Ailey Extension Brings Dance to the People with Free Classes this Summer
Company:
Ailey Extension
AILEY EXTENSION BRINGS DANCE TO THE PEOPLE WITH FREE CLASSES
DURING NYC DANCE WEEK & AT CITY PARKS THIS SUMMER
Eight Outdoor Workshops in Partnership with NYC Parks, June 5-July 14
Over 30 Classes Offered at The Ailey Studios in Celebration of NYC Dance Week, June 14-23
As the Ailey organization heads into its 60th year, Ailey Extension will offer a variety of indoor and outdoor dance classes free to the public this summer. In collaboration with the NYC Parks, Ailey Extension brings dance to public parks in Brooklyn and the Bronx from June 5-July 14, offering eight technique and choreography workshops, including events dedicated to Alvin Ailey’s acclaimed masterpiece Revelations. To celebrate NYC Dance Week, a citywide festival from June 14-23, Ailey Extension welcomes new students* to try over 30 free classes at The Ailey Studios in Manhattan, New York City’s largest building dedicated to dance.
“Our partnerships with NYC Parks and NYC Dance Week continue to keep alive Alvin Ailey’s legacy of delivering dance back to the people,” said Ailey Extension Director Lisa Johnson-Willingham. “Whether you have never danced a step in your life or you’re a trained professional, we welcome you to join in the dance.”
NYC Parks
Stepping out of the studio and into the park, Ailey Extension’s renowned instructors will teach dance classes in Brooklyn and the Bronx as part of NYC Parks’ Arts, Culture & Fun series. A signature NYC Parks program, Arts, Culture & Fun brings cultural programming to teens, adults, and seniors that captures the city’s diversity, sophistication, and innovation. Lisa Johnson-Willingham, who is also a former Ailey dancer, will teach two special Revelations workshops, beginning with a Horton modern dance warm-up followed by an in-depth choreographic study of founder Alvin Ailey’s signature masterpiece (Tuesday, June 5 at 7pm & Tuesday, June 19 at 4pm). Other high-energy world dance and street style classes include NY Style Mambo (Friday, June 8 at 6pm), House Dance (Saturday, June 9 at 6:30pm & Sunday, July 8 at 1pm), Samba/Afro-Brazilian (Thursday, June 21 at 7pm & Saturday, July 14 at 11am), and West African Dance (Saturday, June 23 at 11am). To view the various park locations and to RSVP, visit alvinailey.org/summer-events.
NYC Dance Week
To kick off NYC Dance Week and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s performances at Lincoln Center (June 13-17), join Ailey at Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza on Wednesday, June 13 at 6pm for a free Revelations workshop taught by AileyCamp National Director Nasha Thomas and Renee Robinson, both former Company dancers. The NYC Dance Week festival continues at The Ailey Studios from Thursday, June 14 through Saturday, June 23 with three free classes offered each day for first-time students, including Horton (the modern dance technique seen in Revelations), West African, Hip-Hop, Ballet, Tap, Zumba, Afro-Cuban Folkloric, and Yoga, among others.
As an added bonus, new and returning students have the chance to take two classes for free: Katherine Jimenez’s New York Style Mambo class on Saturday, June 16 at 4-5:30pm and Karen Arceneaux’s DanceFit class on Friday, June 22 at 6-7pm. Katherine will teach basic steps to NY Style Mambo, a flirtatious dance that features points, kicks, exaggerated hip movements, and sharp quick steps. After the free class, students are invited to stay for a festive Latin dance party with a live DJ from 6-9pm – tickets are $10. Karen’s one-hour DanceFit class is a non-stop, high intensity workout that mixes cardio and strength training exercises to sculpt the entire body.
To view Ailey Extension’s complete NYC Dance Week schedule, visit aileyextension.com/nycdanceweek. New students must present a downloadable NYC Dance Week voucher for all classes at The Ailey Studios, available here.
For more information on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Lincoln Center season, visit alvinailey.org.
*New students may only take one free class; all subsequent classes require payment (2 classes for $38 – Ailey Intro Offer). Returning students will receive a bonus class with purchase of a 10-class card during this period.
Ailey Extension at NYC Dance Week Sponsored by TD Bank.
Ailey Extension is located at The Joan Weill Center for Dance at 405 West 55th Street (9th Avenue).
West African Dance Class at Ailey Extension. Photo by Christian Miles
