NBC News - Choreographer Blazing Her Own Trail On Broadway
NBC 4 speaks with Broadway choreographer, Camille A. Brown. While choreographing for Hell’s Kitchen and Gypsy on Broadway, Brown continues to shine with her AILEY family.
Directors
Dance Teacher - What My Teacher Taught Me: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Solomon Dumas On Lisa Johnson-Willingham
When I was in high school, my friends at The Chicago Academy for the Arts told me about Lisa Johnson-Willingham, an impressive former Ailey dancer who was teaching Horton at Joel Hall Dancers & Center on Thursday nights. I decided I ought to give her class a try. The first time I went, I didn’t even pay for class. In fact, I don’t think I ever paid for her class. She was tough as nails, but she was always generous. The room was packed with people from all over the city. From modern dancers to professional ballet dancers to young students—everyone wanted to learn from her. Her classroom got so hot from sweaty bodies that the windows completely fogged up and contrasted the cold night outside.
NBC News Now - 'With Grit And Grace, We Survived': Performing Arts Students Adapt To Online Learning
For the past year, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced performing arts students to adjust to online Zoom classes, putting many of the performances on hold. NBC News’ Isa Gutierrez spoke to teachers and students, including Ailey Extension Director Lisa Johnson-Willingham, about how they have adapted to learning and teaching remotely.
WABC - Here & Now: Ailey Extension Offers Affordable Dance Classes For People Of All Ages And Skill Levels
Sandra Bookman sits down with Director of Ailey Extension, Lisa Johnson-Willingham to discuss the Kids and Teens Sunday Dance Series and all classes offered through the Ailey Extension, bringing “real classes for real people.”
New York Magazine "The Cut" - In Her Shoes: The Dance Director Who Loves A Bright Suit
As the director of Alvin Ailey’s public dance and fitness center, Ailey Extension, Lisa Johnson-Willingham is literally on the move, constantly. On any given day she could be teaching a master class to students, taking a dance class herself, meeting with clients about potential partnerships, or all of the above. Add to that two teenage children, and Johnson- Willingham has a packed schedule that takes her from parent-teacher conferences to red-carpet appearances. To ensure she’s always appropriately dressed, her desk doesn’t just house extra shoes, but also workout clothes and the occasional camisole for after-hours events.
NBC 4 New York - Jacque Reid Tries Out The Ailey Extension
The Hub Today's Jacque Reid hits the dance floor at Ailey Extension Dance Studio.
Playbill - Step From The Stage To The Studio
A professional dancer's body is a finely tuned instrument of movement and expression. And there are no more impeccably calibrated, eloquent "instruments" than those who make up the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
The New York Times - Sweating To An African Beat
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.
The New York Times - A Wedding Dance That's Also A Workout
Attending Indian weddings and ending up the night sweaty and tired from hours of bhangra dancing have been regular parts of my weekend repertory since I was a child. The catchy music can entice even the most die-hard wallflower to move.
The New York Times - Zoom In, Zumba Away
Whenever I read about people who are in thrall to a dance craze, my world suddenly seems too small. Oh, to dance the mazurka until my footmen are forced to carry me home on a makeshift gurney at dawn; oh, to spurn a dinner invitation to Scott and Zelda's because I literally cannot stop doing the Charleston.