When Alvin Ailey and a small group of African American dancers took the stage on March 30, 1958 at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, the engagement was for one night only, but it turned out to be the start of a new era in the arts. Ailey envisioned a company dedicated to enriching the American modern dance heritage and preserving the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience. He became one of the trailblazers of modern dance, and the work of his company grew to encompass education, community outreach, and cultural diplomacy. To date, the company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents—as well as millions more through television, film, and online. More than 270 works by over 100 choreographers have been part of the Ailey repertory. In 2008, a US Congressional resolution designated the company as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world.” Before his untimely death in 1989, Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and over the next 21 years, she brought the company to unprecedented success. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her in 2011, and The New York Times declared he “has injected the company with new life.”

Alvin Ailey (founder) was born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas. His experiences of life in the rural South would later inspire some of his most memorable works. He was introduced to dance in Los Angeles by performances of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, and his formal dance training began with an introduction to Lester Horton’s classes by his friend Carmen de Lavallade. Horton, the founder of one of the first racially integrated dance companies in the United States, became a mentor for Ailey as he embarked on his professional career. After Hor­ton’s death in 1953, Ailey became director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works. In the 1950s and ’60s Ailey performed in four Broadway shows, including House of Flowersand Jamaica. In 1958, he founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to carry out his vision of a company dedicated to enriching the American modern dance heritage and preserving the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience. He established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now The Ailey School) in 1969 and formed the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (now Ailey II) in 1974. Ailey was a pioneer of programs promoting arts in education, particularly those benefiting underserved communities. Throughout his lifetime he was awarded numerous distinctions, including the Kennedy Center Honor in 1988 in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to American culture. In 2014, he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to civil rights and dance in America. When Ailey died on December 1, 1989, the New York Times said of him, “you didn’t need to have known [him] personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm, and exuberance and his courageous stand for multi-racial brotherhood.”

Robert Battle (artistic director) became artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Thea­ter in July 2011 after being personally selected by Judith Jamison, making him only the third person to head the company since it was founded in 1958. Battle has a longstanding association with the Ailey organization. A frequent choreographer and artist-in-residence at Ailey since 1999, he has set many of his works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, and at The Ailey School. The company’s current repertory includes his ballets Ella, In/Side, and Mass. In addition to expanding the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris, Jessica Lang, and Wayne McGregor, Battle has also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. Battle’s journey to the top of the modern dance world began in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida. He showed artistic talent early and studied dance at a high school arts magnet program before moving on to Miami’s New World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis and Gerri Houlihan, and finally to the dance program at the Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, where he met his mentor, Carolyn Adams. He danced with the Parsons Dance Company from 1994 to 2001, and also set his choreography on that company starting in 1998. Battle then founded his own Battleworks Dance Company, which made its debut in 2002 in Düsseldorf, Germany, as the US representative to the World Dance Alliance’s Global Assembly. Battleworks subsequently performed extensively at venues including the Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, American Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Battle was honored as one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, and he received the prestigious Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation–USA in 2007. He has honorary doctorates from the University of the Arts, Marymount Manhattan College, and Fordham University. Battle was named a 2015 visiting fellow for The Art of Change, an initiative by the Ford Foundation. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and has addressed a number of high-profile organizations, including the United Nations Leaders Programme and the UNICEF Senior Leadership Develop­ment Programme.

Matthew Rushing (associate artistic director) was born in Los Angeles, California. He began his dance training with Kash­mir Blake in Ingle­wood, California, and continued his training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Rushing is the recipient of a Spotlight Award and a Dance Magazine Award and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and later became a member of Ailey II. Over the course of his career, Rushing has performed as a guest artist for galas in Vail, Colorado, as well as in Austria, Canada, France, Italy, and Russia. He has performed for Presi­dents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House Dance Series. During his time with the company, he has choreographed four ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson; Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance; ODETTA(2014), a celebration of “the queen of American folk music”; and Testament (2020), a tribute to Alvin Ailey’s Revelations created in collaboration with Clifton Brown and Yusha-Marie Sorzano. In 2012, he created Moan, which was set on Philadanco and premiered at the Joyce Theater. Rushing joined the company in 1992, became rehearsal director 2010, and became the associate artistic director in January 2020.

