AileyCamp!

AileyCamp 2025

Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp is a joyful and rigorous six-week program free to selected youth ages 11–14. This summer, camp runs from June 16–July 25, 2025, 8:30am–3:30pm daily.

To apply for AileyCamp 2026 camp, please check this webpage after Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

AileyCamp’s talented staff and teaching artists are excited to offer campers classes in African dance, Ballet, Jazz, Modern dance, Creative Communication, and Personal Development, as well as a variety of field trips, guest workshops, and special events. Camp culminates in a performance that showcases campers’ accomplishments before an audience of hundreds in Zellerbach Hall.

AileyCamp provides a supportive community where young people can connect meaningfully with each other and with caring adults, express themselves creatively, and experience the transformative power of dance.

“My confidence and real-life resilience were developed here at AileyCamp. This is something that will help me for years to come.”—2024 AileyCamper

Apply to AileyCamp 2026

Please contact us at aileycamp@calperformances.org, or 510.642.4630 for more information.

Important Dates

Mon, June 16 – First Day of AileyCamp
Thu and Fri, June 19 & 20 – Closed (in observance of Juneteenth)
Fri, July 4 – Closed (in observance of Independence Day)
Wed, July 24, 1pm – Camp Special Preview Performance (free) at Zellerbach Playhouse
Thu, July 24, 1pm and 7pm – Camp Performances (free) at Zellerbach Playhouse
Fri, July 25 – End of Camp Ceremony & Celebration

About Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp

Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp is a full scholarship summer program that has transformed the lives of over 1,300 young people from the East Bay and beyond since its first camp in 2002.

This nationally acclaimed summer program uses the power of dance to support 11–14 year-olds in developing self-esteem, creative expression, and critical thinking skills. Conceived by Alvin Ailey in 1989, and run locally by Cal Performances, Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp combines professional-level dance training with personal development activities. Around 70 campers are chosen from each year’s pool of applicants, enrollment does not require prior dance experience.

The program’s dedicated staff, instructors, and group leaders provide role models and mentorship, impacting campers’ lives, and by extension, their families and communities, as they move into their high school years and beyond.

The Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp Experience

AileyCampers receive daily training from experienced teaching artists in four major dance forms (Modern, Ballet, Jazz, and African dance), explore creative writing and the visual arts in Creative Communication classes, and enhance their social and emotional development through the Personal Development course. A cornerstone of the AileyCamp program, Personal Development promotes life skills such as goal-setting, nutrition, conflict management, media literacy, positive self-image, leadership development, and more. Stimulating field trips and guest artist workshops round out the campers’ week.

Held on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp encourages campers to feel that they belong on campus and to envision their own potential college experience. Campers have breakfast and lunch in a university dining hall, participate in a campus scavenger hunt, and perform in a professionally presented final showcase on the Zellerbach Auditorium Stage with full technical and design support, offered free to supportive audiences made up of family and friends.

AileyCamp 2025 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Parents/Guardians Please Note:

AileyCamp 2025 takes place from Monday, June 16 through Friday, July 25, 2025 onsite at Hearst Gymnasium and Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus.

Apply to AileyCamp

The application period for AileyCamp 2025 has passed. The Deadline to Apply to AileyCamp 2026 is March 2, 2026

In order for us to consider your child’s application they MUST:

Submit their application by the due date: MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2026.
Attend an interview session to be scheduled in late March. You will receive advance notice of the date. The applicant’s interview is in lieu of an audition as applicants do not need to have any dance training to apply.
Attend the mandatory Family Orientation in May 2026 if your child is selected or on the waitlist.
NOT APPLY if they have scheduling conflicts, for example, sports practices, games, other performance commitments between the hours of 8:30am and 3:30pm, or you have vacation plans between Monday, June 15 and Friday, July 24, 2026.
Applicants will be notified no later than Friday, April 17, 2026 of their application status.

