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.
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.
Research suggests engaging with the arts can benefit young people by fostering self-expression and building community — and a partnership between AileyCamp Atlanta and Utopian Academy for the Arts is showing similar results in Georgia. “ It’s the confidence, it’s the transformation, it’s the artistic development of young people that have keen interests within the arts,” said Dr. Artesius Miller, founder and CEO of Utopian Academy for the Arts, the first state-chartered, tuition-free, fine arts school in Clayton County. “And then this is within a short timeframe too, that we have to recognize the impact of this camp because it’s truly remarkable to witness.” Since 2007, AileyCamp has offered a free six-week summer day camp teaching everything from dance techniques to percussion instruments and other creative arts.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is known in Atlanta for its wonderful performances that sell out every February. What some don’t know is that the Ailey dance company doesn’t leave in February. They recruit dancers for the six-week Ailey Dance Camp. Students from Atlanta Public Schools, ages 11-14, are invited to participate. The Ailey Dance Camp operates in 20 cities across the country, providing life skills, including critical thinking, conflict resolution, and more. While some participants may go on to have careers in dance, most will use the poise and discipline they learn throughout their entire lives and careers.
Christopher Taylor still carries Newark with him every time he steps onto a stage. He remembers summers filled with booming house music, crowded park festivals and long days spent dancing in the middle of circles of cheering adults. “My grandmother was a house head,” he said, naming DJs and artists like Black Coffee and Kenny Bobien he heard at home. “I grew up with house music blasting all day.”
In 1989, renowned dancer Alvin Ailey launched AileyCamp to transform middle school students by building their confidence and introducing them to a variety of dance techniques. Now, AileyCamp is a six-week intensive dance program in 10 cities across the country, including in New York City.
Resilience is the theme of this summer’s AileyCamp. Named after Alvin Ailey, the renowned dancer and founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the camp has 10 locations around the country including one at Newark Arts High School. This summer, the Newark camp — which is free — is hosting 88 participants, who range in age from 11 to 14 years old.
AileyCamper Austin Fisher stood in a rehearsal room at Newark Arts High School with dozens of eyes on her, held the barre with her right hand, arched her left arm above her head, and ever so gracefully bent backward at the waist.
As CBS News New York's Dave Carlin reports, a vibrant combination of talent, teaching and tradition makes AileyCamp a game-changer.
CBS News Miami’s Lisa Petrillo speaks with Jairo Ontiveros, the Arsht Center's vice president of art education, in addition to Wresley Wray, a former Ailey camper now performing on Broadway. Whether it's jazz, ballet, West African dance, or personal development, it's all about an artistic and safe program for Miami-Dade County public middle school students at AileyCamp Miami, a six week summer program at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.