Judith Jamison (artistic director emerita) joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and quickly became an international star. Over the next 15 years, Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, most notably the tour-de-force solo Cry. During the 1970s and ’80s she appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies all over the world, starred in the hit Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, and formed her own company, The Jamison Project. She returned to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Ailey asked her to succeed him as artistic director. In the 21 years that followed, she brought the company to unprecedented heights—including two historic engagements in South Africa and a 50-city global tour to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. Jamison is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them a prime-time Emmy Award, an American Chor­eo­­gra­phy Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, a National Medal of Arts, a “Bessie” Award, the Phoenix Award, and the Handel Medallion. She was also listed in “The TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People” and honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first White House Dance Series event. In 2015, she became the 50th inductee into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance. In 2016, she received the Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards. As a highly regarded choreographer, Jamison has created many celebrated works, including Divining (1984), Forgotten Time (1989), Hymn(1993), HERE… NOW. (commissioned for the 2002 Cultural Olym­piad), Love Stories (with additional choreography by Robert Battle and Rennie Harris, 2004), and Among Us (Private Spaces: Public Places, 2009). Jamison’s autobiography, Dancing Spirit, was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and published in 1993. In 2004, under Jamison’s artistic directorship, her idea of a permanent home for the Ailey company was realized and named after beloved chairman emerita Joan Weill. Jamison continues to dedicate herself to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture and she remains committed to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy—using dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present, and fearlessly reaching into the future.

Bennett Rink (executive director) became executive director of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation in 2013. Rink first joined Ailey as manager of special events in 1994, became development director in 1998, and then worked as senior director of development and external affairs from 2007–12. In his tenure overseeing Ailey’s development, Rink led a $75 million capital campaign supporting Ailey’s first permanent home, The Joan Weill Center for Dance (which opened in 2005), and established an endowment to support major program areas. When the company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, Rink supervised an 18-month celebration, including events, promotions, collaborations, and special performances, bringing public awareness of the Ailey organization to new heights. Rink also oversaw “The Next Step Campaign,” which grew the organization’s endowment to $50 million, As execu­tive director, Rink launched a five-year strategic plan in 2014 to realize Robert Battle’s creative vision, expand Ailey’s educational offerings, and enhance technology to extend the reach of the organization. Central to the plan has been the expansion of The Joan Weill Center for Dance, which attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year. In the fall of 2017, Ailey unveiled the Center’s Elaine Wynn and Family Educa­tion Wing, providing much-needed additional studios and classroom space to meet the growing demand for Ailey’s programs. The building now comprises 87,000 square feet and is the largest destination for dance in New York City.  Rink also conceived the Campaign for Ailey’s Future, a $50 million initiative to support the Center’s expansion and the ongoing implementation of other long-range strategic priorities. During Rink’s tenure, the company deepened its presence in New York City by establishing a spring season at Lincoln Center to complement its New York City Center winter season, while also extending its role as America’s “Cultural Ambassador to the World” with tours to Africa, Europe, and South America. In order to reach audiences beyond live performances, the company has broadened its commitment to creating film and digital content, including its first-ever theatrical movie release as part of Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance. Rink is a graduate of Syracuse University and holds a BFA in theater.

Ronni Favors (rehearsal director) is from Iowa City, Iowa. After studying at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan, with the Camp Scholarship, she continued her training at The Ailey School as a Fellow­ship student. Favors was a member of Ailey II, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and a recipient of the Min-On Art Award. Favors was the ballet instructor at the 1989 inaugural session of AileyCamp in Kansas City and served as artistic director of the Camp. She is the founding director of Children’s Aid AileyCamp New York and provided guidance in the national implementation of the AileyCamp program. In 1997, Favors was named assistant rehearsal director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; she was also its rehearsal director from 1999 to 2010. She worked with local dance students who performed in Alvin Ailey’s Memoria in Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as in Seattle, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Chicago, Kansas City and New York. Most recently, she set Alvin Ailey’s Night Creature on TU Dance and Oregon Ballet Theatre. Favors rejoined the company as rehearsal director in 2019.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gratefully acknowledges
The Joan & Sandy Weill Global Ambassador Fund,
which provides vital support for
Ailey’s national and international tours.

WHO’S WHO IN THE COMPANY

Jeroboam Bozeman (Brooklyn, NY) began his dance training under Ruth Sistaire at the Ronald Edmonds Learning Center. He later joined Creative Outlet and was granted full scholarships at the Joffrey Ballet School and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Bozeman is a gold-medal recipient of the NAACP ACT-SO Com­petition in Dance. He performed in Elton John and Tim Rice’s Broadway musical Aida (international tour in China) and was a part of Philadanco, Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theater, and Ailey II. During the fall of 2016 Bozeman performed as a guest artist with the Royal Ballet and Dance Magazine nominated him as one of “25 to Watch” in 2018.  Bozeman was recently featured in Bud Light’s NFL 100 commercial as the Bud Knight. He has been featured in publications like Vanity Fair, Dance Magazine, Double Magazine, and the New York Times. Bozeman joined the company in 2013. Instagram: @Jeroboamb.