Please remember that just as with any sports team, dance company, theater company, job, school or camp, Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp has limited space and for a variety of reasons everyone who applies may not be enrolled into AileyCamp. Students who are not enrolled this year are encouraged to apply again next year.

AileyCamp 2025 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp?

A joyful, rigorous, and fast-paced summer day camp where youths are immersed in dance, and come to respect the discipline of dance as a physical activity that requires athletic ability comparable to skills demanded by any sport. Campers also increase their leadership skills and enjoy a variety of athletic and social activities.

The camp was inspired by the work of legendary dancer and choreographer, Alvin Ailey, who founded his own New York-based dance company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. When Kansas City, Missouri was selected as the second home for the company in 1984, plans for AileyCamp began. Kansas City, Missouri held the first AileyCamp in the summer of 1989.

Who Is Eligible?

70 students (ages 11–14) attending schools in the Berkeley, Oakland, and Richmond area school districts will be selected from the applications received. Prior dance training is not a consideration for admission.

When Is AileyCamp?

AileyCamp 2025 runs from Monday, June 16 through Friday, July 25, 2025. Camp begins at 8:30am, and ends at 3:30pm, Monday to Friday. These are six action-packed weeks! Campers are expected to attend each day unless they are ill.

What Does It Cost?

AileyCamp is entirely tuition-free for all participants. Instruction, dance and camp attire, field trips, and meals (breakfast and lunch) are provided. Transportation is provided to Oakland students; Berkeley and Richmond students must provide their own transportation to and from camp.

Where Is AileyCamp?

AileyCamp will be held at Hearst Gymnasium and Zellerbach Hall on the University of California, Berkeley campus, Telegraph and Bancroft avenues.

Who Sponsors AileyCamp?

AileyCamp is co-sponsored by Cal Performances in association with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that sponsors the activities of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and the Ailey School.

How Would I Get To AileyCamp Every Day?

Oakland students may take the AileyCamp bus. Morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off locations include:

Elmhurst Middle School, 1800 98th Ave, Oakland, CA 94603
Westlake Middle School, 2629 Harrison Street, Oakland, CA 94612
West Oakland Middle School, 991 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Several AC Transit bus routes include stops at UC Berkeley, and Downtown Berkeley BART is close to campus.

What Are the Camp Activities?

Campers participate in daily classes in a variety of dance techniques (Ballet, Jazz, African dance, Modern), as well as creative writing and personal development (including peer discussion groups). Weekly field trips, guest artist workshops, and other special events round out campers’ experience. A finale performance is held at the end of camp for family, friends, and supporters.

What Would I Wear?

All campers will receive appropriate dancewear, ballet shoes, shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts and backpacks.

All AileyCamp attire will be provided free of charge.

Who Is Your Staff?

Professional artists and instructors dedicated to making AileyCamp a great experience.

How May I Apply?

To apply for AileyCamp 2026, check the AileyCamp webpage after Wed, Jan 14, 2026. If you have questions or would like more information, email us at aileycamp@calperformances.org OR call 510.642.4630.

Who Do I Contact?

Email: aileycamp@calperformances.org

Phone: 510.642.4630

Attention: Patricia West, AileyCamp Director

Berkeley/Oakland AILEYCAMP at Cal Performances
101 Zellerbach Hall #4800
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-4800

When Is The Application Deadline?

Mon, Mar 2, 2026

When Will I Know If I Have Been Selected To Attend AileyCamp?

Applicants will be notified by email no later than Fri, Apr 18, 2025.

When Is The Finale Performance?

Thu, July 24, 2025, 7pm
Zellerbach Hall

Important Dates

AileyCamp 2025

May 14, 2025 – Mandatory Family Orientation Meeting
Jun 16, 2025 : First day of Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp
Jul 24, 2025 : Finale Performance
Jul 25, 2025 : Last Day of AileyCamp/End of Camp Celebration

AileyCamp 2026

Mar 2, 2026 : Application Deadline
Apr 6, 2026 : Interview Period Closes
Apr 17, 2026 : Date by which Applicants receive notification of AileyCamp Status as:

Participant
Alternate Waiting List
Not Selected for 2025

(Please do not call or email about your status unless you have not heard from us by 5pm Apr 17, 2026.)

