Dance belongs to everyone. ✨
This spring, Ailey Extension instructors and former Ailey dancers traveled to 6 cities bringing dance directly to local communities across the country.
671 dancers.
Across generations and experience levels.
No audition required.
From first-time students to lifelong movers, Ailey Experience creates space to train, connect, and experience the joy of dance.
Thank you to every dancer, parent, teacher, musician, local partner, and community member who helped make this season possible.
The experience continues in NYC this summer.
Ailey Experience NYC • August 3–14
#AileyExperience #AileyExtension
Registration open at the link in bio.
Today we welcomed dancers back to the studio for the start of our Kids & Teens Performance Workshops.
From Ballet and Hip Hop to Broadway Dance, Contemporary Modern, and West African Dance, students ages 9–17 will spend the next five weeks building performance skills, creative confidence, and community alongside Ailey instructors.
Registration is still open through the second rehearsal for each workshop.
Final performance: Saturday, June 20 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.
All levels welcome and encouraged.
Link in bio.
movement moment ✨🩷🪄
sending you love + sharing two of my favorite movement practices to help release stress, reconnect to the body, and ignite joy.
✨ Shimmy + Shake
somatic shake to loosen tension, support nervous system regulation, and awaken energy.
✨ Release Swings
inhale and reach your arms up, exhale ha sound to fold into swinging release movements to discharge built-up stress, create flow, and soften the body.
which one will you try first? 😊
heading to the @aileyextension this Sunday at 10am for a movement wellness session with live drumming. join us for a nourishing experience to support mental and physical wellness.✨🙏🏽
sign up in bio🩷✨
#mentalhealthawareness #movementmedicine #nervoussystemhealth
Yesterday at Ailey Extension, dancers celebrated Judith Jamison Day by learning excerpts from her groundbreaking work Divining with former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater member and Ailey Extension instructor Linda Celeste Sims.
Created in 1984, Divining was Judith Jamison’s first choreographic success and revealed the musical sophistication, mystery, and striking movement quality that would define her voice as a dancemaker. Rooted in African polyrhythms and movement traditions from across the continent, the work explores search, transformation, and spiritual quest through a bold and deeply modern movement language.
Honoring the legendary Judith Jamison and her enduring artistic legacy. ❤️
#JudithJamison #Divining #AileyExtension #AlvinAiley
Today AILEY celebrates the beautiful life and lasting legacy of Judith Jamison. ❤️
Ms. Jamison gave so much of herself to dance, to AILEY, and to generations of artists and audiences around the world. Through her extraordinary spirit, she made people feel seen.
As a dancer and Artistic Director, she carried forward Alvin Ailey’s vision while helping AILEY grow into a home as she lovingly referred to as "the glass palace" for so many people across the globe.
Happy Birthday, Ms. Jamison.
Photo by Jack Mitchell
South African choreographer and creative director @litchi_hov returns to the Ailey Studios this Friday, May 8 for a 2-hour, beginner-friendly Amapiano workshop.
Lee-ché Janecke, known as Litchi HOV, builds a movement language that feels both ancestral and futuristic, rooted in South African rhythm. A 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance, he’s spent over a decade shaping a distinct choreographic voice that reworks global influences through an African lens.
As the creative force behind Grammy Award-winning artist Tyla, he helped propel “Water” into a global dance moment, with additional work earning a 2025 MTV VMA nomination for Best Choreography. From South African television to international stages, his work continues to shape contemporary dance culture.
Now on a global tour, Litchi brings his approach to NYC through high-impact workshops and cultural exchange.
All levels welcome and encouraged.
Spots are limited. Link in bio.
There's still time to register for the Judith Jamison Day Workshop led by Linda Celeste Sims!
Described by Judith Jamison as a “Sherman tank” and “rose petals,” Sims embodies power and grace in equal measure. A former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer of over two decades, mother, and longtime Extension instructor, she brings that depth and artistry into the studio.
Join Linda Celeste Sims this Sunday, May 10, 1:00–3:00pm.
All levels welcome and encouraged.
Spots are limited. Link in bio.
Discover the performer inside.
Kids & Teens Performance Workshop offers young dancers the opportunity to train, rehearse, and perform while building confidence, expression, and stage presence.
All levels welcome and encouraged.
May 16–June 20
Ages 9–17
Register now—link in bio
Before “world dance” became a genre, anthropologist and choreographer Katherine Dunham traveled to Haiti, Cuba, and across Africa, studying, documenting, and honoring movement traditions of the African diaspora.
The result: a technique built on spinal undulations, polyrhythmic isolations, and deep cultural roots that echo across many of the styles we see today.
This summer, certified Dunham instructor Marcea Daiter brings that technique and heritage to Extension as part of our World Dance Performance Workshops — culminating in performances June 20 & 21 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.
Registration closes tomorrow, Friday, May 1.
Link in bio
#DunhamTechnique #WorldDance #AileyExtension #AfricanDiaspora #NYCDance
International Dance Day is every day at Ailey Extension.
Our world dance classes bring technique, culture, history, and live music into the studio each week—creating a welcoming space for beginners and experienced dancers alike.
Whether you’re discovering a new style or deepening your practice, our studios offer the opportunity to explore incredible dance traditions from around the world.
Today, we celebrate the faculty who share these traditions and the community that continues to learn, grow, and move together.
#InternationalDanceDay #AileyExtension
Celebrate Judith Jamison Day with Ailey Extension.
May 10 marks what would have been Judith Jamison’s 83rd birthday and is officially recognized as Judith Jamison Day in New York City.
Join us this Mother’s Day weekend as we celebrate her life, artistry, and legacy with a special workshop led by former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer and Ailey Extension instructor @lindacelestesims
Sunday, May 10
1–3 PM
The Ailey Studios & Online
Ages 13+
Participants will explore choreography from Judith’s iconic role in Cry and excerpts from her choreographic work, Divining.
Register at the link in bio.
Your spine carries rhythm, breath, and expression.
Cuban modern technique explores the body through deep undulations, contraction and release, and full-body movement rooted in Afro-Cuban tradition.
This season, train with Mychal A. Bryan in our World Dance Performance Workshop and take that movement from the studio to the Ailey Citigroup Theater stage this summer.
Cuban Modern Dance | Mychal A. Bryan
Wednesdays · 7:30–9:30 PM
Performances
June 20 & 21 · Ailey Citigroup Theater
All levels welcome and encouraged. Register at the link in bio.