Clifton Brown (Good­year, AZ) began his dance training at Take 5 Dance Academy and continued in the first class of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. He began his professional career when he joined the Ailey company in 1999 and served as choreographic assistant to Judith Jamison. Brown has also danced with Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and was a founding member and rehearsal director for Jessica Lang Dance. He was nominated in the UK for a Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Male Dancer and received a Black Theater Arts Award as well as a New York Dance and Performance Award (“Bessie”). As a guest artist, Brown has performed with Miami City Ballet, Rome Opera Ballet, Nevada Ballet, and Parsons Dance Company. He has set the work of Alvin Ailey, Earl Mosley, and Jessica Lang on various companies around the world. Tele­vision appearances as a guest artist include So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars. He has had the privilege of performing at the White House for President Obama. Brown rejoined the company in 2017.

Khalia Campbell (Bronx, NY) is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. She began her formal dance training at Uptown Dance Academy. Campbell also studied at Dance Theatre of Harlem and as a scholarship student at The Ailey School. In 2012, she performed in Elton John and Tim Rice’s Broadway musical Aida (international tour in Taiwan). She has performed with Kymera Dance, Dance Iquail, and in the 40th anniversary of The Wiz at SummerStage. Campbell also danced as a guest artist with Richard Siegal’s Ballet of Difference in Munich, Germany. She was recognized in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2020 and was featured in Katie Couric’s segment of Thank You Notes alongside Judith Jamison. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the company in 2018.

Patrick Coker (Chester, VA) grew up in a military family stationed in many places across the country. He received the American Ballet Thea­tre’s National Trainee Scholarship from 2008 to 2010. In May 2014, Coker graduated magna cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, where he apprenticed with Ailey II in his final year. After graduation, he danced for Cedar Lake Con­temporary Ballet and went on to join Jessica Lang Dance. Coker has also performed withthe Mark Morris Dance Group in The Hard Nut and L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moder­ato; Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance; and LA-based BODYTRAFFIC. He was one of Jessica Lang’s rehearsal associates in the creation of “her ballet EN for the Ailey company in 2018. Coker joined the company in 2019. Instagram: @pcoke.

Sarah Daley-Perdomo (South Elgin, IL) began her training at the Fau­bourg School of Ballet in Illinois under the direction of Wat­mora Casey and Tatyana Ma­zur. She is a 2009 graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Pro­gram in Dance. Daley-Perdomo trained at institutions such as the Kirov Academy, National Ballet School of Canada, the San Francisco Con­ser­vatory of Dance, and at intensives at Ballet Camp Illinois and Ballet Adriatico in Italy. She is a recipient of a Youth America Grand Prix Award and an ARTS Foundation Award. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the company in 2011.

Ghrai DeVore-Stokes (Washington, DC) be­gan her dance training at DC Youth Ensemble with Carol Foster. After moving to Chicago, she deepened her training at the Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center under the tutelage of Homer Hans Bryant, where she studied ballet and Horton, among other techniques. Before beginning her professional career at Hubbard Street 2, DeVore-Stokes trained at the Kirov Academy, Ballet Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, and Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. She was a member of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater 2, Hubbard Street 2, Dance Works Chicago, and Ailey II. DeVore-Stokes  was the 2011 recipient of the Danish Queen Ingrid Scholarship of Honor and a 2009 recipient of the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship. She was also a 2010 nominee for the first annual Clive Barnes Award. DeVore-Stokes joined the company in 2010. Instagram: @ghrai_.

Solomon Dumas (Chicago, IL) (he, him, his) was introduced to dance through Ailey­Camp. He later began his formal training at the Chicago Academy for the Arts and the Russell Talbert Dance Studio, where he received his most influential training. Dumas studied at New World School of the Arts and was a Fellow­ship Level 1 student at The Ailey School. He has performed with dance companies including Garth Fagan Dance; Ronald K. Brown/Evi­dence, A Dance Com­pany; and Labyrinth Dance Theater. Dumas was a member of Ailey II and joined the company in 2016. Instagram: @tofuwithmildsauce.

