permanent home.

2002 – President George W. Bush awards the 2001 National Medal of Arts to both Judith Jamison and the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation. The Foundation is the first dance organization in history to be given this prestigious award and it is the first time ever than an arts organization and its artistic director have been recognized independently for this honor.

Judith Jamison carries the Olympic torch in Salt Lake City, UT prior to the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics. AAADT performs Jamison’s HERE…NOW, commissioned for the Olympic Arts Festival.

2003 – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrates its 45th Anniversary. Alvin Ailey Dance Moves!, an innovative approach to exercise and fitness, is published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, followed by Ailey Spirit: The Journey of an American Dance Company, which is filled with stunning photographs from the world’s finest dance photographers.

As part of its annual ranking of the 100 Best Charities in the country, Worth magazine recognizes Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation as one of the top arts organizations in the US.

AAADT performs at the White House State Dinner honoring President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya.

2004 – The United States Postal Service issues a first class postage stamp honoring Alvin Ailey as part of the American Choreographers stamp series, which commemorates four visionary 20th century choreographers who left a profound mark on the language of dance.

2005 – The Ailey organization celebrates the official opening and public dedication of its new home, The Joan Weill Center for Dance, the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the world’s dance center.

AAADT returns to Russia, becoming the only American company to perform in the Stars of the White Nights Festival and the first modern dance company presented at the legendary Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.

Launch of The Ailey Extension, a new program for the general public that offers “real classes for real people” with a variety of techniques taught morning, noon and night.

2006 – The Library of Congress announces the donation of the Ailey archives to “the nation’s library,” which will preserve the materials, digitize them and make them more widely available to future generations. According to Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, it is “…a major achievement for the Library.”

PBS Dance in America’s Beyond the Steps: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which chronicles the 2005 tour to Russia, the Ailey organization’s move into its new home and the creation of the acclaimed ballet Love Stories, premieres.

2007 – Judith Jamison is awarded a 2007 Bessie award for her lifetime commitment to the preservation and development of dance and the arts. To add to the celebration, company member Clifton Brown is also presented with a Performance Bessie Award.

AAADT Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya celebrates his 35th Anniversary with the Company.

Ailey II premieres at The Ailey Citigroup Theater. The two-week, sold out engagement marked the company’s first New York season in its own home. AileyCamp grows to 9 sites nationwide with the inaugural sessions of AileyCamp Staten Island, the second camp in New York City, and a two-week pilot program in Atlanta, GA.

AAADT is featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the season opening of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

2008 – The Ailey organization launches its 50th anniversary celebration with 18 months of special performances, projects and events, including:

The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. opens the exhibit Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: 50 Years as Cultural Ambassador to the World.

AAADT is the first concert dance company to perform on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars and FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance.

The Ailey organization creates special commemorative merchandise in celebration of the 50th anniversary including a Barbie® Doll, Hallmark greeting cards, a Movado Museum Timepiece, and a photographic art book—Ailey Ascending: A Portrait in Motion by renowned photographer Andrew Eccles.

Ailey holds free summer performances in all five boroughs of New York City, including a street party on 55th street in front of New York City Center. An estimated 40,000 people attend one of these events.

AAADT launches its five-week 50th Anniversary Season at New York City Center with a Golden Anniversary Gala with Honorary Chair Oprah Winfrey. The season includes special live performances with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Sweet Honey in the Rock.

The US Congress passes a resolution naming Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World.”

Ailey II Artistic Director Sylvia Waters celebrates her 40th anniversary with the Ailey organization and receives a 2008 Dance Magazine Award.

2009 – AAADT members perform at a special performance in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the eve of President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.

AAADT kicks off its 50th Anniversary U.S. Tour to 26 cities in Washington, D.C. where President Obama and the First Family attend a performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Judith Jamison is named a 2009 TIME 100 Honoree from Time Magazine’s annual special issue highlighting the most influential people in the world.

2010 – Judith Jamison and Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation appoint Robert Battle as Artistic Director Designate.

Tracy Inman and Melanie Person become co-directors of The Ailey School, succeeding the late Denise Jefferson, who led the School for about 25 years.

The Ailey Extension celebrates its 5th birthday -- serving over 35,000 individuals who have participated in weekly dance and fitness classes since the program’s inception.

Ailey at SummerStage attracts 3,800 spectators, who congregate in New York City’s Central Park to see live performances by the Company, including Revelations.

Judith Jamison is the 2010 recipient of The Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, which honors outstanding art patrons whose personal commitment and achievements deserve wider recognition, and the 2010 recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus’ prestigious Phoenix Award. First Lady Michelle Obama honors Ms. Jamison at The White House Dance Series: A Tribute to Judith Jamison, celebrating her career as an American dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director of the Company for the past 20 years.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg presents Judith Jamison with highest honor awarded by the City of New York – the Handel Medallion for distinguished achievement in the arts.

2011 – During Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2011 International Tour Judith Jamison passes the mantle of Artistic Director to Robert Battle on July 1, 2011. He becomes only the third person in the Company’s history to hold that position.

Robert Battle initiates a major new program: the New Directions Choreography Lab, designed to serve the entire field of dance. Assisting choreographers in developing their work, the program will grant resident fellowships to four emerging and mid‐career artists each year, offering a stipend, the use of gifted dancers from The Ailey School, creative mentorships and rehearsal time at The Joan Weill Center for Dance.

AileyCamp Newark launches to provide at-risk youth ages 11-14 with activities that build self-esteem, encourage creative expression, and impart life skills such as goal-setting, self-discipline, and teamwork. AileyCamps operate in ten sites, and engage nearly 1,000 young people across the country: Atlanta, GA; Berkeley/Oakland, CA; Boston, MA; Bridgeport, CT; Chicago, IL; Kansas City, KS; Kansas City, MO; Miami, FL; Newark, NJ; New York City.

10-year agreement announced with New York City Center designating Ailey as the venue’s Principal Dance Company and providing financial support for the creation of one new dance work for the Company’s performances at the landmark theater during each of the next ten seasons.

Robert Battle’s first season receives critical and audience acclaim: Featuring a rich array of premieres and new productions that extend the company’s legacy in exciting new directions, including landmark works like Paul Taylor’s Arden Court, Rennie Harris’s Home, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16.