2025 Final Performance

At the end of their six weeks in this life-changing program, the campers demonstrated their new skills in a final dance performance. Complete with professional staging, lights, costumes, and live music, the AileyCamp 2025 showcase performance took place on Thu, July 24 at 7pm at Zellerbach Hall.

Watch the 2024 performance video:

Support AileyCamp!

AileyCamp is one of our most well-known and respected education programs and—thanks to the generosity of our donors—is operated on a full-scholarship basis for all campers. For many participants, AileyCamp represents their first opportunity to attend a summer camp, to receive rigorous, immersive training from professional artists, and to spend time on a college campus.

Please consider making a gift today to ensure that AileyCamp will continue to provide even more young people with opportunities for personal discovery and growth through the power, beauty, and joy of dance.

Donate Now

To learn more about financially supporting Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp, please contact donate@calperformances.org or call the Donor Information Line at 510.642.8653

Major support for Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp is provided by the Maris & Ivan Meyerson Endowment for AileyCamp, The Cal Performances Endowment for AileyCamp, Partners in Oakland Education, and Bank of America. Additional support is provided by The Joseph and Vera Long Foundation, Quest Foundation, The Sam Mazza Foundation, Bernard E. & Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation, The Barrios Trust, The Sato Foundation, The MOCA Foundation, Bertha and John Garabedian Charitable Foundation, The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc./San Francisco Chapter, The National Smart Set, Inc./San Francisco Chapter, and by many generous individuals.

Meet our Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp Staff

Patricia West, AileyCamp Director
Patricia West is an educator and performing artist from the Bay Area. She aims to create and support spaces that foster self-expression and collaboration. She earned a Bachelor in Arts in English, Education and Dance from U.C. Berkeley and a Master in Arts in Education from San Jose State University. Since 2001, Patricia has worked as an academic teacher/advisor in both public and private schools, kindergarten through 8th grade. She has founded and directed dance programs for preschoolers to adults, and teaches dance to all ages and skill levels. Most recently, Patricia has served as a Creative Engagement Lead and Assistant Director with the San Francisco-based dance theater organization, Joe Goode Performance Group. She has had the honor of working and performing both nationally and internationally with Capacitor, Alayo Dance Company, Zaccho Dance Theater, as well as many others. In 2017, Patricia co-founded DAP, a performing arts collective. She is also a collaborating artist/performer with Joe Goode Performance Group and Fog Beast. West works in Cal Performances’ Education and Community Programs department and is honored to be the Director of Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp. Connect with Patricia West via email at: pwest@berkeley.edu.

Vincent Chavez, AileyCamp Associate Director
Vincent Chavez was born and raised in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received his formal dance training from the Dance Theater Southwest (Albuquerque), Ballet Hispanico (New York), Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre (Las Vegas) and Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program (San Francisco). As a result of his strict training and creative educational experiences, he was chosen to perform with leading companies including the San Francisco Opera, Robert Moses’ KIN, Oakland Ballet Company, Nevada Ballet Theatre, New Mexico Ballet Company, among many others.

Vincent has taught, directed, and coached in numerous dance programs including the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, San Francisco Youth Ballet Academy, ODC Youth & Teen programs, and Orinda Ballet Academy. He, alongside another long-term member of Robert Moses KIN, developed the curriculum for “Bootstraps: Lyric Legacies”, a collaborative educational and explorative outreach program implemented by the SF Unified School District among other organizations where the transformative power of dance, expression, and creativity is needed.

Vincent began with AileyCamp in 2019 as the Ballet instructor and is looking forward to bringing his dance education and outreach experience to his new role as the Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp’s Associate Director.