REAL CLASSES FOR REAL PEOPLE Press Contact: Dezmon Gilmore [email protected]
The Ailey Extension program was created to expand on the legacy of Alvin Ailey who believed that "dance comes from the people and should be delivered back to the people." Since its inception in April 2005, Over 70,000 people have taken classes at The Ailey Extension, where people of all walks of life can dance and be inspired – body, mind, and spirit!
The Ailey Extension offers over 80 classes per week in over 25 different dance and fitness techniques such as Horton (the modern dance technique featured in Alvin Ailey’s signature classic, Revelations), Ballet, Masala Bhangra, West African, Samba, Jazz and Hip Masala Bhangra. Photo by Kyle Froman. Hop. All levels are welcome, including beginners.
Teens and toddlers can also experience The Ailey Extension with Teen Extension and Tiny Steps, both offered year-round!
Classes are held at The Joan Weill Center for Dance, home of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - at 405 West 55th Street (at 9th Avenue). All classes are taught by leading instructors in their respective techniques. Classes range in price starting from $17 Introductory offer: 2-classes for $25 for new students
For a complete schedule and additional information visit www.aileyextension.com or call 212-405-9500
For photos and video, visit pressroom.alvinailey.org Teen Ballet. Photo by Kyle Froman.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” will inspire and entertain audiences globally on a 2013 U.S. Tour which includes performances in Los Angeles, Dallas, Newark and Boston. Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Ailey’s acclaimed dancers will return to New York City for a week-long Lincoln Center season from June 12-16.
For the Fans of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater…Bring your ticket stub from any of our performances to The Ailey Extension and receive 1 FREE CLASS For newcomers (first time students) For returning students with the purchase of a 10-class card
LISA JOHNSON-WILLINGHAM, Director
Lisa Johnson-Willingham, born in Washington, DC, is a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and received a BFA from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Lisa was a member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for six years, 1993-1999. She also danced with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, New World Dance Company, Donald Byrd/The Group, Joel Hall Dance Company, Deeply Rooted Productions, Cerqua/Rivera Art Experience, Nucleus Dance Collective and Complexions.
As a choreographer, Lisa has set pieces on such dance companies as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Joel Hall Dance Company, Cerqua/Rivera Art Experience, Melissa Thodos and Dancers, One World Dance Theater and Hubbard Street II.
Lisa’s leadership experience in the arts includes a decade-long position as Director of Ailey Camp Chicago, heading dance programs at the Dance Conservatory of Chicago High School for the Arts and Whitney Young Magnet High School and teaching positions at Columbia College, Olive Harvey College and Academy of Dance.
PUBLICITY HIGHLIGHTS
THE AILEY EXTENSION “It’s an eye‐catching performance at the corner of Ninth Avenue and 55th Street, and passers‐by – sometimes one, sometimes 30 – take in the free show.” – Anthony Ramirez, The New York Times
“It is the sweetest form of New York theater, polished yet spontaneous, top‐notch yet accessible...” – Anthony Ramirez, The New York Times
“The instructors are first‐rate… “ ‐ Kimberly Straub, Vogue
“…experience the pro‐training for the non‐pro…” – Julie Chang, FOX 5 Good Day New York
HIP HOP “…[A] kicked‐back course that attracts young adults from all over the city and beyond.” ‐Robert Dominguez and Gina Salamone, New York Daily News
“… funky, calorie‐burning choreography..” ‐ Helen Yun, Time Out New York
ZUMBA “… accessible to people with a wide range of ability.” – Beth Landman, New York Post
CAPOEIRA “With the percussionists and singers accompanying the class, you might actually think you’re in Brazil.” – Time Out New York
WEST AFRICAN “...exhilarating!” –AR, Time Out New York
“...a vigorous, fast‐paced aerobic workout.” –Julia Lawlor, The New York Times
MASALA BHANGRA “…even beginners and walk‐ins will appreciate the flavor of this full‐blown workout class.” – Kate A., Time Out New York
SAMBA “…We all finished smiling and clapping – and drenched in sweat!” – Mallory Creveling, SHAPE
Perfect Your Pop ‘n’ Lock October 7, 2013 By Lauren Levinson
Beyoncé's Backup Dancers Les Twins Show Cosmo's Fashion Girls How to Bust a Move
August 7, 2013
By Nicole Fineo
While everyone and their mother were freaking out about the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour concert, I decided to work on mastering her moves.
Last night, Cosmo fashion assistant May Hasso and I channeled our inner Sasha Fierce at the epic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre with Les Twins, the hot 24-year-old twin dancers on tour with Bey now. You may also recognize them from her HBO documentary Life is But a Dream and from the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, which some fans call her best performance ever.