2012 – After 38 years, Sylvia Waters steps down and her personally-selected successor, Troy Powell takes the reigns of Ailey II as Artistic Director on June 30th. Mr. Powell began his dance training at the age of nine as a scholarship student at The Ailey School, later dancing with Ailey II and then Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, before rejoining Ailey II first as a resident choreographer, then as Associate Artistic Director.

Launch of the Ailey Legacy Residency -- a new lecture, technique and repertory program for college-level students looks definitively into the history and creative heritage of Alvin Ailey -- led by Sylvia Waters.

Ailey board appoints Bennett Rink as the new Executive Director of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, succeeding Sharon Gersten Luckman, who stepped down in January 2013 after over two decades with the organization.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s international appearances include four-week sold-out engagement in Paris, France, as well as visits to Denmark, Israel, Spain and Switzerland.

2013 – An historic engagement at Lincoln Center, for the first time in 13 years, launches 2013-14 season led by Robert Battle, which also includes visits to Brazil and Argentina and a record-breaking five-week engagement at New York City Center. Ailey II’s first New York season led by Artistic Director Troy Powell also breaks box office records.

2014– Another record-breaking New York City Center Season: for the second consecutive year, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater broke New York City Center season box office records—nearly 70,000 audience members attended a total of 39 performances during the five-week engagement from December 4, 2013 to January 5, 2014.

In the second season under the artistic direction of Troy Powell, Ailey II celebrated its 40th anniversary. The company performed for approximately 40,000 people in 33 cities worldwide, including five cities across France, Germany, Poland and Luxembourg, and 28 cities in the United States and Canada.

Launch of AileyCamp Baltimore – a new AileyCamp site opened in Baltimore, Maryland, welcoming children between the ages of 11 and 14 for a pilot session, as one of the nine camps in operation nationwide in 2014.

Robert Battle visits the White House to accept from President Obama the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor posthumously awarded to Alvin Ailey in recognition of his contributions to civil rights and dance in America.

2014-15 Season What the Critics are saying about…

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: “Alvin Ailey strikes again… We don’t have to worry about the level of dancing at Alvin Ailey…With the Ailey school and second company propelling exciting new dancers into the main company, the level of performance is as high as it’s ever been—and that’s as high as it gets.” New York Observer, Robert Gottlieb – Jan. 8, 2015

“…We can always count on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to be lively, colorful, and entertaining. But Thursday’s opening night Celebrity Series performance was that and much more …” The Boston Globe, Karen Campbell – Mar. 27, 2015

“If a dance company has prospered for nearly 60 years, it's not only doing something right, it's moving forward.” Chicago Tribune, Laura Molzahn – Mar. 7, 2015

“One night I’m bound to get so carried away by an Alvin Ailey performance that I’ll leap and spin through the Kennedy Center’s Hall of States and end up tumbling down the stairs to the parking garage.” The Washington Post, Sarah Kaufman – Feb. 4, 2015

“Alvin Ailey strikes again… We don’t have to worry about the level of dancing at Alvin Ailey…With the Ailey school and second company propelling exciting new dancers into the main company, the level of performance is as high as it’s ever been—and that’s as high as it gets.” New York Observer, Robert Gottlieb – Jan. 8, 2015

“The dancing, as always, will take your breath away…” San Francisco Chronicle, Allan Ulrich – Jan. 2, 2015

“…the country’s largest and most successful modern dance troupe…” The Village Voice – Dec. 1, 2014

"It became a place where artists of all races had a home. All that mattered was talent. … And through him, African-American history was told in a way that it had never been told before -- with passionate, virtuoso dance performances that transfixed audiences worldwide. Alvin said that, 'Dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.' Alvin Ailey delivered, both through his life and through the dance company that will forever bear his name." President Barack Obama at the Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony – Nov. 24, 2014

Robert Battle: “What’s more consistently striking is the ensemble he’s cultivating: how the company, under his direction, is working together as a whole.” The New York Times, Siobhan Burke – Dec. 17, 2014

“Artistic director Robert Battle helps Alvin Ailey troupe leap from history into the present.” The Miami Herald, Jordan Levin – Feb. 14, 2015

“Under the invigorating, strategic artistic direction of choreographer Robert Battle, the vision and repertory holdings of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have felt to swell magnificently in just a few years…Ailey performances now feature fascinating forays into artistic interpretation.” The Orange County Register, Jean Lenihan – Apr. 16, 2015

“The sense of newness…extends across the whole repertory. Almost every program shows how the artistic director, Robert Battle, has advanced the Ailey tradition into the present.” The New Yorker – Dec. 22, 2014

The Repertory: “…the repertory…has been thoroughly revamped during Robert Battle’s three years as artistic director. The works he has commissioned and imported still display the superhuman abilities of the Ailey dancers…” The New Yorker – Dec. 1, 2014

“Experience a panorama of American culture through modern masterpieces and the work of next-generation choreographers.” San Francisco Chronicle, Kathleen Dixon – Apr. 19, 2015

After the Rain Pas de Deux (Christopher Wheeldon) “The work is set to Arvo Pärt’s “Spiegel Im Spiegel”…which prompts languid and soaring moves that Mr. Wheeldon’s choreography inventively embodies with full-figure and fleet-limbed accentuation.” The Wall Street Journal, Robert Greskovic – Dec. 22, 2014

Awassa Astrige/Ostrich (Asadata Dafora) “Jamar Roberts incarnated the bird of the title, muscles rippling and head jerking with ornithological glee. This is a bit of dance history nobody should miss.” San Francisco Chronicle, Allan Ulrich – Apr. 24, 2015

Bad Blood (Ulysses Dove) “The subject is dance and relationships. Everything is pristine. And fierce…a stunning work—clean and shining as a whistle, hinting at dark currents beneath…an intriguing balance between minimalism and virtuosity.” DanceBeat, Deborah Jowitt – Dec. 15, 2014

Bad Blood is a welcome revival…The work has a great dynamic impact; images combine with Andersons’ and Gabriel’s words to evocative effect. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cynthia Bond Perry – Feb. 14, 2015

Exodus (Rennie Harris) “rich dancing…testifying through quick and intricate footwork" The New York Times, Brian Seibert – Jun. 13, 2015

