Shay Bland, Rehearsal Director

Shay Bland is from Englewood, NJ. She began her formal dance training at The Ailey School in 2007 where she was a scholarship student in the Junior Division. She is a graduate of the Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS), and has danced with several companies including Ailey II, Elisa Monte Dance, Nimbus Dance Theater, Von Howard Project, Francesca Harper Project, Ray Mercer Collective, Kachal Dance, and The Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Ms. Bland has worked on projects on and off-Broadway including The Visitor (off-Broadway) as associate choreographer, and as assistant choreographer for the 13-time nominated Broadway show Hell’s Kitchen. She was also lead choreographer for Nebraska High School Theater Academy (NHSTA) in conjunction with Omaha Performing Arts. As an educator, Ms. Bland serves as a faculty member at Pace University, The Ailey School, Manhattan Youth Ballet, and Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts (EMIA).

Featured News Releases

Ailey II, The Next Generation of Dance, 2025-2026 World Tour Led by Artistic Director Francesca Harper

NEW YORK — September 4, 2025 — Ailey II, the acclaimed second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is inspiring audiences on a 39-city world tour now through April 11, 2026, with performances spanning from Kingston, Jamaica to Miami, Florida to Baltimore, Maryland. The 2025-2026 repertory features four compelling world premieres by emerging and established choreographers including former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II member Chalvar Monteiro, Rena Butler, Renée I. McDonald, and My’Kal Stromile.