After weeks of obsessing over their YouTube videos and planning everything from what to wear to hair up versus hair down (FYI: hair down lasted all of two minutes in class), we were pumped to take a master class with over 100 incredibly talented Les Twins fans. When we arrived, the room was packed with dancers of all ages who also had killer style: Crop tops, mixed prints, harem pants, snap backs - you name it. Here I am with May in our Bey best:
The class started with Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit blasting and the Twins warming us up with a run-in-place-while-booty-shaking move that felt so Beyoncé that we had to resist adding in the "Single Ladies" hand flip. Then they taught us a routine - set to an Usher remix - that combined the Les Twins' signature body isolations with some crazy hot Bey moves (see: "the seductive stanky leg"). We were super-inspired by their overall message to keep the idea of "a story" in mind when dancing and not be so focused on every specific technical move (also helpful in case you mess something up).
Post-lesson, the Twins split up the class boys versus girls and we performed for each other with a West Side Story-style hip hop battle…and obvs our side won because WHO RUN THE WORLD?!
Star Bodies: I Survived Beyoncé and Solange’s Zumba Class
August 6, 2013
By Kelli Acciardo
When you get invited to take a class that’s helped Bey and Solange get their bangin’ bods—you go. Or at least that’s what I though until I was midway through, sweating like a beast, tripping over my own feet, trying to keep up with the moves, regretting that decision.
Alvin Ailey’s Zumba class is the worst slash best thing that’s ever happened to me and here’s why: 1. I was sore for three days afterwards, but in the kind of way that makes you think: accomplishment. 2. Pretty sure I dropped 25 lbs in the first 5 minutes of the class. 3. The music is FUN! Seriously where can I get the soundtrack for my next Latin dinner party? 4. Um, my instructor Sam taught Beyoncé and Solange??! And this is why they look like this:
While I look like this (shout out to my cute pink/silver New Balances though): 5. When you’re at Alvin Ailey you’re surrounded by oodles of profesh dancers stretching, leaping around, and just being beyond major in the hallways and by the locker rooms—it’s amazing to witness really. 6. The mix of body-sculpting movements with fast and slow rhythms keeps you on your toes, literally. 7. The fat burning and total body toning benefits are pretty serious—you work every single muscle. 8. Ever since I took this class I just want to go back. And do it again. Every day. 9. And the best reason to take Zumba? Please refer to the photo of B’s abs and Solange’s legs.
July 24, 2013
July 2013
Sarina Jain Brings on the Bhangra Indian dance isn’t just for weddings anymore.
May 7, 2012 By Lizzie Crocker
In a brightly lit studio tucked inside New York City’s renowned Alvin Ailey dance center, dozens of women and men sashay from one corner of the room to another to the beat of Bollywood rhythms, throwing their heads back dramatically.
“Here we go, you’re in my world now!” their teacher, Sarina Jain, shouts, skipping around the room. Her waist-length black hair swishes as she lifts her sculpted arms into the air, her curved hands twisting, snakelike, as she roars, “Ho balle balle!”
The others echo her call, which means “woo-hoo” in Punjabi, as they try to keep up. “Keep moving!” Jain encourages between songs. It’s a mantra that Jain, creator of the Masala Bhangra aerobic workout, repeats every day. A fusion of the traditional Bhangra Indian folk dance and Bollywood-inspired choreography, Masala (which translates to “spicy”) Bhangra boasts thousands of followers around the world, along with roughly 500 certified instructors, from Japan and the U.K. to Norway and Kuwait.
Dubbed the “Jane Fonda of India” by her students, over the past 12 years, she has released nine workout DVDs and launched her own line of saris. Deepak Chopra, who interviewed Jain on his YouTube channel, hailed her “gift for energizing people.” And while she isn’t the only fitness guru teaching Bollywood and Bhangra-inspired aerobics in the U.S., she was the first Indian instructor to bring the workout craze to the masses. Sarina Jain, known as the “Jane Fonda of India,” leads a class.
“My Indian aunties and uncles didn’t believe in me at first,” says Jain, who started teaching aerobics when she was in high school. “They would say, ‘We’re so happy you’ve found this hobby, little Sarina, but please go get a job now. Please get married,’?” she says.
Now in her mid-30s, Jain is traveling to Bombay to host her first teacher training in the homeland of Bollywood and Bhangra. Jain hopes to make a very real impact on the health of the country, which counts heart disease as its leading cause of death. “Indians eat a lot of rich food and don’t like spending an hour on the treadmill, but they love Bhangra and Bollywood music,” says Anusha Sipahimalani, an aerobics instructor in Bombay who has signed up for Jain’s training program.