"It follows the well-trodden path of “Revelations” while searching for an exit, and the ...result is compelling." – The New York Times, Brian Seibert – Jun. 13, 2015

“so arresting that the audience welled up in cheers several times in the dance’s course" Financial Times, Apollinaire Scherr – Jun. 17, 2015

ODETTA (Matthew Rushing) “…nearly everyone has a good time in Matthew Rushing’s ‘Odetta.’” The New Yorker – Jan. 5, 2015

“…an array of beautiful luminaries including: the still handsome Harry Belafonte, the ever talented Ruben Santiago Hudson, and the magnificent Jessye Norman (to name just a few) who came out to see the world premiere of ODETTA…Do see ODETTA…..marvelous…” Huffington Post, Isa Freeling – Dec. 12, 2014

“But what makes this magnificent woman such a promising subject and soundtrack for dance theatre, the Alvin Ailey troupe’s specialty, is the drama in her renditions of the ballads, blues, spirituals, work chants and freedom songs that came to form the civil-rights playlist…a wild ovation greeted its debut…” Financial Times, Apollinaire Scherr – Dec. 19, 2014

A gorgeous blend of richly expressive movement set to the formidable vocal stylings of Odetta…an instant classic…might very well become a fresh signature piece that can stand right alongside Alvin Ailey’s beloved Revelations in its ability to both explore African American life and connect with a universal audience…All in all, a knockout.” Chicago Sun-Times, Hedy Weiss – Mar. 8, 2015

“An uplifting ODETTA…In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, Rushing’s new ODETTA honors the woman Martin Luther King Jr. christened the “Queen of American folk music”…familiar songs were lent an extra layer of power and poignance by Rushing’s choreography.” The Boston Globe, Karen Campbell, Mar. 27, 2015

“Goodhearted, affectionate…steeped in the optimism of the early '60s, when Odetta said she believed music could change people.” Chicago Tribune, Laura Molzahn – Mar. 7, 2015

“…the dance’s message of lifting yourself up, of human spirit and potential, is straight down the center of the Ailey ethos and certainly an appealing one.” Miami Herald, Jordan Levin – Feb. 21, 2015

“Rushing’s choreography has a lush, spiraling quality that is lovely…” The Washington Post, Sarah Kaufman – Feb. 4, 2015

“But sometimes, for whatever reason, a work seems to expand beyond the edges of the stage, vibrating in sympathy with feelings and thoughts floating around the streets… a timely and somehow important work, one that was begging to be made and had captured a feeling in the air… a piece that offers some hope that things will get better, for everyone.” MarinaHarss.com, Marina Harss – Dec. 12, 2014

“It would seem the timing could hardly be more apt for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's new civil rights-themed piece, "Odetta," a tribute to the late folk singer often referred to as the voice of the civil rights movement.” Associated Press, Jocelyn Noveck – Dec. 12, 2014

“Boykin brings the famed folk singer Odetta Holmes to life…spectacular … world-class performers.” The Daily News – Nov. 29, 2014

“…the great African-American singer whose full name was Odetta Holmes; her voice alone, so gravely lustrous, gives the piece drama. In her singing, we hear beauty, eloquence, suspense…Odetta was an inspiring pioneer and symbol for civil rights…” The New York Times, Alastair Macaulay – Dec. 11, 2014

Revelations (Alvin Ailey) “One of the many pleasures of “Revelations” is how its dancers keep finding new things to say.” The New York Times, Gia Kourlas – Dec. 7, 2014

Ailey’s brilliant signature piece… a masterpiece bordering on perfection.” The Boston Globe, Karen Campbell, Mar. 27, 2015

“Revelations — perhaps the only work in the world that has the audience in a state of audible exaltation even before the curtain goes up. Chicago Tribune, Laura Molzahn – Mar. 7, 2015

“Revelations, troupe founder Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece, remains the dance that largely defines the company, and the one which many people come to its performances to see – a kind of ritual for dancers and audience…the company keeps it razor sharp and glowing with emotion and meaning, an achievement in itself…Like any great dance, Revelations’ power is built into its structure and DNA.” Miami Herald, Jordan Levin – Feb. 21, 2015

““Revelations” — one of the great works of the American spirit, whose vision still speaks powerfully…” The New York Times, Alastair Macaulay – Dec. 5, 2014

Suspended Women (Jacqulyn Buglisi) “The complicated delight of Jacqulyn Buglisi’s Suspended Women at Alvin Ailey.” New York Magazine – Dec. 29, 2014 [The Approval Matrix]

“Suspended Women, by Jacqulyn Buglisi, also has its amorphous qualities – but it creates a rich, dreamlike atmosphere suspended between fantasy and nightmare…Women draws you inside a wild and trapped imagination.” Miami Herald, Jordan Levin – Feb. 21, 2015

“[Suspended Women] gives a chance for the Ailey women to strut their stuff…[the work] features fifteen women wearing long gowns, petticoats, and hoop skirts (the lovely costumes are by A. Christina Giannini), led by the ever-elegant Linda Celeste Sims in pink and Hope Boykin in purple, spinning, twirling, subsiding to the floor and rising again, sometimes delicately, sometimes robustly, to music by Maurice Ravel…this energizing work…lets these glorious women shine.” This Week in New York – Dec. 30, 2014

The Pleasure of the Lesson (Robert Moses) “…Mr. Moses’s use of the dancers’ bodies, now detailed and large-scale, abounds in rich contrasts of texture; though the title and structure are enigmatic, there’s much to enjoy here.” The New York Times, Alastair Macaulay – Dec. 9, 2014

Uprising (Hofesh Shechter) “Hofesh Shechter's Uprising (2006) was given a bold rendition by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at NY City Center. The all-male cast gave it the menacing watchfulness, propulsive runs and ambiguous camaraderie it deserved.” Dance Magazine, Wendy Perron – Dec. 29, 2014 [Best of 2014]

“…one of the hottest stars in Europe, and it’s not surprising given the visceral punch of this dance, considered by many as his breakout work. This is perhaps the edgiest choreography the Ailey troupe has tackled yet…it’s impossible to look away.” The Boston Globe, Karen Campbell, Mar. 27, 2015

