Attending Indian weddings and ending up the night sweaty and tired from hours of bhangra dancing have been regular parts of my weekend repertory since I was a child. The catchy music can entice even the most die-hard wallflower to move.
Whenever I read about people who are in thrall to a dance craze, my world suddenly seems too small. Oh, to dance the mazurka until my footmen are forced to carry me home on a makeshift gurney at dawn; oh, to spurn a dinner invitation to Scott and Zelda's because I literally cannot stop doing the Charleston.
Hip-Hop dancer and teacher Jonathan Lee shows you how to master floats, clides and slides.
Fifteen years. Wow. I'm entering my 15th year as a dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater! I remember my very first tour with the Company. We embarked on a 10-week international tour, and here I am 15 years later on an international tour with the exact same length of time.
Dance teacher Wayne Williams stood at the lip of the Newark Arts High stage, his back to the two dozen black-clad students lined up behind him. "Where are your hands?" he asked over his shoulder. "Out" they shouted. "Chin?" he called. "Up," they said. "Stomach?" "In," they replied a few giggles distupting their perfect unison.
The charisma, technicality, and athleticism of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater sets the group apart from other contemporaries. Works such as the masterpiece "Revelations" invoke a fiery, cisceral reaction in the audience.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Atlanta tonight. The Company is celebrating "Revelations at 50"...Which some consider one of the most popular ballet of all time.
In 1976, Alvin Ailey paid homage to Duke Ellington in a season that produced a particularly majestic dance: 'Three Black Kings'. The work - depicting King Balthazar, King Solomon and Martin Luther King Jr. - hasn't veen seen in its entirety in more than 30 years.
If you prefer to cut a more modern rug, you can try a free class at the Ailey Extension. It's Ticket-to-Dance program allows anyone with an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater or Ailey II ticket stub purchased this season to participate in one of 80 classes offered at the Midtown Manhattan studio.
Little ones often showcase their first dance moves - swaying, bouncing and clapping their hands - before they take their first steps. As they grow, many kids show an interest in further exploring dance, whether classical ballet, modern dance, tap, jazz, hip hop or ballroom.