Press Coverage

September 16, 2019

Dance Magazine - The Dirt: Caroline Theodora Dartey

With effortless extensions, sky-high leaps, and equal parts elegance and strength, Ailey II company member Caroline Theodora Dartey is impossible to miss onstage. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Dartey actually started out training in rhythmic gymnastics, where she earned both national and international titles. She later took up dance, training at the Conservatoire Popular de Musique, Danse et Theatre of Geneva before deciding to move to NYC to pursue her dream career. She joined The Ailey School as a scholarship student in 2016, and is now embarking on her second season with Ailey II. Catch Dartey on tour with Ailey II all over the world this fall, and read on for The Dirt.

September 12, 2019

Teen Kids News - Full Episode September 13-20, 2019 Featuring The Ailey School

When it comes to modern dance, Alvin Ailey was one of the most influential innovators. He created one of the nation’s most respected dance schools, The Ailey School. Teen Kids News talks to Melanie Person, Co-Director of The Ailey School and teacher Shay Bland, who teaches Horton, one of the core techniques in the curriculum.

September 08, 2019

The Guardian - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Lazarus/Revelations - Review

The shadow of Alvin Ailey has always stood over the company he founded in 1958, as an inspiration and a guide. It does so literally here, in the first of three programmes the New York-based troupe is bringing to Sadler’s Wells.

September 05, 2019

The Telegraph - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Programe A, Sadler's Wells, Review: A Stirring And Skin-Pricklingly Exciting Evening

Alvin Ailey was born in rural Texas in 1931. Like so many other African Americans then and since, he experienced frightful racism, but astonishing talent and tenacity allowed him to claw his way up to become one of America's best-loved dancer-choreographers. He founded his own, contemporary troupe - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - in 1958 as a vehicle and haven for black Americans who wanted to dance for a living. And, although Ailey himself died in 1989, his company lives on loud and proud, under the sterling directorship of Robert Battle.

September 05, 2019

BBC Radio - Front Row With Kirsty Lang

In 1958 Alvin Ailey, aware that there were few opportunities for African-American dancers and choreographers, founded a company to tell the stories of black people through movement. Since then the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has become one of the most popular modern ensembles in the world. The company's artistic director, Robert Battle, talks to Kirsty Lang about its history, ambition and that constant difficulty - to get boys to dance.

August 24, 2019

The New York Times - Modern Dance Finds An Unexpected Home

The dance world doesn't always escape the land of television without a bruise or two. The camera loves nothing more than a bloody toenail. And then there's "Pose," on FX. This look at the ballroom scene in New York City is equal parts grit and glamour. Its horrifying moments don't have anything to do with perpetuating stereotypes about a dancer's pain, but with the brutality of AIDS, which devastated the dance community.

August 11, 2019

CBS Sunday Morning - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater At 60

When Robert Battle goes to visit Dessie Williams, the cousin who raised him, she loves to brag that she always knew he was special. "You didn't have to encourage him to do anything; he did them. He was self-motivated," she said.

August 11, 2019

CBS Sunday Morning - Web Extra: Rising Alvin Ailey Star Jacqueline Green

Dancer Jacqueline Green started at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's school at age 17, and today is one of the rising stars of the venerable dance company. She told correspondent Rita Braver she credits her success to the company's founder.

August 09, 2019

Pix 11 - Alvin Ailey Summer Camp Program Spotlight

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is known the world over for its vibrant company of dancers dedicated to preserving the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience. Founder Alvin Ailey was a pioneer of programs promoting arts in education, particularly those benefiting underserved communities. For more than 30 years, a nationwide summer program has also been offering inner city children the chance to enrich their lives through dance. We hear from the national director of AileyCamp, Nasha Thomas, and one of this year’s campers, Jada-Ann Parker, on what this program means to all those who participate.

August 02, 2019

The New York Times - Ailey Selects Resident Choreographer

Alvin Ailey American Dnace Theater announced Thursday that Jamar Roberts will be the company's first resident choreographer. Mr. Roberts, a veteran company member, will begin his tenure with "Ode," an examination of the value of life in an era of pervasive gun violence. The work for six dancers will debut on Dec. 10 as a part of Ailey's five-week season at New York City Center.