“Uprising, choreographed by the hot, young Israeli-born, dance-maker, Hofesh Shechter…highlights an ensemble of men changing postures, groupings and attitudes in a recreation of the world-wide conflicts familiar from nightly news reports on television…a rousing…work for seven of the splendid men dancers of the troupe…” The Herald News, Iris Fanger – Mar. 27, 2015

“The choreographer’s study of institutional violence proved timely in a city on edge…it is good to have a dance that can absorb our shock and sorrow, especially for moments like this.” Financial Times, Apollinaire Scherr – Dec. 10, 2014

The Dancers: “The teamwork required to do what these dancers do is so glaring as to be almost invisible, so integral as to be taken for granted. Individual stars, of which there are many — that describes almost everyone — enhance but rarely eclipse the group… that sense of in-this- together companionship animated every piece.” The New York Times, Siobhan Burke – Dec. 17, 2014

“…the dancers look terrific.” The New York Times, Alastair Macaulay – Dec. 9, 2014

“The dancers are in terrific form, perhaps better than ever.” The Washington Post, Sarah Kaufman – Feb. 4, 2015

“Ms. Boykin… With her opening solo, she set the tone for the breathtaking precision and drive to come.” The New York Times, Siobhan Burke – Dec. 17, 2014 [In reference to Ulysses Dove’s Vespers]

“At the start of ODETTA, dancer Hope Boykin, the warmest of earth mothers…skims alone over the stage with an undulating spine and beckoning arms as she punctuates the song, "This Little Light of Mine."” Los Angeles Times, Joseph Carman, Mar. 13, 2015

“…the feisty Hope Boykin, an energy source whenever she appears.” San Francisco Chronicle, Allan Ulrich – Apr. 24, 2015

“Hope Boykin is an inspirational, motherly Odetta figure; with her solid, powerful body and warm, luminous aura, she’s a compelling presence.” Miami Herald, Jordan Levin – Feb. 21, 2015

“Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Parson’s strobe-lit journey catapulted into the stratosphere both technically and imagistically…when the superhuman Douthit-Boyd would reemerge from the strobe light's white-out scene, the cheers were triple-strength.” The Orange County Register, Jean Lenihan, Apr. 16, 2015

“Among the many superb dancers of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Antonio Douthit-Boyd has recently risen to a special magnificence. In the company’s current season at City Center, he’s in his prime…he danced the solo “Awassa Astrige/Ostrich,”… Mr. Douthit-Boyd makes it splendid. Mr. Douthit-Boyd delivers it with pride, glamour and skill: With him, the king of African birds becomes truly heroic… it’s a privilege to observe such mastery and beauty” The New York Times, Alastair Macaulay – Dec. 9, 2014

“…the lithe, elegant Jacqueline Green. She gets better each season, but seems to have landed in a new place: Her sweet mettle and suppleness light up the stage.” The New York Times, Gia Kourlas – Dec. 7, 2014

“…Demetia Hopkins Greene brought an inherent, bold pride to her surrogate Odetta, while Jeroboam Bozeman’s elegantly powerful, heroic bearing was impressive in his “John Henry” solo.” The Wall Street Journal, Robert Greskovic – Dec. 22, 2014

“…the ideally paired Rachael McLaren (a snappy beauty), and Marcus Jarrell Willis (with his wonderfully malleable facial expressions), generated great laughter.” Chicago Sun-Times, Hedy Weiss – Mar. 8, 2015

“… gives the immensely gifted Rachael McLaren the role of a lifetime—except that she looks just as good in everything she dances.” New York Observer, Robert Gottlieb – Jan. 8, 2015 [In reference to Ronald K. Brown’s Four Corners]

“… Jamar Roberts, perhaps the most striking of the pack of striking men in the company; his command of the stage is now absolute. This was instantly apparent in his performance of the three-minute solo Awassa Astrige/Ostrich that was the highlight of the entire season…a magnificent male dancer … spellbinding. And then he’s gone. This was revelation… what Roberts gave us was embodiment.” New York Observer, Robert Gottlieb – Jan. 8, 2015

“As an Ailey dancer since 1992, [Matthew Rushing] has remained one of its most stellar performers.” The Wall Street Journal, Robert Greskovic – Dec. 22, 2014

“Matthew Rushing and Linda Celeste Sims wind their way through Mr. Brown’s undulations as if their bodies were made of water.” The New York Times, Gia Kourlas – Dec. 26, 2014 [In reference to Ronald K. Brown’s Four Corners]

“Linda Celeste Sims and Glenn Allen Sims were exquisite.” The Boston Globe, Karen Campbell, Mar. 27, 2015

“Glenn Allen Sims, one of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s most fluid partners…” The New York Times, Marina Harss – Dec. 27, 2014

“Linda Celeste Sims, Antonio Douthit-Boyd, Glenn Allen Sims — all dancers from Ms. Jamison’s tenure — were resplendent, lending indelible phrasing to Mr. Ailey’s braiding of ballet, modern dance and Horton technique…But the most refined was Mr. Sims in “I Wanna Be Ready,” balancing the steely prowess of his body with an otherworldly aura. He’s a creature.” The New York Times, Gia Kourlas – Dec. 10, 2014 [In reference to Alvin Ailey’s Revelations and Night Creature]

“After the Rain pas de deux… deploying the beauteous Linda Celeste Sims and her stalwart husband, Glenn Allen Sims…they’re stars…” New York Observer, Robert Gottlieb – Jan. 8, 2015

“Ms. Sims luxuriated in the swing of sultry, swaying hips, the leader of a pack magnetized by her every move…Ms. Sims, by turns introspective and ecstatic, jubilant and stern, embodied things much larger than herself. Her dancing seemed to emanate outside the theater walls…”.” The New York Times, Siobhan Burke – Dec. 17, 2014 [In reference to Alvin Ailey’s Night Creature and Cry]

“‘Lake,’ featuring the Simses (husband and wife), was the jewel. Ms. Sims, with simplicity and grandeur, imbued Mr. Ailey’s classical steps with the grounded, soulful spirit of modern dance without relinquishing their aqueous flow.” The New York Times, Gia Kourlas – Dec. 10, 2014 [In reference to Alvin Ailey’s The River]

