Alvin Ailey II celebrates 40-year anniversary with exciting new lineup
theGRIO VIDEO - This season, Ailey II celebrates 40 years of bringing its mission to life with a series of shows which highlight the outstanding choreography from a selective group of dance talent...
The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater has been a staple in black history for decades.
It has established itself to be a pillar of cultural expression both within the black community and beyond.
Since the original theater was founded in 1958, it has curated performances composed of some of the nation’s most talented dancers who have presented their creativity through an impressive repertory of work.
Ailey II, which is the theater’s junior division, has honed in on this particular mission by recruiting and training some of the country’s best young dance talent. It is comprised of a small group of emerging dancers who represent some of the most gifted, young professionals with skillful moves and extraordinary talent.
This season, Ailey II celebrates 40 years of bringing this mission to life with a series of shows that highlight the outstanding choreography from a selective group of dance talent.
Troy Powell, the creative director of Ailey II, talks to theGrio’s Lilly Workneh about the history and mission of Ailey II and the significance of the institution’s 40-year anniversary.
“Ailey II is the junior company, these are dancers that are working there way to the professional field,” Powell explained. “These dancers are striving to be those professionals that the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancers are.”
Powell has been a member of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater since he was a young kid and quickly established a close relationship with Mr. Ailey whom he considered a mentor and a father figure in many ways.
“I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Alvin Ailey when I was 9 years old,” Powell said. “He was a man who was a visionary. He took kids from the inner city here in New York and brought them to this program at the Alvin AileyAmerican dance center and I just began to love it.”
Now, Powell has dedicated his time, effort and resources to bringing Ailey’s mission to life. He helps to recruit and train some of the best dancers in the nation and now, he shares his excitement in allowing them to show their talent with the world.
“[Mr. Ailey’s] motto has always been to give back to the people,” Powell said. “He wanted to celebrate the African-American heritage in a modern dance tradition.”
The 40th season of Ailey II kicked off on Wednesday and the dance group will be delivering a series of performances over the next few weeks.
Watch the video above to hear Powell’s insightful wisdom on the world of dance and visit www.alvinailey.org to view a listing of their performances.
Follow Lilly Workneh on Twitter @Lilly_Works
