Press Coverage

January 07, 2022

Essence - How Attending Alvin Ailey's Opening Night Gala Reminded Me About The Beauty Of Black People

Our editor attended Ailey’s Opening Night Gala in NYC and This is a personal account about her experience: The night of the Alvin Ailey Opening Night Gala was not only a beautiful piece of nostalgia following their return to the stage after two years, but a reminder that COVID had completely ripped me from my sense of personal style. Though the invitation clearly read “gala,” I found myself consistently second, third, and fourth guessing my choices of outfits, fragrance, lip color, and shoes. Anyone who knows me personally can attest to the fact that casualwear is my best friend – mom jeans, an oversized tee and some kicks are typically my way to go. But don’t let the clean Air Forces fool you; I can put a piece together in a hot second.

December 23, 2021

The New York Times: Scene City

The Metropolitan Museum of Art honored its new acquisitions, including Ronald S. Lauder’s promised gift, at a black-tie gala on Dec. 7. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrated Robert Battle’s 10 years as artistic director at its opening night gala on Dec. 1, held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. And the New York Philharmonic held a concert and benefit dinner at Lincoln Center on Dec. 2.

December 02, 2021

Bloomberg - Omicron Fears Fail To Stop New Yorkers At Favorite Time Of Year

New Yorkers had a message for omicron on Wednesday night: We got this. We’re not letting a new variant stop us. It came from the throngs who gathered to see the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, and from the ticket-holders for opening night of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s season at City Center, its first since 2019.

December 01, 2021

PIX11 - Sneak Peak: Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre Company Returns To Stage For 1st Time Since Pandemic

“Still we dance” is the new slogan of the celebrated Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Company, which is opening its season Wednesday night at the New York City Center. It’s the first time they’ll perform live on stage in two years. PIX11’s Hazel Sanchez got a behind the scenes look at how the performers have prepared to inspire audiences in-person once again. Performances run for the next three weeks.

December 01, 2021

CBS2 - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Returns With 3-Week Homecoming Season

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre returned to the stage Wednesday. Former dancers, including Judith Jamison, walked the red carpet at the dance company’s opening night gala at New York City Center in Midtown. Because of the pandemic, last year’s gala and season were virtual.

June 26, 2021

The New York Times - At Ailey’s Gala, Different Kinds Of Hope

Uplift is what people expect from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. And so its no surprise that for its spring gala – this spring all springs – the company focused explicitly on themes of hope, promise and future. What’s pledged is delivered, with much of the rottenness that comes with reliability. But the Ailey company’s official hope doesn’t entirely eclipse a more troubled and therefore more trustworthy kind, supplied mostly by the troupe’s increasingly important resident choreographer, Jamar Roberts.

June 25, 2021

Town & Country - Inside The 2021 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Spring Gala

On Thursday, June 24, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater held its annual Ailey Spring Gala—this year a tribute to Washington, D.C. that drew guests including Michelle Obama, Alicia Keys, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, and Congressman James E. Clyburn. The evening honored the late Congressman John Lewis and featured three premieres, including “Hope” by Ghrai DeVore-Stokes, “Promise” by Chalvar Monteiro, and “Future” by Kanji Segawa, as well as excerpts from In Memory, a film by Ailey resident choreographer Jamar Roberts and “For Four,” a filmed dance choreographed by artistic director Robert Battle.

February 10, 2020

The Washington Post - Dancing With The Stars

Alvin Ailey company features six local children at the Kennedy Center in its signature work. The dancers emerged onto the blue-lit stage wearing all white. In rows of two - their hands clasped - they slid across the theater floor, threw their arms above their heads and twirled. In front of them, 2,000 people sat in red velvet seats at the Kennedy Center's Opera House. But the dancers remained poised - not even the raucous cheering that echoed through the theater could melt the stern looks from the dancers' faces.

December 05, 2019

VOGUE - Alvin Ailey's Opening Night Gala Was A Revelation Of Spirit And Soul

“The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater makes us feel...the struggle to be free, the tenacity of the human spirit, the triumph of faith—these are the eternal truths of Alvin Ailey’s enduring Revelations,” said Broadway star Renée Elise Goldsberry, the gala’s honorary chair, as she introduced the dance company’s signature performance. The gala consisted of a two-part evening, celebrating the opening night of the five-week holiday season. It began with a multi-act performance featuring a tributary excerpt by Merce Cunningham, which was followed by the premiere of a new piece by Darrell Grand Moultrie called Ounce of Faith, which felt fresh, optimistic and modern, and, of course, concluded with the dance company’s famous Revelations. Following the show, guests made their way to a benefit dinner, where they were greeted by a 20-plus person band singing renditions of songs by Lizzo, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and Rihanna—modern anthems of empowerment.

December 05, 2019

Town & Country - Inside Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Annual Gala

On December 4, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater opened its holiday season at New York City Center with a gala benefit performance and party. The evening was chaired by Emily and Len Blavatnik, Paulette Mullings Bradnock and Howard Bradnock, Mellody Hobson and George Lucas, Daria and Eric Wallach, and Joan and Sandy Weill, and honored the contributions of Elaine Wynn and The Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation to Ailey and its mission.

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