Samantha Figgins (Wash­­ington, DC) be­gan dancing at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the tutelage of Charles Auggins and Sandra Fortune-Greene and attended summer intensives at Dance The­atre of Harlem under the direction of Arthur Mitchell. She continued her education at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. There she performed works by George Balanchine, Bill T. Jones, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp. Upon graduating cum laude, Figgins became a member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, performing works by Dwight Rhoden, Jae Man Joo, and Camille A. Brown. She also performed at the 2014 DanceOpen Festival in St. Peters­burg, Russia. Figgins was featured both on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine and in Pointe magazine’s “10 Careers to Watch” in 2013. She has worked with Beyoncé and can be seen in the film Enemy Within alongside Tiler Peck and Matthew Rushing. Figgins joined the company in 2014.

James Gilmer (Pittsburgh, PA) trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School. After graduating, he performed with Texture Contemporary Ballet, joining Cincin­nati Ballet in 2011. While dancing with that company for six seasons, Gilmer was promoted to Soloist in 2015 and performed works by Vic­to­ria Morgan, Amy Sei­wert, Septime Webre, Ohad Naharin, Val Cani­paroli, Anna­belle Lopez Ochoa, Edwaard Liang, Jennifer Archibald, and George Balanchine, to name a few. Gilmer was also a member of Amy Sei­wert’s Imagery, performing during the summer seasons since 2013, and ODC/Dance, performing works by Brenda Way, KT Nelson, and Kate Weare. Gilmer joined the company in 2019. Instagram: @j_gilme.

Vernard J. Gilmore (Chicago, IL) began his training at Curie Per­forming and Creative Arts High School in Chicago under the direction of Diane Holda. He later studied at the Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater with Harriet Ross, Marquita Levy, and Emily Stein. Gilmore received first place in the all-city NAACP ACT-SO competition in 1993. He attended Barat College under scholarship and tutelage of Rory Foster and Eileen Cropley. He then studied as a scholarship student at The Ailey School and was a member of Ailey II. In 2010, he performed as part of the White House Dance Series. Gilmore is a choreographer whose work has been a part of the Ailey Dancers Resource Fund, Fire Island Dance Festival 2008, and Jazz Foundation of America Gala 2010, and he produced the Dance Of Light project in 2010 and 2015. An excerpt of Gilmore’s work La Muette was performed in 2017 as part of the “Cele­brating the Men of Ailey” program. Nimbus Dance Works performed a newwork by Gilmore in 2018. Gilmore is a certified Zena Rommett Floor-Barre instructor. He teaches workshops and master classes around the world. Gilmore joined the company in 1997.

Jacqueline Green (Balti­more, MD) began her dance training at age 13 at the Baltimore School for the Arts. She is a 2011 cum laude graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, and also trained at the Penn­sylvania Regional Ballet, the Chautauqua Institution for Dance, and The School at Jacob’s Pillow. She has performed works by choreographers including Wayne McGregor, Jiří Kylián, Ronald K. Brown, and Kyle Abraham. In 2016, she performed as a guest artist with the Royal Ballet. Green is a 2018 “Bessie” Award nominee for sustained achievement, a 2015 Clive Barnes Award nominee, a 2014 dance fellowship recipient from the Princess Grace Founda­tion–USA, a 2010 recipient of the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship, and a 2009 recipient of the Martha Hill Fund’s Young Professional Award. In 2018, she performed on BET’s Black Girls Rock, honoring Judith Jamison. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the company in 2011. Instagram: @JaGreen711.

Jacquelin Harris (Char­lotte, NC) began her dance training at Dance Productions Studios under the direction of Lori Long. Harris received a silver ARTS award from the National Foundation for the Ad­vancement of the Arts and was a Presidential Scholar in the Arts semifinalist. She has studied at Joffrey Ballet School and The School at Jacob’s Pillow and graduated with honors from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. In 2016, Harris was named one of “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine. She received a 2017 dance fellowship from the Princess Grace Foun­dation–USA. Most recently, she was one of 75 dancers across the world to perform in Merce Cunningham’s Night of 100 Solos: A Centennial Event, which won a New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Award. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the company in 2014.

Michael Jackson, Jr. (New Orleans, LA) began his dance training at age 14 at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, under the direction of Charles Augins. He became a member of Dance Theatre of Har­lem Dancing through Barriers Ensemble in 2005. In 2006, he joined Dallas Black Dance The­atre, and in 2008, he joined Philadanco, where he also worked as artistic director of D3. Jackson joined the company in 2011 and rejoined in 2015.

