Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Makes its First Multi-year Agreement to Perform at New York City Center
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Makes its First Multi-year Agreement to Perform at New York City Center
On Eve of 40th Consecutive Season at the Newly Renovated Landmark Institution,
Ailey Is Named Principal Dance Company and Receives Annual Commissioning Support
NEW YORK, NY, September 27, 2011 — Sharon Gersten Luckman, Executive Director of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, and Arlene Shuler, President and CEO of New York City Center, jointly announced today that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has strengthened its longstanding relationship with City Center by making its first multi-year agreement to perform at the landmark institution in the heart of Manhattan. The ten-year, non-exclusive agreement names Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as City Center’s Principal Dance Company and provides major support toward commissioning a new work each year.
Ailey’s year-end performances at City Center have become a holiday tradition for New Yorkers and visitors from around the world for 40 years, and the new non-exclusive agreement guarantees that tradition continues for years to come.
“There is no way to count all the moments of magic that Ailey has created since 1971 at City Center,” stated Sharon Gersten Luckman. “Our holiday performances have become a cherished memory for generations of audiences, and are an experience that people now share with their children and grandchildren. As cultural ambassadors, we perform every year in the most famous theaters around the world—but City Center means something special to us. We’re thrilled to cement our relationship and ensure that our December performances will take place in this beautifully renovated theater for many years to come.”
“City Center has a rich tradition of presenting great dance, and we are delighted to recognize Ailey as our Principal Dance Company and support the creation of new work for the beautiful Ailey dancers,” stated Arlene Shuler. "As the modernized and restored City Center begins a new era, it is only appropriate that we also start a new era in our relationship with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.”
On November 30, Ailey will take the new stage in City Center’s transformed theater for the opening night gala of its 2011-2012 season—the first led by Artistic Director Robert Battle. The five-week series of performances will continue through January 1, showcasing Ailey’s extraordinary dancers in more than 20 works, including a series of premieres and new productions that extend the vital legacy of Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) in exciting new directions.
Tickets starting at $25 can be purchased at the New York City Center Box Office, through CityTix at (212) 581-1212 or online at www.alvinailey.org or www.nycitycenter.org.
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For further information, the public may visit www.alvinailey.org or www.nycitycenter.org
For additional press materials or photos, members of the media may visit pressroom.alvinailey.org or click here for full details on the season.
Press Contacts:
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Christopher Zunner - czunner@alvinailey.org , 212-405-9028
New York City Center: helene@helenedavispr.com, 212-354-7436
ABOUT ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” grew from a now-fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Founded by Alvin Ailey, and guided by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, the Company is now led by Robert Battle, whom Judith Jamison chose to succeed her on July 1, 2011. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents, promoting the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year-end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark (where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate), and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world —named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.
ABOUT NEW YORK CITY CENTER
New York City Center has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city for nearly 70 years. It was Manhattan’s first performing arts center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1943 with a mission to make the best in music, theater and dance accessible to all audiences. Today, City Center is home to many distinguished companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club; a roster of renowned national and international visiting artists; and its own critically acclaimed and popular programs. The Tony-honored Encores! musical theater series has been hailed as “one of the very best reasons to be alive in New York” and has expanded to include a new partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Dance has been integral to the theater’s mission from the start, and dance programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival and a partnership with London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, remain central to City Center’s identity. City Center is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to New York City students and teachers with programs such as Encores! In Schools and the Young People’s Dance Series. Special workshops cater to families, seniors and other groups, while events such as the Fall for Dance DanceTalk series offer learning opportunities to the general public. City Center is currently undergoing an extensive renovation and restoration to revitalize and modernize its historic theater. Designed by Ennead Architects LLP (formerly Polshek Partnership), the renovation will preserve and restore the landmark 1923 building’s historic features while modernizing and upgrading the facility to create a world-class cultural center. A gala re-opening is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25, 2011. www.NYCityCenter.org.
Ailey Is Named Principal Dance Company and Receives Annual Commissioning Support
NEW YORK, NY, September 27, 2011 — Sharon Gersten Luckman, Executive Director of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, and Arlene Shuler, President and CEO of New York City Center, jointly announced today that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has strengthened its longstanding relationship with City Center by making its first multi-year agreement to perform at the landmark institution in the heart of Manhattan. The ten-year, non-exclusive agreement names Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as City Center’s Principal Dance Company and provides major support toward commissioning a new work each year.
Ailey’s year-end performances at City Center have become a holiday tradition for New Yorkers and visitors from around the world for 40 years, and the new non-exclusive agreement guarantees that tradition continues for years to come.
“There is no way to count all the moments of magic that Ailey has created since 1971 at City Center,” stated Sharon Gersten Luckman. “Our holiday performances have become a cherished memory for generations of audiences, and are an experience that people now share with their children and grandchildren. As cultural ambassadors, we perform every year in the most famous theaters around the world—but City Center means something special to us. We’re thrilled to cement our relationship and ensure that our December performances will take place in this beautifully renovated theater for many years to come.”
“City Center has a rich tradition of presenting great dance, and we are delighted to recognize Ailey as our Principal Dance Company and support the creation of new work for the beautiful Ailey dancers,” stated Arlene Shuler. "As the modernized and restored City Center begins a new era, it is only appropriate that we also start a new era in our relationship with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.”
On November 30, Ailey will take the new stage in City Center’s transformed theater for the opening night gala of its 2011-2012 season—the first led by Artistic Director Robert Battle. The five-week series of performances will continue through January 1, showcasing Ailey’s extraordinary dancers in more than 20 works, including a series of premieres and new productions that extend the vital legacy of Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) in exciting new directions.
Tickets starting at $25 can be purchased at the New York City Center Box Office, through CityTix at (212) 581-1212 or online at www.alvinailey.org or www.nycitycenter.org.
###
For further information, the public may visit www.alvinailey.org or www.nycitycenter.org
For additional press materials or photos, members of the media may visit pressroom.alvinailey.org or click here for full details on the season.
Press Contacts:
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Christopher Zunner - czunner@alvinailey.org , 212-405-9028
New York City Center: helene@helenedavispr.com, 212-354-7436
ABOUT ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” grew from a now-fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Founded by Alvin Ailey, and guided by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, the Company is now led by Robert Battle, whom Judith Jamison chose to succeed her on July 1, 2011. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents, promoting the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year-end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark (where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate), and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world —named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.
ABOUT NEW YORK CITY CENTER
New York City Center has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city for nearly 70 years. It was Manhattan’s first performing arts center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1943 with a mission to make the best in music, theater and dance accessible to all audiences. Today, City Center is home to many distinguished companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club; a roster of renowned national and international visiting artists; and its own critically acclaimed and popular programs. The Tony-honored Encores! musical theater series has been hailed as “one of the very best reasons to be alive in New York” and has expanded to include a new partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Dance has been integral to the theater’s mission from the start, and dance programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival and a partnership with London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, remain central to City Center’s identity. City Center is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to New York City students and teachers with programs such as Encores! In Schools and the Young People’s Dance Series. Special workshops cater to families, seniors and other groups, while events such as the Fall for Dance DanceTalk series offer learning opportunities to the general public. City Center is currently undergoing an extensive renovation and restoration to revitalize and modernize its historic theater. Designed by Ennead Architects LLP (formerly Polshek Partnership), the renovation will preserve and restore the landmark 1923 building’s historic features while modernizing and upgrading the facility to create a world-class cultural center. A gala re-opening is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25, 2011. www.NYCityCenter.org.