Jain was raised in an Indian community in California’s Orange County, and her father always emphasized the importance of weaving Indian culture into her Western life. “He’s the sole reason why I started Masala Bhangra,” she says of her dad, who was 47 when he died of a heart attack. “I thought, if Dad worked out a little bit more, his heart might have been stronger.” She also wanted to inspire others in her community to be more active. “I felt like I had to get these people moving,” Jain says.
With these goals in mind, she combined Bhangra and Bollywood dance moves into her 32-step, 500-calorie-burning aerobics workout. Since then, Jain—who does all her own publicity—has scored her own show on the Discovery Channel’s Fit TV, introduced Masala Bhangra to Crunch gyms, created an official Masala Bhangra teacher-training manual, and filmed workout videos on Bollywood sets.
This global success has been met with backlash from Bhangra purists, who are turned off by her glitzy style. Protesters bashed her workout on bhangrateams forum.com. “They would write things like, ‘We should slit her throat so she can’t say Balle Balle anymore,’” she explains. Her detractors were mainly young college kids from all-male Bhangra competition teams in New York’s Desi community, who blamed her for threatening their efforts to keep Punjabi culture alive in the U.S.—though Jain was motivated by the same goal. “I would never want to defame my culture. I’m too proud,” she says.
Though Jain’s workout is essentially an amped-up version of dancing at an Indian wedding, her aunties are holding out for the real thing. “In India, age is a stigma,” she explains. “I love what I do and I’m very happy, but I’m also not married. If you’re not married [in India], you’re not considered successful.”
She sometimes looks to Jane Fonda, her ’80s fitness counterpart, for inspiration. “She revolutionized the aerobic world,” Jain says. “I’m not making millions of dollars like she did, but I’m proud to be the pioneer of Indian dance in the American fitness industry.”
Sweating to an African Beat By JULIA LAWLOR Published: April 5, 2012
Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times
Vado Diomande leads his Alvin Ailey Extension West African dance class.
MY love of West African dance far exceeds my capabilities as a practitioner. No matter. Fifteen years had passed since my last class, and I was ready for another try. So one recent afternoon I wrapped a piece of African cloth around my waist and entered a packed studio at the Alvin Ailey extension center in Manhattan.
This was an all-levels class, which theoretically meant beginners were welcome. But the crowd — mostly women, with a few brave men — seemed fairly proficient.
My pasty Irish skin was no anomaly: the class of 30 or so represented many ethnicities and, equally refreshing, a range of body types. As at most African dance classes, there were drummers; by the halfway point, a total of eight had appeared with their djembes, hand drums made of animal skin stretched over a wooden base).
In West Africa, as throughout the continent, traditional dance might celebrate a birth, a harvest, a wedding or a coming of age or appease an especially irascible spirit. Always, there are the drums, played with hands and sticks. The dancers’ job is to interpret the language of the drums and to respond to certain rhythms, or “breaks,” that signify when a step should start or stop. Unlike, say, ballet, in which the torso is held rigidly and the positions of the arms, hands and feet are strictly prescribed, African dance allows more freedom. Heads bob, arms flail, backs flex, and the upper and lower body are often moving to different rhythmic patterns. Feet are bare, and blisters are part of the price of admission. Throw in a few hops and leaps, and you have a vigorous, fast-paced aerobic workout.
I was wiping the sweat from my brow soon after our teacher, Vado Diomande, led us in warm-up exercises. He spent 15 years as a dancer for the national ballet in Ivory Coast, his native country, and he is also a master drum maker. His strength, for a 51-year-old, was astonishing — at one point, he dropped to the floor and held a plank position, bent his elbows as if to perform a push-up, then hopped across the floor several times without breaking form.
He taught us a celebratory dance called koukou, which is practiced in various forms throughout West Africa. Breaking it down into easy-to-learn chunks, he went over each combination, then began to string them together. We practiced the entire dance several times, and just as I was beginning to get the hang of it, he stopped. He told us that we would perform it again at the end of class — twice if we didn’t get it right the first time — and that we would now move on to the next phase of class.
That involved dividing us into groups of four. Each group moved across the floor from one end of the studio to the other while performing a step he had demonstrated. Then we returned to the back of the line and repeated the pattern with a different combination.
This part of class tends to raise the anxiety level in beginners like me because of its potential for maximum exposure (and embarrassment). But I also found it exhilarating when Mr. Diomande demonstrated a step that I picked up easily, successfully making my way across the floor to the beat of the drums.
As the combinations grew more complex, I slipped out of line and observed from the sidelines. (Mr. Diomande explained later that if he didn’t throw in some difficult steps, his more advanced students would “just stay home.”)