Yazzmeen Laidler (Mia­mi, FL) graduated from New World School of the Arts. She trained at Mrs. Traci Young-Bry­on’s Young Contempo­rary Dance Theatre and The Ailey School summer intensive. Laidler received her BFA from University of the Arts and was a company member of Eleone Dance Theatre. She is the 2016 award-winning Penn­sylvania Choreo­grapher, setting work for Penn­sylvania Ballet II. Laidler has performed works by Jae Man Joo, Dwight Rhoden, Tommie Waheed-Evans, Doug Varone, Juel D. Lane, and Darrell Moultrie, to name a few choreographers.

Yannick Lebrun (Cay­enne, French Guiana) began training in his native country at the Ada­clam School under the guidance of Jeanine Verin. After graduating from high school in 2004, he moved to New York City to study at The Ailey School as a scholarship student. Lebrun was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2011, and in 2013, France-Amérique magazine highlighted him as one of the 50 most ta­lented French people in the United States. In No­vem­ber 2016, Lebrun was a guest performer with the Royal Ballet in Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. In 2019, he choreographed Saa Magni, his first work for Ailey II. Lebrun was a member of Ailey II and joined the company in 2008.

Renaldo Maurice (Gary, IN) began his dance training with Tony Simpson and graduated from Talent Unlimited High School. He attended Emerson School for Visual and Perform­ing Arts, studying with Larry Brewer and Michael Davis. Maurice was a scholarship student at The Ailey School, Ballet Chicago, and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and interned at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. He received second place in modern dance from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and received the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholar­ship. In 2012, he was honored with the key to the city of his hometown Gary, IN, and named a state representative. Maurice incorporated his passion for the arts with his sense of social responsibility by becoming the arts activist and co-artistic director of the South Shore Dance Alliance in Indiana. He was a member of Ailey II for three years, joined the company in 2011, and rejoined in 2019. Face­book: Maurice Gard­ner. Instagram: @r_maurice25.

Corrin Rachelle Mitch­ell (Baltimore, MD) be­gan her dance training in her hometown at LeRe’s Performing Arts Center, owned by her mother and father. She attended Baltimore School for the Arts, where she trained with Norma Pera and Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. Mitchell graduated from Point Park Universityin 2017 with a BFA in dance, where she worked with choreographers Troy Powell, Gar­field Lemonius, and Deb­bie Allen. After com­pleting one year of apprenticeship, Mitchell joined Ailey II in 2017 where she performed works choreographed by Uri Sands, Bradley Shelver, Troy Powell, Robert Battle, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Amy Hall. Mitchell joined the company in 2019. Instagram: @corrinrachellemitchell.

Chalvar Monteiro (Mont­clair, NJ) began training at Sharron Mil­ler’s Academy for the Performing Arts and went on to study at The Ailey School. He received his BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase, where he performed works by Merce Cun­ningham, Helen Pickett, Doug Varone, Dianne McIntyre, Kevin Wynn, and Paul Taylor. Since graduating, Monteiro has worked with Sidra Bell Dance New York, Elisa Monte Dance, Keigwin + Company, BODYTRAFFIC, and Abra­ham.In.Motion. He assisted Kyle Abraham in setting and creating work for Barnard Col­lege, Princeton University, Emory Univer­sity, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Wendy Whelan’s Restless Creature. In April 2019, Monteiro was selected to participate in Merce Cunningham Trust’s Night of 100 Solos: A Centennial Event.He was in Ailey II and joined the company in 2015. For more, follow Monteiro on Instagram at chlvrmntro.

Belén Indhira Pereyra (Lawrence, MA) began training at Boston Arts Academy, where she graduated as valedictorian, and was a member of NIA Dance Troupe at Origination Cultural Arts Center. Upon moving to NYC, she was closely mentored by Earl Mosley and danced with Camille A. Brown & Dancers, during which time she performed at The Joyce Theater, Ja­cob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and Dancers Responding to AIDS’ annual events Dance from the Heart and The Fire Island Dance Festival. Pereyra was an apprentice for Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company, and has performed with Lula Washington Dance Theater, Nathan Trice, and Roger C. Jeffrey. She has been featured in Dance Magazine, Island Origins Magazine, Boston Magazine, and the Improper Bostonian. Pereyra is also certified in SAFE® FLOOR, and is a Zena Rommett Floor-Barre™ Teacher and a WISDOM Coach for children. She assisted Matthew Rushing with Uptown for the company in 2009 and joined in 2011.

Jessica Amber Pinkett (Baltimore, MD) began her dance training at Baltimore Dance Tech under the direction of Stephanie Powell. Pink­ett is a proud graduate from George Washing­ton Carver Center for Arts and Technology. She is a bronze medal recipient from the NAACP ACT-SO competition in Dance, and has worked with choreographers including Linda-Denise Fisher- Harrell, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Ray Mercer, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and others. Pink­ett has performed as a guest artist with the Black Iris Project and was a member of Ailey II. She graduated with honors and earned a BFA in dance performance and choreography from Towson University. Pinkett has been featured in campaigns for Coach, Equinox Hotels and Jesus Christ Super­star. She joined the company in 2018. Insta­gram: @jessica.a.pinkett.

