Ailey Extension

What if being humble didn’t mean making yourself smaller?

For two weeks, dancers ages 8–21 came together at The Ailey Experience NYC to train across styles, build confidence, find community and discover their own path through movement.

With guidance from instructors like Nicholas Palmquist, dancers were challenged to trust their training, move with confidence and take up space. ✨

From the studio to the stage, thank you to every dancer, instructor and artist who made this experience what it was. 💛

The Ailey Experience is hitting the road in 2027. Stay tuned for tour dates and cities.

“If it’s magic, why can’t it be everlasting?” 💜

This National Senior Citizens Day, Ailey Extension celebrates the beauty of becoming and an everlasting joy of movement that carries us through every chapter of life.

Ailey Extension’s Active Aging Workshops return September 1, creating space to move, connect, and keep dancing, whether you’re on your feet or moving from your seat.

Tuesdays, September 1 through December 15, 2026
The Joan Weill Center for Dance

Visit the link to learn more and register.
https://ailey.org/classes/active-aging-workshops

Every third Friday, we're bringing free dance classes to the Whitney!

Join us for Free Friday Nights, where Ailey Extension instructors lead pop-up classes in a different genre each month, right in the museum's lobby. Next up: Line Dance with Pilin Anice.

Follow the easy-to-learn steps and join the fun, no experience needed.

All ages and skill levels are welcome.

Friday, August 21
6:30pm and 8:30pm
Whitney Museum of American Art, Floor 1 Lobby

Free with Museum admission. Advance tickets are recommended.

Link in the Whitney's bio or visit https://whitney.org/events/free-dance-with-ailey for details and tickets.

Every teacher who steps into the studio guides us through a special journey, but there’s a particular joy when one of our own Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancers takes the time to move through the space with us.

Thank you, Yannick, for guiding us through a beautiful Contemporary Fusion Masterclass.

Ailey Experience NYC Week 2 begins Monday!

What a first week! Dancers trained in ballet, contemporary, Horton, jazz, hip hop, and West African dance, bringing their work from the studio to the stage in yesterday's final showcase.

Week 2 runs August 10–14, and there’s still time to join us!

Open to dancers ages 8–21 of all levels. No audition or prior dance experience required.

Come dance with us!
https://ailey.org/classes/ailey-experience-nyc