Press Coverage

September 18, 2026

Blick - Geneva native dances for the world's most successful ensemble

Anyone who pictures a dancer as a small, delicate prima ballerina has never seen a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The dancers are highly trained, top-level athletes who deliver Olympic-level performances during their nearly two-hour show. No wonder they are often called "artistic athletes"—especially since some of them have a background in sports. Caroline Dartey is one such example. The 28-year-old from Geneva began rhythmic gymnastics at the age of four and is a two-time Swiss champion in her category. After ending her competitive sports career in her early teens, dancing was "the logical next step," says Caroline.

September 17, 2026

The Guardian - Sky’s the limit! Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – in pictures

The always revelatory dance company is at Sadler’s Wells in London this month with two programs, celebrating their legacy and presenting ‘heavenly’ new works

September 16, 2026

The Guardian - New Works Review – A Heavenly Night

The Alvin Ailey company’s New Works program might be seen in some circles as dated, and it’s true that it is neither cutting edge nor modishly contemporary. Yet it rests on more perennial qualities that underpin the company’s enduring appeal: skill, craft, beauty and humanity, and beneath them an artistic aim that can reach up towards the sublime, out towards the world, or in towards the heart.

September 16, 2026

The Times - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater review — infectiously joyous

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is the great behemoth of American modern dance. Founded in the Fifties to "preserve the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience", the New York-based troupe has performed to 25 million people in 71 countries. And here they are, back at Sadler's Wells in London, with nine works spread over two programs.

September 14, 2026

Billboard - SZA, Tonya Lee & Spike Lee Named Honorary Chairs for Alvin Ailey Season-Opening Gala

Grammy Award winner SZA and award-winning filmmakers Tonya Lee and Spike Lee have been named honorary chairs for the Opening Night Gala (Dec. 2) kicking off the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2026-27 season. The company’s five-week holiday season at New York City Center runs through Jan. 3, 2027.

September 1, 2026

British Vogue - Stage Beauty

Growing up, I loved dance. And so I spent years taking African, hip-hop and jazz classes at my local studio in Queens, New York. While I also greatly admired classical ballet, even as a child I was acutely aware of how, aesthetically, Black dancers had to fit in with Eurocentric beauty ideal. Then I discovered Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Going to its show and seeing dancers who looked like me was thrilling. The stories on the stage were told through exquisite movement and music, and they were also told through hair.

July 30, 2026

NJ.com - How the Alvin Ailey summer camp in Newark is turning young dancers into confident leaders

All eyes turned to Nasha Thomas as she stepped into the dance rehearsal. The room fell quiet. With a few words, the AileyCamp national director commanded the attention of dozens of students as she shared feedback with campers preparing for an upcoming performance at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in early August. Thomas continued making her rounds, observing ballet, modern, West African dance and a percussion class, offering thoughtful adjustments along the way. “Stagger your positions,” she told one group. “Practice once without music. Get used to dancing without your glasses. Don’t rely on seeing every step. Tuck in loose strings. Remove rubber bands from your wrists. Be ready before the music begins.” Individually, the corrections were small. Collectively, they revealed something larger: Excellence is built through dozens of little habits.

June 18, 2026

Fjord - Hymn to an Uncommon Man

OG Anunoby’s fingertip putback of Jalen Brunson’s Hail Mary three-pointer. Jordan Staal’s diving sniper goal. It’s playoff season, a time of year dominated by unbelievable, high-stakes athleticism across several sports (see also the French Open, the FIFA World Cup). It can be a hard time, consequently, for regular dance programming. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s quick summer season at the Brooklyn Academy of Music could compete with any sport finals in terms of physical prowess, but the stakes only felt high in one of the three pieces on offer. Luckily, that work was powerful enough to carry the load. That impactful dance was Judith Jamison’s “Hymn,” revived for the first time in 15 years. Generally, when ballets take extended naps in the repertory vault, there is a reason. Not in this case. Though “Hymn” certainly reflects its 1993 birth date—it is very much “Revelations” filtered through an early ’90s night club—it also feels timeless. Early reviewers said as much. In 1993, Clive Barnes wrote in the NY Post that “Hymn…emerges as the most thrilling piece of dance theatre I have seen all year…Beautifully performed, with power, reverence and love.” And in 1996, Jennifer Dunning wrote in the New York Times that “Hymn” was “an eloquent evocation of Ailey that is on its way to being another classic.”

June 4, 2026

Amsterdam News - Ailey’s BAM season centers inspiring power of the human spirit

A sure sign of summer is the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s appearance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), June 4–7 this year, with a program that celebrates the transcendence of the human body and spirit with works that include Ailey’s timeless masterpiece, “Revelations,” the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy that has moved and uplifted fans for decades. Also included is Hymn, the Emmy-Award winning 1993 tribute to the company’s founder, choreographed by its legendary star and Ailey’s successor, the late Judith Jamison. Medhi Walerski’s “Blink of an Eye,” with its stunningly deft display of athleticism set to J.S. Bach’s compelling fast-paced violin sonatas and partita, rounds out the evening.

June 1, 2026

Agree to Understand - Samantha Figgins talks Hearing Loss Journey

A journey through Hearing Loss. Host Chris Richardson sits down with Samantha Figgins, a renowned dancer from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, for a conversation to discover Samantha's journey with hearing loss, her experiences in the dance world, and her advocacy for the deaf and disabled community. Learn about her choreographic debut, her work with Beyoncé, and her insights on embracing differences. This episode is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of community.