Miranda Quinn (Balti­more, MD) trained in various genres of dance from the ages of 2 to 18 at Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts under the artistic direction of Shannon Torres. She graduated from Juil­liard in 2019 while under the newly appointed direction of Alicia Graf Mack. Quinn’s attendance at the school was made possible by the Jerome L. Greene Fellow­ship. Quinn is an alum of Springboard Danse Montréal, Arts Umbrella, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Summer Intensives. She is beyond thrilled and honored to be a part of the Ailey family and legacy. She joined the company in 2019.

Jamar Roberts (Miami, FL) graduated from the New World School of the Arts. He trained at the Dance Empire of Miami, where he continues to teach, and The Ailey School’s Fellow­ship Pro­gram. Roberts was also a member of Ailey II and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Dance Magazine featured him as one of “25 to Watch” in 2007 and on the cover in 2013. In 2016, he was a guest with London’s Royal Ballet and won Outstanding Performer at the New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Awards. Roberts made his Ailey II choreographic debut with Gêmeos, set to the music of Afrobeat star Fela Kuti. He has premiered three works for the company to critical acclaim: Members Don’t Get Weary(2017), Ode (2019), and A Jam Session for Troubling Times (2020).  Roberts has been commissioned to make virtual works for New York City Ballet, The March on Washington Film Festival, and Works and Process at the Guggen­heim, where he created a short dance on film piece entitled Cooped. In 2019, Roberts was appointed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s first Resident Choreographer. He first joined the company in 2002.

Kanji Segawa (Kanaga­wa, Japan) began his modern dance training with his mother, Erika Akoh, and studied ballet with Kan Hori­uchi and Ju Horiuchi in Tokyo. In 1997, Segawa came to the United States under the Japanese Government Artist Fel­lowship to train at The Ailey School. Segawa was a member of Ailey II from 2000–02 and Bat­tle­works Dance Com­­pa­ny from 2002–10. He worked extensively with choreographer Mark Mor­­ris from 2004–11, repeatedly appearing with the Mark Morris Dance Group, including as a principal dancer in John Adams’ Nixon in China at the Metropoli­tan Opera. In addition, Segawa has worked closely with choreographer Jessica Lang since 1999, assisting her on new creations for American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Na­tional Ballet of Japan, among others, and staging her work on companies, universities, and schools around the world. Segawa joined the company in 2011.

Courtney Celeste Spears (Baltimore, MD), of Bah­a­mian descent, be­gan formal training at the Baltimore School for the Arts under the direction of Norma Pera. She was the 2015 Denise Jef­fer­son Memorial Scholar and graduated summa cum laude with honors from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program with degrees in dance and communications. Spears attended summer intensives at the Juilliard School and American Ballet Theatre, where she was named the National Training Scholar for two years. She has performed works by Camille A. Brown, Donald Byrd, Rennie Harris, and Azure Barton. Spears is a 2015 Princess Grace Award recipient and the co-founder of ArtSea Dance, an outreach and dance management company based in the Bahamas. She is signed with Wilhelmina Models and graduated from Harvard Business School’s “Crossover Into Busi­ness” program for professional athletes. Spears was a member of Ailey II and joined the company in 2018. Instagram: @bahamaballerina.

Constance Stamatiou (Charlotte, NC) began her dance training at Pat Hall’s Dance Un­limited and North Carolina Dance Theatre. She graduated from North­west School of the Arts and studied at SUNY Purchase and as a Fel­low­ship student at The Ailey School. In 2009, Stamatiou received the Leonore Annen­berg Fel­low­ship in the performing and visual arts. She has performed at the White House Dance Series and in a TED Talk with Judith Jamison, and has been a guest performer on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, Logo’s Trailblazer Honors, and NBC’s Today. Stamatiou has danced in the films Shake Rattle & Roll and Dan Pritzker’s Bolden. She was a member of Ailey II and a guest artist for Dance Grand Moultrie and Caroline Calouche & Co. She is  certified Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis instructor and a mother of two. Stamatiou joined the company in 2007 and rejoined in 2016. Instagram: @constance.stamatiou.

