by Keka Araújo
December 24, 2025
Past the stage, the group stays devoted to founder Alvin Ailey’s mission to “give dance again to the individuals.”
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is getting into the ultimate two weeks of its annual vacation engagement at New York Metropolis Middle, highlighted by particular Christmas Eve and New 12 months’s Eve packages.
The residency, which concludes Jan. 4, 2026, affords the general public a remaining alternative to view this season’s world premieres and the signature masterpiece Revelations earlier than the legendary dance firm begins its 2026 nationwide tour.
The schedule for Wednesday, Dec. 24, options two distinct performances designed for vacation audiences. The two p.m. “Ailey Classics” matinee showcases a curated number of founder Alvin Ailey’s repertory, concluding with the timeless Revelations. The 7:30 p.m. “All New” night program focuses on the season’s newest additions, together with The Holy Blues—a collaboration by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Samantha Figgins, and Chalvar Monteiro—and Medhi Walerski’s Blink of an Eye. The night additionally consists of Judith Jamison’s A Case of You and Fredrick Earl Mosley’s Embrace.
The engagement continues by way of the brand new yr with 9 remaining possibilities to see Revelations.
A New 12 months’s Eve matinee is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. To ring in 2026, the corporate will current an “All New” program on Jan. 1 at 7:30 p.m., that includes 4 world premieres: Maija García’s theatrical Jazz Island, Matthew Neenan’s Distinction Between, Jamar Roberts’ Music of the Anchorite, and an encore of Mosley’s Embrace.
For households, the Saturday, Dec. 27 matinee will characteristic the season premiere of Affiliate Inventive Director Matthew Dashing’s Sacred Songs and Elisa Monte’s Treading.
Following the efficiency, viewers members can take part in a question-and-answer session with the Ailey dancers.
Extending the Legacy Past the Stage
The New York Metropolis Middle performances conclude Sunday, Jan. 4, with two packages showcasing the corporate’s grace. The two p.m. matinee consists of Jazz Island and Alonzo King’s Following the Delicate Present Upstream, whereas the 7 p.m. finale affords a remaining take a look at Blink of an Eye and Roberts’ Music of the Anchorite.
Each packages will shut with the grand finale of Revelations, a piece that continues to anchor the corporate’s id.
Past the stage, the group stays devoted to founder Alvin Ailey’s mission to “give dance again to the individuals” by making motion accessible to everybody, no matter background or expertise stage.
By way of the “Likelihood to Dance” initiative, first-time college students at Ailey Extension can commerce their efficiency ticket for 2 free lessons on the Joan Weill Middle for Dance. The curriculum covers a variety of types, from West African and Samba to the corporate’s signature Horton approach, as seen in its main works.
2026 Nationwide Tour and Birthday Honors
On Jan. 5, the celebration continues with a particular workshop honoring what would have been Mr. Ailey’s ninety fifth birthday.
Matthew Dashing will lead members by way of up to date actions impressed by Ailey’s most celebrated choreographies, exploring Ailey’s impression on each the dance world and American historical past. This session serves because the grand finale of a workshop collection inviting followers to study traditional steps from present and former firm members.
Following the New York residency, the corporate will embark on a 20-city nationwide tour starting Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The tour will go to main cultural hubs, together with Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles, earlier than concluding in Might 2026 with Mom’s Day weekend performances on the New Jersey Performing Arts Middle in Newark.
Full schedules and ticket data for the remaining New York performances can be found at ailey.org.
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