“…the subtle power of Ms. Sims’s dancing at Ailey…has only deepened. With a face that could only be described as angelic, she is one of the group’s most soulful dancers… Slight and supple, Ms. Sims possesses the kind of silkiness that allows music to run through her. Her dulcet purity always comes as a happy jolt. Her longevity… is mind-boggling…Ms. Sims’s intensity is the opposite of her playful offstage persona; you get the feeling that she could dance through a tornado.” The New York Times, Gia Kourlas – Nov. 28, 2014

Broadcast Highlights 2014 – 15 Season

NBC - The Today Show: AileyCamp WABC 7: Artistic Director Robert Battle CBS - This Morning: White House helps kids tackle challenges through Accepts the Presidential Medal of celebrates dance legend Alvin Ailey dance Freedom on Behalf of Alvin Ailey

WABC 7 - Here and Now: Alvin Ailey WABC 7 - Eyewitness News: Alvin Ailey NBC - Positively Black: ODETTA American Dance Theater’s New Season Dance Couple Reveal Their Love Story On Stage, At Home

WNYC Radio (NPR) - The Leonard PBS - Charlie Rose: Julianne Moore, Fox 5 – News at 5: Dance Tribute: Lopate Show: Staging the Alvin Ailey Robert Battle ODETTA the Ballet American Dance Theater

(Ctrl + Click on images for full video)

June 13, 2015

June 10 – 16, 2015

June 21, 2015

February 15, 2015

By: Gia Kourlas | November 28, 2014

JANUARY 2015

LIGHTSo much of a dancer’s power comes from an ability to tune in to the body, says Alvin Ailey’s LINDA CELESTE SIMS. She shares the moves and mental tricks that allow her to soar above the rest. BY ERIN BRIED PHOTOGRAPHED BY BEN GRIEMELEAN

Dancers are famous for their lithe bodies and effortless grace, so it’s easy to forget that what makes them appear lighter than air actually requires a tremendous amount of effort. “Even if you have the flexibility, you have to have the strength,” says Alvin Ailey dancer Linda Celeste Sims, 38, who has been dazzling audiences with her gravity-defying leaps and acrobatic skill for nearly two decades. “The muscles in my legs are what hold me up and help me jump higher.” Sims spends up to 10 hours a day dancing to build that strength, but what makes her training so effective is her ability to tap into whatever her body is telling her—from what to eat to which muscles need a little extra TLC. “Awareness of your body is key,” says Sims, who has become a star of the company thanks in part to her flawless technique and to the unheard-of fact that in the past 18 years, she’s never been sidelined by injury. Not once. “It’s more important for me to pay attention than to push through when I feel sore,” she says. Sims’s brand of mental rigor allows her to drive even harder physically, which becomes JUMP FOR JOY crucial in December when she takes center “I want to feel happy when stage and the company kicks off its LEAN > 96 I dance,” Sims says. “Whatever I can do to make that happen, I’ll do it.” TOP Osklen BOTTOM Cover 94 LEG WARMERS KD New York 6 MIND/BODY MOVES MIND/BODY 6 These tonersThese also boost mental focus, says Sarita Allen, Sims’s pilates return tostart.Do 10 reps. straight. Hold5seconds; backward untilarmsare abs toward spine,rolling and deliberatelyscooping together whileveryslowly back, pullingsitzbones exhale asyouround lower then hamstrings. Inhale, hands grasping and bent, feet flat,spine long Sit onamatwithknees 1for minute.Continue says. of yourpractice,”Allen in the ignitionforrest akey abs isliketurning “Firingupyour down. float toward thespineasarms muscles, pullingthem squeeze lowerabdominal Pause, then exhaleand out tooverhead. and sides and inhale, reaching arms a wall,heelstouching, Stand withyourbackagainst 96 2 move. “Theher favorite go, sloweryou the lean andstrong,” says. Sims Rolldowns are shouldn’t long, It be should compressed. be my joints,”lubricating says. she my Itmy happy works place. muscles while 30 50 to laps. swim to pool “That’s the hits she ­mu anorange,” from get can you says. she “You’dfueled. how much energy amazed be herenergy, monitors she stay to fruit eating says. Then, rehearsal, herseven-hour during “It flexibility helps mebuild andstrength,” she Rommett aZena to floor-barre stretching DVD. sameway. the is body It’s instrument.” only your don’t you a violin, Your tuning? needs it think improve,” says. she play “But, ifyou andplay new “I’m season. who says to person the I need 1 t eacher (and an Ailey Extension instructor). themTry three times aweek. / / She also practices pilates. practices She also “Your body ends,Once rehearsal assesses her she of 20 minutes day with every begins Sims scles WARM- NAL SCOOP ABDOMINAL SCOOP ­ ag UP BREAT ain to see if they feel tight. feel Ifso, ifthey see ain to HI

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of thespine.Do 10 reps. and separateeachsegment taking timetoelongate a timefrom necktotailbone, down onevertebraat and anklesaligned.Roll forward andknees,hips pulling absin,toespointed pressing hipsupand on mat.Hold 10 seconds, lift hips,keepingshoulders palms firmlyintomatand apart. Press armsand Lie onamat,feethip-width Switch legs;repeat. reps, thenreverse direction. and flatonthefloor. Do 10 oval, keepinghipssquare to centerinasweeping across body, downandup as youmoverightleg toes pointingup.Exhale Inhale andliftrightleg, straight andfeetflexed. Lie onbackwithlegs 4 3 / / PELVIC LIFT LEG CIRCLE body, you’ll neversucceed.” but ifpotential, you don’t takeof your care study it,” says. Sims “You have can talent and You and smart. be body your to have listen to impressive physique. “To have you great, to be andsuccessfullong career, mention an to not University. State Appalachian at psychology Ph.D., human development of professor and decisions,” says Karen studyauthor Caldwell, make in-the-moment to better you allowing pay attention andto body, present your to be to you encourage “Pilates, liketasks. can yoga, difficult of face inthe confident and more less relaxed, stressed more mindfulness were increased andreported pilates ularly practiced SomaticPractices& physical. A2013 Journal studyinthe of Dance you’lldeeper click stomach.” intoyour For Sims, key mindfulness a to been has Thethe beyond of in tuning fargo benefits

to curlhighereachtime. Do 10 reps, usingabs curling bodyalittlehigher. knees backtochestand buttocks. Exhale,pulling inner thighs,absand angle from floortoengage legs outata45-degree off floor;inhaling,stretch shoulder bladescome behind head.Curlupso to chestandhands Lie onback,bringknees start; do10reps. movements toreturn to waist back.Slowlyreverse reach toward toes, pull vertebra atatime.Asarms chest androll upone Exhale, tuckchinto and reach armstoceiling. stretching long.Inhale arms extendedoverhead, straight, feetflexedand Lie onbackwithlegs 6 5 found that people who reg who people found that / / CURL-UP ROLL DOWN