Jermaine Terry (Wash­ing­ton, DC) began his dance training in Kis­sim­mee, Florida, at the James Dance Center. He graduated cum laude with a BFA in dance performance from the Uni­versity of South Florida, where he received scholarships for excellence in performance and choreography. Terry was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and a member of Ailey II, and he has performed with Buglisi Dance Theatre, Arch Dance, Dance Iquail, and Philadanco, and as a guest artist on the television show So You Think You Can Dance. In 2013, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from USF for outstanding ser­vice to the arts. He has made costumes for the company, Ailey II, Phila­danco, Jessica Lang Dance, and the Black Iris Project, to name a few. Terry’s evening wear designs have been seen in Essence online as well as shot by the late Bill Cunningham for the style section of the New York Times. Terry joined the company in 2010. Please follow Terry on Instagram at Jerms83.

Christopher R. Wilson (Augusta, GA) is a graduate of John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School and graduated cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. He trained at Colton Ballet School, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, and The School at Jacob’s Pillow. Wilson began his professional career with BHdos, the second company of Ballet Hispánico, and has performed for Queen Sofía of Spain and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands. He has also had the privilege of performing on the main stage of the 2017 Essence Festival in New Orleans. Wilson has performed works by choreographers Judith Jamison, Matthew Rushing, Wayne McGregor, Camille A. Brown, Kyle Abraham, and Emily Molnar, among others. He has been a guest artist with the Black Iris Project and for the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Wilson was a member of Ailey II and joined the company in 2018. Website: www.christopherrwilson.com. Instagram: @christopher.r.wilson.

Brandon Woolridge (Spring Hill, FL) began his dance training at John Leggio’s Center for the Performing Arts at age 11 in his hometown, where he first learned about the company’s legacy through Ailey Arts In Education. He graduated from F.W. Springstead High School and performed in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Techni­color Dreamcoat at the Show Palace Dinner Theatre. Woolridge trained at The Ailey School as a scholarship student, where he performed works by choreographers Ronald K. Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Earl Mosley, and Troy Powell and appeared in Alvin Ailey’s Memoria during Ailey’s 60th Anniversary season at New York City Center. He was briefly a member of Ailey II before joining the company in 2019.

The Ailey dancers are supported,
in part, by

The Judith McDonough Kaminski Dancer Endowment Fund.

CREDITS

ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Daria L. Wallach, chairman
Anthony S. Kendall, president
Sela Thompson Collins, Jaishri Kapoor, Stephen J. Meringoff, Arthur J. Mirante II, vice-chairmen
Joy Allen-Altimare
Eleanor S. Applewhaite
Robert Battle
Paulette Mullings Bradnock
Gunther T. Bright
Robyn Coles
Laura D. Corb
Rosalind Hudnell
Robert Kissane
Anthony A. Lewis
Leslie L. Maheras
Lucinda C. Martinez
Stanley Plesent, Esq.
Lata N. Reddy
Bennett Rink
Cara Sabin
Joan H. Weill
Gillian Wynn
Pamela D. Zilly

Philip Laskawy, Stanley Plesent, Esq., Joan H. Weill, chairmen emeriti
Debra L. Lee, Henry McGee, presidents emeriti
Gina F. Adams, Simin N. Allison, Anthony M. Carvette, Kathryn C. Chenault, Guido Goldman*, Bruce S. Gordon, John H.
Schaefer, Lemar Swinney, honorary trustees
* in memoriam

ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION
Recipient of the National Medal of Arts
Bennett Rink, executive director
Pamela Robinson, chief financial officer
Thomas Cott, senior director of marketing and creative content
Elena M. Paul, Esq., general counsel
Justin Garlinghouse, managing director of development
Christopher Zunner, director of public relations

ALVIN AILEY
AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Ronni Favors, rehearsal director
Jamar Roberts, resident choreographer
Clifton Brown, assistant to the rehearsal director
Eric D. Wright, general manager
Isabelle Mezin, director of company business affairs  
Gregory Stuart, company manager
Joseph Anthony Gaito, technical director
Kristin Colvin Young, production stage manager 
Al Crawford, lighting director 
Jon Taylor, wardrobe supervisor 
DJ Adderley, master carpenter 
Marq Gonzalez, master electrician 
Jason McGuire, sound engineer 
Chris Theodore, property master
Sumaya Jackson, assistant company manager
Chelsea Gillespie, assistant stage manager
Roya Abab, associate lighting director
Dante Baylor, wardrobe assistant
Katie Chihaby, wardrobe assistant
Jorge Lanuza, flyman/assistant carpenter
Henry Wilen, assistant electrician 
Michael Windham, production and licensing administrator
Michelle Grazio, administrator of company business affairs
Nicole Greene, Ailey II company manager
Donald J. Rose, MD, director of the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, NYU Langone Health
Shaw Bronner, director of physical therapy 
Sheyi Ojofeitimi, physical therapist
Marissa T. Schaeffer, physical therapist

 TOURING CONTACTS

North American Agent
Opus 3 Artists
Tel: 212­–584–7500
opus3artists.com

International Agent
Askonas Holt Ltd.
Tel: +44–20–7400–1700
askonasholt.co.uk

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Lighting system provided by 4Wall Entertainment.
Touring sound system provided by Gibson Entertainment Services.
Domestic trucking services provided by Stage Call Corporation.

