Nasha Thomas has been involved with AILEY for close to 40 years and has worked with Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs (AAIE) since 1999. Thomas is the national director of AileyCamp and designs and oversees the national outreach programs for AAIE. As a primary liaison between the Ailey organization and the national arts-in-education community, she plays a central role in working with local communities to develop and run AileyCamp in cities across the U.S. Thomas also manages national residencies, leads workshops, and teaches master classes, helping Arts In Education reach over 100,000 people each year through education and community initiatives. A graduate of New York’s High School of the Performing Arts and Southern Methodist University, she received the prestigious Presidential Scholar of the Arts award. At the invitation of Alvin Ailey and later under the direction of Judith Jamison, Ms. Thomas danced with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1986 to 1998.
Highlighted as one of Good Housekeeping’s “Humanitarians Who Are Our Heroes,” Thomas combines her passion for inspiring the next generation and personal experiences as a performer and Master Teacher to lead Ailey Arts In Education programs. From public school classrooms to the Lincoln Center Plaza and from Gracie Mansion to the White House, and more, she shares dance and Alvin Ailey’s legacy with people across the country. In 2020, Thomas reached students around the world virtually as she helped kick off the 60th anniversary of Alvin Ailey’s iconic Revelations with a workshop streamed from the Rockefeller Center rooftop and virtual programs for TED Discovery Series. She also led the Revelations Virtual Dance Workshop Series, designed for middle school students blending dance with poetry, history, and music, which builds a foundation of artistic exploration that will enhance any students’ academic experience.
Most recently, Thomas shared her personal journey with AILEY for “Alvin Ailey and Me,” a public project with the Whitney Museum of American Art as part of Edges of Ailey, the first large scale museum exhibition to reflect on Mr. Ailey’s life and legacy.
