Robert Battle

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Robert Battle became Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in July 2011 after being personally selected by Judith Jamison, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. Mr. Battle has a long-standing association with the Ailey organization.

A frequent choreographer and artist in residence at Ailey since 1999, he has set many of his works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II, and at The Ailey School. The Company’s current repertory includes his ballets Ella, For Four, In/Side, Love Stories finale, Mass, and Unfold. In addition to expanding the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Mauro Bigonzetti, Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris, and Paul Taylor, Mr. Battle has also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers.

Mr. Battle’s journey to the top of the modern dance world began in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida. He showed artistic talent early and studied dance at a high school arts magnet program before moving on to Miami’s New World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis and Gerri Houlihan, and finally to the dance program at The Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, where he met his mentor, Carolyn Adams. He danced with Parsons Dance from 1994 to 2001, and also set his choreography on that company starting in 1998. Mr. Battle then founded his own Battleworks Dance Company, which made its debut in 2002 in Düsseldorf, Germany, as the U.S. representative to the World Dance Alliance’s Global Assembly. Battleworks subsequently performed extensively at venues including The Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, American Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

Mr. Battle was honored as one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, and he received the prestigious Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2007. He is a recipient of the 2021 Dance Magazine Award and has honorary doctorates from The University of the Arts, Marymount Manhattan College, and Fordham University. Mr. Battle was named a 2015 Visiting Fellow for The Art of Change, an initiative by the Ford Foundation. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and has addressed a number of high-profile organizations, including the United Nations Leaders Programme and the UNICEF Senior Leadership Development Programme.

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AILEY DAY Dance Celebration Returns To NJPAC This April

Join the fun at NJPAC's Ailey Day in Newark on April 6th. Enjoy free Ailey dance classes and more exciting activities.

New Orleans Ballet Association to Present Parsons Dance and The Allen Toussaint Orchestra

Join the New Orleans Ballet Association as they conclude their 2023-24 season with the Parsons Dance and The Allen Toussaint Orchestra. Learn how to purchase tickets.

The Joffrey Concert Group Will Host ICONS DANCE FESTIVAL Next Month

The Joffrey Concert Group has announced the 'Icons Dance Festival,' which this year welcomes Limón2, Lena Lauer, Artistic Director. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Announces Programming For April Engagement At Auditorium Theatre

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will returns to its Chicago home – the landmark Auditorium Theatre at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive – for its 55th engagement, with six dynamic performances, April 17-21, 2024. Tickets, starting at $40, are now on sale at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater | Auditorium Theatre.

ZviDance to Present The World Premiere Of Zvi Gotheiner's THE FIELD

ZviDance will present THE FIELD, an original dance piece from acclaimed choreographer and artistic director, Zvi Gotheiner.

Dance St. Louis and PNC Arts Alive Bring AILEY II to the Touhill Performing Arts Center in March

​​​​​​​Dance St. Louis continues its 58th season by presenting the universally renowned powerhouse dance company Ailey II for two nights- March 1 and 2 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center-in celebration of Ailey II's 50th Anniversary.

New York-Based Joffrey Concert Group To Perform At Ailey Citigroup Theater In February

The NYC-based Joffrey Concert Group will present, “In My Art” the culmination of the annual Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative, for three performances, February 16 & 17, at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.

Auditorium Theatre to Present Return Of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in April 2024

The Auditorium Theatre presents the return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from April 17-21,

Joffrey Concert Group Reveals the Selected Choreographers for the Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative

The Joffrey Concert Group has revealed the talented choreographers chosen for the prestigious Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative

Dances with Robots Releases A Conversation with Catie Cuan

Join Sydney Skybetter as he sits down with Dr. Catie Cuan, a pioneer in the field of choreorobotics, in this episode of the Dances with Robots podcast. Discover her personal and professional journey and delve into the question of why dance with a robot. Available now on listening platforms.

Robert Battle Resigns As Artistic Director Of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

The Board of Trustees of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation today announced that Robert Battle, Artistic Director of Ailey since 2011, has informed them that he needs to focus on his health and has submitted his resignation.

The 2023 GRAHAM 2 Holiday Event To Take Place, December 15-16

Experience the iconic dances of Martha Graham at the 2023 Graham 2 Holiday Event. Join Graham Company alum Jesse Factor as he guides us through the choreographic highlights of Graham's career. Don't miss this lighthearted, family-friendly event on December 15-16, 2023 in New York City.

Listen: The Conference For Research On Choreographic Interfaces Presents DANCES WITH ROBOTS: Episodes 1 And 2

Dive into the fascinating world of art, technology, and dance with Dances with Robots podcast. Join host Sydney Skybetter, a choreographer and Dean at Brown University, as he explores interdisciplinary practices and the ways artists and technologists navigate the world.

The Conference For Research On Choreographic Interfaces Presents DANCES WITH ROBOTS

The Conference for Research on Choreographic Interfaces (CRCI) presents Dances with Robots: a podcast exploring the intersection of art, technology, and activism. Hosted by Sydney Skybetter and Ariane Michaud, the podcast premieres on November 14, 2023. Join them as they navigate the world through interdisciplinary practice.

Joffrey Ballet Concert Group Reveals New Choreographers for Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative

The Joffrey Concert Group announces the selected choreographers for the Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative: Vernard Gilmore and Eryn Renee Young.

Royal Academy Of Dance Reveals Winners Of The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition 2023

The Royal Academy of Dance has announced the medallists of the Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition 2023 final at His Majesty's Theatre in London.

Photos: Go Inside Opening Night of Music Theater Works' BRIGADOON

Check out opening night photos from Music Theater Works’ production of Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon here!

Cast Set for World Premiere of SUGAR HILL: THE ELLINGTON/STRAYHORN NUTCRACKER

The complete cast has been set for the world premiere of Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker. See who is starring and learn how to purchase tickets.

National Sawdust And The Center For Ballet And The Arts Announce 2023-2024 Toulmin Fellows

The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University (CBA) and National Sawdust, with continued support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, announce the 2023-24 Fellows: composers Erica “Twelve45” Blunt and Wang Lu and choreographers Ausia Jones and Tiler Peck.

Review: ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER: CONTEMPORARY VOICES, Sadler's Wells

As the most widely seen modern dance work in the world, Alvin Ailey's Revelations has become part of the DNA of contemporary and popular dance, and it is a privilege to finally experience it on a live stage, alongside its more modern yet complementary 21st century cousins from Kyle Abraham and Robert Battle.

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