Alvin Ailey is a proud member of Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance.

Dancers appear courtesy of  the American Guild of Muiscal Artists.

Alvin Ailey crew members belong to the Inter­national Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

AILEY TOUR MERCHANDISE
Ailey Tour Merchandise and AileyShop.com are managed by The Araca Group; AileyShop.com

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Joan Weill Center for Dance
405 West 55th Street
New York, NY 10019–4402
Tel: 212–405–9000

AlvinAiley.org
Instagram: @alvinailey
Facebook: AlvinAileyAmericanDanceTheater

For Cal Performances at Home
Tiffani Snow, Producer
Jeremy Little, Technical Director
Jeremy Robins, Executive Video Producer

For Future Tense Media
Jesse Yang, Creative Director

For Cal Performances
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
Jeremy Geffen, Executive and Artistic Director
Kelly Brown, Executive Assistant to the Director

ADMINISTRATION
Andy Kraus, Director of Strategy and Administration
Marilyn Stanley, Finance Specialist
Gawain Lavers, Applications Programmer
Ingrid Williams, IT Support Analyst
Sean Nittner, Systems Administrator

ARTISTIC PLANNING
Katy Tucker, Director of Artistic Planning
Robin Pomerance, Artistic Administrator

DEVELOPMENT
Taun Miller Wright, Chief Development Officer
Elizabeth Meyer, Director of Institutional Giving
Jennifer Sime, Associate Director of Development, Individual Giving
Jamie McClave, Individual Giving and Special Events Officer
Jocelyn Aptowitz, Major Gifts Associate

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Rica Anderson, Interim Director, Artistic Literacy

HUMAN RESOURCES
Judy Hatch, Human Resources Director
Shan Whitney, Human Resources Generalist

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Jenny Reik, Director of Marketing and Communications
Ron Foster-Smith, Associate Director of Marketing
Mark Van Oss, Communications Editor
Louisa Spier, Public Relations Manager
Cheryl Games, Web and Digital Marketing Manager
Jeanette Peach, Public Relations Senior Associate
Elise Chen, Email Production Associate
Lynn Zummo, New Technology Coordinator
Terri Washington, Social Media and Digital Content Specialist

OPERATIONS
Jeremy Little, Production Manager
Alan Herro, Production Admin Manager
Kevin Riggall, Head Carpenter
Matt Norman, Head Electrician
Tom Craft, Audio/Video Department Head
Jo Parks, Video Engineer
Tiffani Snow, Event Manager
Ginarose Perino, Rental Business Manager
Rob Bean, Event Operations Manager

STAGE CREW
Charles Clear, Senior Scene Technician
David Ambrose, Senior Scene Technician
Jacob Heule, Senior Scene Technician
Jorg Peter “Winter” Sichelschmidt, Senior Scene Technician
Joseph Swails, Senior Scene Technician
Mark Mensch, Senior Scene Technician
Mathison Ott, Senior Scene Technician
Mike Bragg, Senior Scene Technician
Ricky Artis, Senior Scene Technician
Robert Haycock, Senior Scene Technician

STUDENT MUSICAL ACTIVITIES
Mark Sumner, Director, UC Choral Ensembles
Bill Ganz, Associate Director, UC Choral Ensembles
Matthew Sadowski, Director of Bands/Interim Department Manager
Ted Moore, Director, UC Jazz Ensembles
Brittney Nguyen, SMA Coordinator

TICKET OFFICE
Liz Baqir, Ticket Services Manager
Gordon Young, Assistant Ticket Office Manager
Sherice Jones, Assistant Ticket Office Manager
Jeffrey Mason, Patron Services Associate

Opening fanfare used by permission from Jordi Savall from his 2015 recording of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo on Alia Vox.

Major support for the Cal Performances Digital Classroom is provided by Wells Fargo.
Major support for Beyond the Stage is provided by Bank of America.
calperformances.org
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