- “You have watch to legs “I have strong Iput sore, “If Ifeel “When Ihave aday off & lean lean & Her Her TACKLE TIGHTNESS tips day Self.com/ at recipes cheese.”of Sims’s Get for myselfout. Icook eat you when do that every performance to to performance every 10of before push-ups on them and roll over over androll them on haveor taken along every 5minutes.”every andwalking jogging firmer—you can find firmer—youcan find flight,on to hop I like and even bring a a and evenbring and fightsoreness.” my shoulders activate alternate between between alternate light light My go-tos are yogurt, yogurt, My are go-tos what you put into your intoyour put you what KEEP MOVING EAT CLEAN BALANCE YOUR BODY muscles inmy upper the on work to need lie down in asock, resistance to 5and to resistance my get to minutes processor on the road. road. the on processor go/linda. chicken. Ialso sautéed glutes. (They’re like fruit, green juice and juice and green fruit, favorite performance- favorite love wine and a sliver andasliver love wine andfood plate hot dancing,from I but like getting amassage.” two hard rubber balls balls two rubber hard them at pet stores.) It’s stores.) pet at them balls,tennis only my neck, with them for elliptical 40 the body, andit’s to hard body. Ido 2sets back, quads, hams and quads, and hams back, going. the Iset blood

STYLING, LINDSEY FRUGIER; HAIR, MICHAEL JOHNSON; MAKEUP, JUNKO KIOKA FOR CHANEL; MANICURE, MAKI SAKAMOTO FOR CHANEL LE VERNIS; SET DESIGN, TODD WIGGINS FOR MARY HOWARD STUDIO. SEE GET-IT GUIDE.

GUTTER CREDT I’M DANCING, I’M POWERFUL.” “WHEN “WHEN I FEEL I

How I Got My Body: Alvin Ailey Dancer Glenn Allen Sims Doesn't Eat Dinner but Will Finish an Entire Pint of Ice Cream By: Danielle McNally December 3, 2014

Today Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater kicks off its 43rd consecutive season with five weeks of performances at New York City Center before embarking on nationwide and international tours. The company's star, 39-year-old Glenn Allen Sims, dances seven and a half hours a day to prepare, but it takes more than discipline in the studio to maintain his chiseled physique.

"Getting to be almost 40, when things start to fall different ways, I've become more worried about my abdominals. I'm more cognizant of my torso. I want to be portrayed as a man on stage, not some skinny little guy dancer. I barely touch my legs in the gym because of the nature of using my lower half for dance. Instead, when I have a break between rehearsals, I run to the Equinox at Columbus Circle for an hour and a half and do an upper-body workout to get that width; there's a certain stature a man should have.

"I work my lats, chest, and arms by doing the breaststroke in the pool and letting my legs drag behind me. I run in the pool, too, and go to Equinox's Aqua Bootcamp, even though people think that aqua aerobics is for old ladies. My wife [fellow Ailey dancer Linda Celeste Sims] takes it, and I remember the first time I went: Here I come with all my gear on, my webbed gloves, and the older ladies were like, 'Ugh, what is he doing here?' And I thought, All right, it's on. But the little old ladies were better—they do it every day.

"I've become a huge rower. When I'm stressed, I get on the Concept Rower and let everything go. Sometimes in life, you need that one-on-one, just you and the machine. Working out is not only a release of tension from being in the dance studio, but it's a way to meditate on my own body. Injuries happen because of lack of awareness. In 17 years with the company, I've been injury- free. I see the company physical therapist every single day just to maintain. I'm that guy who doesn't stretch. Physical therapy, for me, is about realigning and stretching my muscles because I can't do it myself. I mean, I can, but it's much better when someone else manipulates you.

"Every Monday I go to Peter Vaillancourt for a massage. It's more trigger-point pressure than slathering oil on. And when my legs start to look short and bulky, I know it's time to roll out [with my foam roller]. I do it if I'm not being used during rehearsal and then again when I get home. Other than that, at night, I just lay. Being really physical people, in our downtime, Linda and I just want to watch TV and decompress, just completely veg out.

"I don't technically eat dinner. I follow the principles of food combining, and with that you should not eat after 8:00 P.M. Food combining is really beneficial because it helps how your body breaks down food so you can use it for energy and digestion. My lunch is usually protein in a salad, like steak and kale, so I feel satisfied but still light. Breakfast is generally oatmeal with goji berries and my Nespresso, of course. Goji is a red berry with antiaging properties—in this business, you don't want to look your age. My vitamins are all oil-based so that my skin is well-oiled from the inside out: vitamin E for soreness, acetyl L-carnitine as an amino acid, a men's multivitamin for energy and heart health, vitamin D because we're always indoors, and vitamin C because we travel a lot. I have not had the flu. During the [performance] season, I take two ounces of wheatgrass daily—it boosts your immune system.

"When Linda and I do cook dinner on days off—we cook at home all the time and on the road, too; we carry pots and sauté pans and a hot plate—I'm huge on trying different spices. They say that spices help your metabolism, and I've noticed over the past couple years that mine has become faster. But my go-to if we're at home in New Rochelle and I haven't eaten is Talenti banana chocolate swirl gelato. That's where my weakness really lies. I'm not eating just a couple of spoonfuls—I'm finishing the entire pint. I don't count calories, but I know that's too many, so the next day I have to work harder. I'll be that one person at the gym on the elliptical watching Law & Order: SUV for an hour, for the whole episode."

December 16, 2014

December 2014

June 17, 2014

March 3, 2014

February 28, 2014

February 21, 2014

December 2013 Vol. 87 No. 12 December 2013

the europe option Why dancers love it beat bullying how dance g

The New Ailey can help savvy survival tips for nutcracker g The 2013 D

M AILEY Awards

g NOW

Dancing in Robert Battle’s vision E urope

g The2 013 Is Nutcracker Dance Magazine Awards R acist?

