Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

2025-2026 Season Image of Caroline T. Dartey

Founded in 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World.” Ailey’s artists have performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents. Ailey’s performances celebrate the human spirit through the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition.

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Featured Video

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Ailey's 2025-26 Promo Reel

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Featured News Releases

February 04, 2026

Ailey Receives Major Gift From Board Chair Daria L. Wallach To Endow The Position Of Artistic Director

NEW YORK – February 4, 2026 — Bennett Rink, Executive Director of the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, announced today that Daria L. Wallach, Chair of AILEY’s Board of Trustees, has made a landmark $10 million gift to endow the position of Artistic Director. In recognition of the historic importance of this contribution, leaders who hold the role will now be known as the Daria L. and Eric J. Wallach Artistic Director.

January 30, 2026

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Launches 20-City United States Tour From January 30 – May 10, 2026 During Inaugural Season Led By Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack

NEW YORK — January 30, 2026 — After an acclaimed holiday season in New York City, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – beloved as one of the world’s most popular dance companies – will grace stages across the United States during a 20-city coast-to-coast United States tour, starting January 30 in Washington, DC and continuing to cities including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles before culminating with a Mother’s Day performance in Newark on May 10.

January 27, 2026

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Returns To Atlanta's Fox Theatre February 11-15 For Inaugural Season Helmed By Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack

ATLANTA – updated January 27, 2026 – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world’s most popular dance companies and America’s cultural ambassador to the world, returns to the Fox Theatre, February 11-15 for six dazzling performances that will showcase new works and beloved classics. Under the leadership of new artistic director Alicia Graf Mack, a former AILEY star dancer and renowned educator, the 2026 Atlanta engagement will feature the world premieres of Embrace by Fredrick Earl Mosley and Song of the Anchorite by Jamar Roberts. The season, programmed jointly by Ms. Graf Mack and Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, also includes the company premiere of Blink of an Eye by Medhi Walerski and a new production of Judith Jamison’s A Case of You. The finale of all programs is Alvin Ailey's soul-stirring, must-see American masterpiece, Revelations, which has captivated audiences globally since 1960.

Featured Press Coverage

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April 23, 2026

ABC7 - Alvin Ailey dancers help expose Chicago students to the arts

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater helped expose Chicago students to the arts at the Auditorium in the Loop. With philanthropic giving dwindling and federal grants cut, Chicago schools and those across the country are struggling to find the arts. On Thursday, hundreds of Chicago students saw a performance in-person and got a glimpse of possible careers in the arts, as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returned to the city. The mini performance at the Auditorium was much more interactive than a traditional performance. Nearly 1,500 Chicago students were asked to help cue lights and sets, and students rehearsed a few moves.

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April 22, 2026

Bay State Banner - Ailey brings two world premieres to Boston

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater arrives in Boston April 30 for its annual visit, its 58th hosted by Vivo Performing Arts (formerly Celebrity Series of Boston) and its first with Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack, the fourth artist to hold this role since the company was founded 70 years ago by Alvin Ailey (1931-1989). This year’s tour presents two world premieres: “The Holy Blues” (2025), created by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar with Samantha Figgins and Chalvar Monteiro; and “Difference Between” (2025), by Boston-born and Boston Ballet School-trained choreographer Matthew Neenan. The company will perform two programs over four days and conclude each performance with Ailey’s signature masterpiece “Revelations,” an anthem to resilience and joy.

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April 22, 2026

WGN9 - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Returns to Chicago to Debut New Works

WGN: Daytime Chicago’s Hosts, Tonya Francisco and Amy Rutledge sit down with Associate Director, Matthew Rushing, to talk about the upcoming engagement in Chicago at The Auditorium from April 24 – 26. Along with the interview, company members, Alisha Rena Peek and Renaldo Maurice performed an excerpt of Alvin Ailey’s Revelations and an excerpt of Frederick Earl Mosley’s Embrace.