Ailey II Dance Company

"Ailey II can be counted on to deliver high-energy dancing made even more eclectic by the plush of youthful ambition." - The New York Times

Known for performing a fast-paced, sophisticated, crowd-pleasing show, Ailey II - the junior company of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country's best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's most outstanding emerging choreographers. Now world-famous, dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers first performed in 1958 at New York's 92nd Street Young Men's Hebrew Association, a performance that forever changed the perception of American dance. The company officially began as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble in 1974, when Alvin Ailey initiated a workshop comprising the most promising scholarship students from the Ailey School. Mr. Ailey handpicked the original members of the Ailey II company from among that group. Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey's pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training and community programs for all people.

Today, Ailey II invigorates the American dance arena by offering unique opportunities for artists. Ailey II company members refine their technique while gaining invaluable performing and teaching experience during their tenure with the company. Throughout the company's history, many Ailey II members have gone on to pursue successful careers as dancers, teachers and choreographers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, other professional dance companies, on Broadway and in schools throughout the country.

In recent years, Ailey II's distinctive repertory has included works by dance masters Alvin Ailey, Talley Beatty, Ulysses Dove, Lar Lubovitch, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Judith Jamison and such innovative choreographers as Robert Battle, Donald Byrd, Shapiro & Smith, Avila/Weeks and Kevin Wynn. The company's 2006-2007 North American tour consists of performances in over 45 cities.

Artistic Director Sylvia Waters has been responsible for the growth and expansion of Ailey II into one of the country's most vibrant young dance companies. Ms. Waters's commitment to dance began when the art form was introduced in her junior high school curriculum. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Ms. Waters studied with Antony Tudor and Martha Graham. Following her graduation from Juilliard, Ms. Waters toured extensively in Europe, where she regularly worked with many companies, including the Paris Opera Ballet. Upon returning to the United States in 1968, she joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and toured throughout the United States, South America, Europe and the Soviet Union as a principal dancer with the company before becoming the Artistic Director of Ailey II. In the fall of 2003, Dance Theater Workshop presented Ms. Waters with a New York Dance and Performance ("Bessie") Award for Sustained Achievement in recognition of her outstanding commitment to young and emerging artists. She has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts and is also active in a variety of other national and local arts organizations.

Under the direction of Ms. Waters, Ailey II continues to win numerous honors and awards in recognition of its educational residencies and community outreach programs across the United States, as well as unmatched critical praise for outstanding performances.

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