Jamar Roberts and Rachael McLaren

dancemagazine.com

000_COVER_DM1312 copy.indd 2 10/30/13 5:17 PM DNC1312_Cv1r1 The New Ailey From McGregor to Barton, Robert Battle is pushing the company into fresh territory.

There isn’t much that seems to the different facets of the dancers’ pose a serious challenge to Jamar artistry to shine, but the works Roberts. At 6' 4", with the un- themselves—the musical phrasing, canny ability to shape energy to the group dynamics, the visceral its most attractive or powerful or impact—take on a new light. luscious impact, the Alvin Ailey In addition to the new rep, one American Dance Theater dancer third of the 30-member company has given unforgettable perfor- has also been brought in by Battle. mances of Alvin Ailey’s lyrical “The company is a lot more open, Night Creature, Robert Battle’s because younger people are like tortured tour-de-force In/Side, that—they’re not so set in their and Ronald K. Brown’s fervent ways,” says Roberts. “And Robert Grace. But, as he recalls, upon see- is offering a rep where you have to ing Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, be completely open to transform- his first thought was a panicked, ing yourself, which creates a really “How am I going to do this?” good energy.” On December 4, Chroma will For the 2013–14 season, which have its New York premiere at includes a return visit to Lincoln New York City Center—danced Center’s Koch Theater next sum- not by one of America’s major mer, Battle has also acquired Bill ballet companies, or The Royal T. Jones’ exhilarating D-Man in Ballet, for whom it was made, the Waters (Part I) and commis- but by Ailey. For many audience sioned a new work from Aszure members on the company’s up- Barton, plus new productions of coming 23-city North American Alvin Ailey’s The River, made for tour, it will also be their first op- American Ballet Theatre in 1970, portunity to see the ballet, an epic and Pas de Duke, Ailey’s 1976 assault of bodies stretched to their showstopper for Judith Jamison limit. Artistic director Robert and Baryshnikov. The mix is meant Battle is sending a clear message: to energize audiences and dancers His dancers can do anything— alike. “Some of it is looking at their way. how does this work with the his- “What I love about this com- tory of the company—how does it pany is that we all have something work with it by sometimes work- distinctive to give,” says Rachael ing against it?” says Battle. “That McLaren, a dancer of luminous contrast is interesting, where it’s clarity. Under Battle, the Ailey unexpected but totally right.” repertoire has branched out con- “It’s great that Robert wants to siderably. Battle’s programming push us as much as our audience,” choices reveal how superb Horton says McLaren. “And I trust him. technique and soulful theatri- He’s able to see this bigger picture, cality, coupled with individual the greater arc. It’s funny, we’re strengths—the ferocious energy of a repertory company and we’re Ghrai DeVore, the elegant line of expected to be able to do so many Antonio Douthit-Boyd, the regal different things. But it’s kind of self-possession of Linda Celeste easy to forget how capable you are Sims—illuminate the works of unless you’re really pushed and Jirí Kylián, Rennie Harris, Kyle pulled in these directions.” Abraham, and Paul Taylor anew— Battle deflects praise for his sometimes several of them in one expansive vision. “I don’t know

evening. The shift not only allows what else I would do,” he says By Kina Poon Jayme Thornton

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028_Ailey_DM1312 copy.indd 28 DNC1312_028r1 10/24/13 5:12 PM DNC1312_029r1 From McGregor to Barton, Robert Battle is pushing the company into fresh territory.

Jamar Roberts and Rachael McLaren performing LIFT, Aszure Barton’s first work for

By Kina Poon Jayme Thornton the company

d a n c e m a g a z i n e 29

DNC1312_028r1 028_Ailey_DM1312 copy.indd 29 DNC1312_029r1 10/24/13 5:12 PM “They’re skilled, they’re smart, they’re passionate. Their bodies are absolutely insane.” —Aszure Barton

Above: The company runs through Barton’s LIFT; for five weeks, the company worked on phrases like “tornado” and “cry.” Below left: Linda Celeste Sims and Antonio Douthit-Boyd in Chroma.

with a shrug. “This is the stuff I like. I can see or hear myself in Richard Strauss’ Salome as much as I can in Thelonious Monk. That was always nurtured in me, and so I’m still sort of that young child, switching my soundtrack.” Relating his choices to the company, “it also goes back to Alvin Ailey himself,” says Battle. “This is an artist, a genius who was trying to express something personal. He had to be a black choreographer because of the times in which we lived—that’s the way he was looked at. As I say all the time: I am a human being, nothing human can be alien to me. That’s what he and so many other trailblazers were trying to say: We should only be limited by our imagination. In some ways, that struggle of perception still exists. But it also gives me a won- derful platform to express things that are ‘unexpected.’ And in that way, his legacy and Judith Jamison’s vision are tied in with my vision—the sky’s the limit.” With that mindset, Battle commissioned a premiere from Aszure Barton, known for her innovative, sometimes outlandish, choreography, whom he first met as the kid sister of one of his Juilliard classmates. Barton’s LIFT, set to an original percussive score by Curtis Macdonald, shows off the Ailey dancers’ rhythmic dexterity and dynamism, deployed to haunting effect. “She came in with a blank slate and we basically had to help her create this whole thing from scratch, which is really cool,” says Roberts, who eventually became

the work’s central dancer. Over five weeks, the entire company Paul Kolnik, Courtesy AAADT

