WBGO's Doug Doyle chats with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's new Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack about the upcoming performances at NJPAC May 8-10.
Look through imagery of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and you'll see years of works of artistry that showcase Black bodies defying gravity with grace, power and deep emotion. Some of those pictures might be of Alicia Graf Mack in her tilted, lithe aerial side split. The former principal Ailey dancer (from 2005 to 2014) is now the dance company's new artistic director, only the fourth artistic director since the New York company's formation by its namesake in 1958.
Dance rehearsal capturing a group of dancers engaged in choreography practice. How does anyone make art in this dizzying moment? In our Now issue, Bazaar speaks to 10 creative people—dancers, comedians, pop singers, writers—about what fuels their work in 2026. Alicia Graf Mack, a former dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, was named the company’s artistic director in 2025. Founded in 1958 by Alvin Ailey to center Black life, history, and spirituality onstage, the company has long been one of the most influential institutions in the dance world. Graf Mack, a former director of the dance program at Juilliard with a background in arts administration, steps into the role at a pivotal moment for both the company and the culture at large, as cultural institutions face mounting political pressure, shifting support, and renewed questions around representation, access, and community.
Alicia Graf Mack, Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, on the beauty of spontaneity in Medhi Walerski’s Blink of an Eye, set to the solo violin sonatas and partitas of J.S. Bach.
Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan talks with Alicia Graf Mack, new artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, about her new role and how she is being guided by her mentor Judith Jamison and the legend, Ailey himself. In her inaugural season, Graf Mack is leading a 20-city U.S. tour, which began in January and concludes in Newark, New Jersey, on May 10.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Alicia Graf Mack and Caroline T. Dartey join ATL Live in-studio discuss their journey in the company and this weekend’s engagement at the Fox Theatre. Watch segment here (5 minutes): https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2026/02/13/alvin-ailey-returns-fox-theatre/
As the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater opens a five-day run at the Fox Theatre, its new artistic director, Alicia Graf Mack, is carrying the torch handed to her by the late Judith Jamison — an icon in the industry.
Alvin Ailey’s name is synonymous with dance. A documentary, Portrait of Ailey, has been produced and provides a much larger context for Ailey’s life. I was honored to moderate a panel discussion at the Center for Civil and Human Rights at a screening of the documentary. Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack joined me for a discussion about dance, Alvin Ailey, and the legacy she has been entrusted with. Mack shared how her love of dance came about, speaking about a videotape of Judith Jameson performing “Cry,” which let her know that she could be a dancer. With her parents' support, she began to learn “the language of dance.” She remembers seeing Alvin Ailey on stage and speaks about how all humans dance. She eventually joined the Alvin Ailey Dance Company under the tutelage of Judith Jameson.
Artistic Director, Alicia Graf Mack, and Ailey dancer, Jessica Amber Pinkett speak with NBC 4 Washington D.C. about the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s current engagement at the Warner Theatre until Sunday, February 8.
As we celebrate Black History Month, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is making its annual visit to Washington, D.C. The troupe's new artistic director, Alicia Graf Mack, hails from the DMV and is excited to bring the art and performance of the troupe back to the area. "This is such a beautiful responsibility to hold in my hands. I grew up in this area, as you said, and I remember coming to performances in Baltimore and Washington, and having my dreams just enlarged and fulfilled," she said. The troupe is performing at the Warner Theater through Feb. 8