Patricia Seabrooks, one of Mr. Diomande’s regulars from the Bronx, took my hand and pulled me back into line. She showed me the step until I could execute it with confidence. Later, when Mr. Diomande noticed that I was lost, he moved directly in front of me and repeated the combination.
Class ended with a procession in front of the drummers. Students bent down one by one, bowed their heads and touched the floor in front of each drum. Mr. Diomande explained that this was a traditional way of honoring the spirit of the instrument.
A few brave souls then did solo celebration dances as the rest of us clapped along, hoping that any remaining irritable spirits had been thoroughly appeased.
Samba: We Tried It!
January 17, 2012 By Mallory Creveling
My love for dancing through a workout started back in elementary school gym class when we’d get down to “The Twist,” something my friends and I still reminisce about. Lately, that love has only blossomed with Zumba and many nights dedicated to mimicking MJ’s moves (watch one attempt to do so here. So when I was given the opportunity to try a Samba class at The Ailey Extension in NYC, I jumped at it.
In true Afro Brazilian style, we all took off our shoes (this class is done barefoot), and got on the floor as our instructor, Quenia (second from the left in the photo) led us through a lengthy (30- minute!) warm-up consisting of stretching and ab exercises. As soon as we finished, a live band arrived to help us keep time to our Samba routines.
We started the dance portion with choreography Quenia referred to as Samba Do Rio, named after her hometown of Rio De Janeiro in Brazil. Its technical name: Samba No Pe, or “Samba on your feet.” We lined up in groups of four on one side of the room and followed Quenia (who has some serious Rihanna swag in her step) as she shimmied across the floor. She continued to build on the routine each time we returned to the starting position, and though it took a few tries to keep up with the group—I must say I never executed the booty-shaking quite like Quenia and some others—but it was so much fun!
We then began a second routine, which was a simpler, more side-to-side version called Samba Reggae. The band was especially helpful, as we coordinated each movement to the sound of the drum. Quenia said this energetic and bouncy style, from Bahia Brazil, is often used in street parades and parties—and I could see why!
We wrapped up the 90-minute class with Quenia leading small groups through moves like plantars (a step and slide) and corta capim (putting weight on one foot and making circles with the other) to the cheers of our fellow dancers. And finally, after one Quenia-led train around the room and a jump to the beat, we all finished smiling and clapping—and drenched in sweat!
To try Samba, pick up one of Quenia’s dance workout DVDs at sambasambasamba.com or if you’re in NYC, head to one of her classes at Alvin Ailey.
January 13, 2012
January 12, 2012
September 15-21, 2011-09-16
May 2011
December 30 – January 12, 2011
Swing Dancing in Queens, Free Dancing at Ailey
By RACHEL LEE HARRIS
Published: November 25, 2010
The Ailey Extension’s Ticket-to-Dance program offers anyone with an Ailey ticket stub a free class where methods like the Horton technique, above, might be taught.
If the darker nights have you missing the long days of summer, you don’t have to hide inside. Instead you can head to the Bohemian Beer Hall in Queens, where a little denial and a lot of jive have meant the extension of its Sam Adams Summer Sunday Swing nights through the winter. This week the Solomon Douglas Swingtet will keep things jumping from 7 to 10 p.m. Free swing lessons are open to everyone, but the free drinks are only for those hep cats and kittens decked out in zoot suits or other period threads. (29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria, Queens; 718-274-4925, bohemianhall.com; $5 cover charge.)
If you prefer to cut a more modern rug, you can try a free class at the Ailey Extension. Its Ticket-to- Dance program allows anyone with an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater or Ailey II ticket stub purchased this season to participate in one of 80 classes offered at the Midtown Manhattan studio. That includes a special “Revelations” class, where students can learn choreography from the company’s signature piece. The season begins on Wednesday at City Center. The free class is available for a year from the date of your ticket stub. (For performances: 212-581-1212, nycitycenter.org; for more information or to register for classes: 212-405-9500, alvinailey.org.)
On Monday, Jamie Hook, a filmmaker and the founder of the O.C.D. Lecture Series (as in “Open City Dialogue”), a bimonthly discussion for the manic in all of us, presents a lecture for the meta-obsessive. The artist and filmmaker Brent Green will speak about his effort to recreate, room by room, the “healing house” of Leonard Wood, the subject of Mr. Green’s stop-motion film, “Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then,” about Mr. Wood’s consuming quest to build a healing house for his dying wife. (7:30 p.m., Pete’s Candy Store, 709 Lorimer Street, at Richardson Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-302-3770, petescandystore.com; free.)
*Article also featured on Quedit.com and Topix.com
SUNDAY, JULY 11, 2010
MAY 2010