028_Ailey_DM1312 copy.indd 30 DNC1312_030r1 10/24/13 5:13 PM worked, at first without casting, on phrases with names like “tornado,” “cora,” and “cry.” Any dancer could be called upon at a moment’s notice for Barton to see how a sequence would look on one individual or as part of a group. Battle places casting decisions fully in the hands of the choreographers and stagers—although he and Ma- sazumi Chaya, the company’s indispensable associate artistic director, will answer any questions they may have. Between the dancemakers and the dancers, he says, “I try and create a happy collision, and then get out of the way and watch it unfold.” “I like that let’s-explore-together kind of feel,” says McLaren about Barton’s creative mode. “It wasn’t like, ‘You need to get it right now, and if you don’t get it, I’m going to be frustrated.’ It was ‘I see you and you are enough. Let’s create.’ I think the work of the professional is understanding that it’s OK to be imperfect, to give yourself to the movement. “Dancing is Dancing is about allowing your vulnerability to speak about allowing in ways that audience members can see.” your vulnerability The tension created by that duality of vulner- ability and force is what makes the Ailey dancers so to speak in ways captivating. Says Barton, “Their bodies are absolutely that audience insane. They’re skilled, they’re smart, and they’re members can passionate—they have this sacred understanding of something much bigger. And they’re a real commu- see.” nity. They just opened their door and said welcome.” These characteristics are only enhanced by the amount of time the company spends together—this year, the company toured 15 straight weeks across the U.S., plus three weeks in South America. At home in their studios, with wall-to-wall windows overlook- ing the Manhattan skyline, the dancers take company class each morning, taught by different teachers from around New York City, before rehearsing from 12:00 Rachael McLaren to 7:00 (broken up by an hour lunch break at 3:00 Through her innate sense of line and her spellbinding eyes, the and rigorously enforced five-minute breaks every radiant Rachael McLaren draws you deep into her performances. The Manitoba native began ballet at age 5 at the Royal Dance Conservatory in Winnipeg before moving to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School at 11. Despite auditioning several times for RWBS’ professional division, she was never accepted. “Unfortunately, “We should only I don’t really have that ballet aesthetic,” she says. Upon high be limited by our school graduation, McLaren auditioned for Mamma Mia! in Toronto and booked the gig. However, her teacher at RWBS, imagination.” Jacqui Davidson, encouraged her to also audition for Ailey’s —Robert Battle summer program. She was accepted and, in her words, “my mind was totally blown.” That feeling stuck with her during her two years with Mamma Mia!, so she returned to The Ailey School afterwards—and has been with Ailey ever since. McLaren, 27, adapts her routine outside of the studio to the current demands of her rep. “You totally have to shift your focus and get into a different frame of mind.” She loves to cook—as a pescetarian, she eats a primarily plant-based diet supplemented with a daily multivitamin and probiotic. This season, she’s taken up swimming—“for strength, Taking Ailey in flexibility in my joints, and stamina”—in addition to yoga, which fresh directions: she practices religiously. “I try to wear many hats,” she says, “so I Artistic director Robert Battle. can express myself in a genuine way.” Jayme Thornton

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028_Ailey_DM1312 copy.indd 32 DNC1312_032r1 10/24/13 5:13 PM hour). It’s common for three casts of dancers to be run-through ready in a week and a half—which was the case for Bill T. Jones’ masterwork D-Man in the Waters (Part I). The innocence, momentum, and su- preme athleticism of D-Man (which the Ailey dancers possess in abundance) are belied by the tragic circum- stances of its creation. (Jones carried dancer Demian Acquavella through the work during its premiere; when Acquavella died of AIDS a year later, he was not replaced.) “D-Man is intense, but there’s joy and liberation in that struggle,” says McLaren. “I think it’s going to be one of those pieces that will keep our spirits up on tour.” During an early rehearsal, Roberts (in bright pink pants, one of the few dancers dressed brightly) is marking his solo in a corner, blocking out the organized chaos around him, as other dancers, including McLaren, work through the piece’s lifts, many of which have the women supporting the men. Socks are the footwear of choice for most in the room (the piece will be performed barefoot)— “Robert is sometimes, for especially high-impact pieces, the dancers rehearse in brightly colored sneakers. The offering us music for Revelations drifts into the studio from a rep where another downstairs, and the dancers, for whom that you have to piece must be like breathing at this point, smile at each other knowingly. be completely Both McLaren and Roberts mention Ronald K. open to trans- Brown as another choreographer whose works they find rejuvenating—“there’s always something to grab forming your- onto because you know what each individual step self, which means,” says Roberts. Ailey’s works are also favor- creates a really ites—McLaren hopes to perform his Masekela Lan- gage someday, while Roberts says, “I don’t remember good energy.” a time when I didn’t love to do Revelations.” Both want more Ohad Naharin and Gaga. “Gaga classes are about exploring. How far can you go?” says McLaren. Jamar Roberts “I do have a lot of energy. People are always like, What are you “How big is your mind? I like that idea of taking off your skin, opening yourself up, and seeing what on?” says Jamar Roberts. In solo roles, he often manages to you’re really made of.” Jamar-ify them, dominating the stage, no matter how wild the As for future additions to the rep, the possibili- musicality, the movement texture, or sheer physical demand. His ties are endless. Roberts cites Akram Khan and Pina natural instinct for movement lives in “musicality and sensual Bausch as choreographers whose work he would things that I try and grab onto.” Robert Battle calls him a gentle love to dance. McLaren picks Hofesh Shechter, and giant (which happens to be Roberts’ Instagram bio, too). Roberts himself, who has been quietly working on his Born in Miami, Roberts trained at the Dance Empire of Miami own choreography. and the New World School of the Arts. “I never thought I would be That these wishes fall squarely in the realm of pos- a dancer—I didn’t know what that was,” he says. “I didn’t have much sibility for the Ailey company comes back to Battle’s money, but I wanted to go to dance class. I think I was so in those understanding of how interconnected the dance world classes, so focused, that I couldn’t see what was ahead of me.” is. “There are choreographers who have been such a At 18, after less than a month at The Ailey School, he was part of the legacy of modern dance—trailblazers who invited to join Ailey II and then, the following year, the main are imitated and emulated—that I feel are so impor- company. He took two season-long hiatuses from Ailey—the tant to now. Maybe, in the future, they will be right. first in 2004, to pursue fashion design at Fashion Institute of I’m very much excited by history in that way—how Technology and then another in 2011. Once outside the studio, are we repeating it, reinventing it, repurposing it. In he says,“I try to get out of that dance space. I’m reading, I’m some ways, I’m trying to create the space for things to drawing, I’m painting, I’m going to museums.” He continues, happen that maybe I can’t even imagine.” “You have to do whatever you need to do to get through. You go to whatever extremes for a decent performance—it sounds really Kina Poon is a dance writer and former Dance Maga- crazy but it’s true.” Jayme Thornton zine associate editor.

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June 14, 2013

November 22-28, 2012

July 2011

November 30, 2010