Special Events

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Eric J. and Daria L. Wallach, ... (Read More) Eric J. and Daria L. Wallach, Actress and Honorary Chair Gabrielle Union, Artistic Director Robert Battle, and Joan and Sanford Weill (Hide)

Bennett Rink and Robert Battle

Alvin Ailey American Dance ... (Read More) Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Opening Night Gala (Hide)

Gala Chairs with Actress and ... (Read More) Gala Chairs with Actress and Honorary Chair Gabrielle Union and Artistic Director Robert Battle (Hide)

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Aszure Barton's LIFT

Hollywood TV - Ailey's 2011 ... (Read More) Hollywood TV - Ailey's 2011 City Center Gala (Hide)

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Featured News Releases

November 13, 2025

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Opening Night Gala On December 3 Kicks Off Alicia Graf Mack’s Inaugural Season As Artistic Director And Honors Board Chairman Daria L. Wallach

NEW YORK — November 13, 2025 — Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will raise the curtain on a new era under Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack with a star-studded Opening Night Gala on Wednesday, December 3 at 7pm, kicking off the company’s five-week holiday season. The event begins with a special performance at New York City Center, followed by a dinner and celebration at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. The Gala will honor Daria L. Wallach, chair of the AILEY Board of Trustees, for her visionary leadership, meaningful contributions, and invaluable commitment to AILEY and its legacy. Two-time Oscar nominee Colman Domingo serves as Honorary Chair as well as multi-platinum, GRAMMY®-winning global superstar, acclaimed singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and cultural icon Ciara, who will appear as Honored Guest to introduce inspiring finale of Alvin Ailey’s Revelations with soul-stirring choir.

November 06, 2025

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Washington, Dc Gala Benefit Celebrating Inaugural Season Led By Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack

(WASHINGTON, DC) November 6, 2025 – On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will host its Washington, DC Gala Benefit, celebrating the inaugural season led by Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack. The black-tie benefit is the centerpiece of an expansive 11-performance engagement from January 30-February 8, promoted by Live Nation, and launches a coast-to-coast US tour. Following a 7:00pm performance by Ailey’s extraordinary dancers at the historic Warner Theatre, known for over a century as DC’s monument to entertainment, prominent figures in entertainment, business, philanthropy, and politics will gather for a soirée at Columbia Square Atrium.

November 14, 2024

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Opening Night Gala Honors Dance Education Luminary Jody Gottfried Arnhold Wednesday, December 4 At 7pm

NEW YORK — updated November 12, 2024 — Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater kicks off its five-week holiday season celebrating the life and legacy of Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm with a star-studded Opening Night Gala, including a performance at New York City Center and party at Ziegfeld Ballroom. The Gala honors Jody Gottfried Arnhold for her steadfast commitment to accessible dance education for all and her invaluable support of AILEY’s mission. The Honorary Chairs for the evening are Gayle King, co-host of “CBS Mornings” and Editor-at-Large of Oprah Daily, and Phylicia Rashad, two-time Tony® Award-winning actress.

Featured Press Coverage

April 01, 2025

Washington Life Magazine - Alvin Ailey's 25th Annual Gala

Talent and Vision: With a repertoire that features nearly 300 pieces by over 100 choreographers, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has graced stages in more than 70 nations across six continents and has been celebrated as a "Vital American Cultural Ambassador to the World" and Ailey did not disappoint the packed Kennedy Center Opera House audience during an extraordinary one-night-only gala performance, followed by an evening soiree at the Nations Gallery.

March 01, 2025

Modern Luxury DC - On The Scene: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Gala

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 25th annual Washington, DC Gala Benefit took center stage during the Company's week-long engagement at The Kennedy Center, celebrating Black History Month with an evening of artistry and impact. A standout on the DC social calendar, the gala drew nearly 500 guests and raised over $1.2 million to support Ailey's regional initiatives, including new productions, youth education programs and scholarships for local students to train at The Ailey School in New York City.

December 31, 2024

Interview - “If You Can Walk, You Can Dance”: Inside the Whitney Museum’s Alvin Ailey Retrospective

In 1949, as legend has it, Alvin Ailey, then a young gymnast, followed school buddy and fellow future dance icon Carmen de Lavallade to the famed Lester Horton “Dance Theater” on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. It was a simple gesture that would lay the groundwork for the future of American concert dance. After Horton’s unexpected death, Ailey took over the Horton company for a while before starting the eponymous Alvin Ailey Company in New York, forming a beautiful, long and deeply intersectional lineage that incorporated dance, art, and innumerable interconnected histories culminating in the very first exhibit of the archival record of the Alvin Ailey Company, a show five years in the making and currently on view at The Whitney Museum of American Art.