AILEY SPIRIT GALA Benefit to Support Scholarships and Arts in Education Programs

The centerpiece of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Lincoln Center engagement is The Ailey Spirit Gala on Thursday, June 15th. This one-night-only benefit performance and party honors Ailey Board Vice Chairman Stephen Meringoff for his longtime support of Ailey, and his instrumental role in strengthening and sustaining AileyCamp. Critically-acclaimed actor André Holland, who most recently appeared in the eight-time Oscar-nominated film Moonlight, has just been announced as Honorary Chair. Holland will be seen in the upcoming Ava DuVernay film A Wrinkle in Time and Hulu's Castle Rock, produced by J.J. Abrams.

Guests will be treated to a one-time-only live performance of Moonlight x Ailey, which will bring to life the dance film short choreographed by Artistic Director Robert Battle as an homage to the Academy Award-winning film. Set to Nicholas Britell's acclaimed score, the work features Ailey dancer Jamar Roberts and The Ailey School students Jeremy T. Villas and Christopher Taylor, who is also a former AileyCamper. The evening will include the incomparable Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the rising stars of Ailey II in an excerpt of Bridget L. Moore's Sketches of Flames, gifted young dancers from The Ailey School showcasing their talents and the breadth of the program's training in a new work, and talented students from AileyCamp performing a new work by Noibis Licea entitled Guardian Angels Modupue, with original music by Matthew Hill. An expanded cast of the present and future stars of Ailey will come together for a memorable finale of Alvin Ailey's masterpiece, Revelations. A soirée on the promenade follows with dancing to the musical stylings of DJ M.O.S.

Attendees will see the impact of their charitable giving firsthand as Ailey's talented students take the stage. The Ailey Spirit Gala has already raised a record-breaking $1.2 million to support scholarships to The Ailey School and Ailey's Arts In Education & Community Programs - including AileyCamp, an innovative, full-scholarship summer program that uses dance as a means to help young people stretch their minds, bodies and spirits.

Gala Co-Chairs are Lynne and Anthony M. Carvette, Almaz & Marc S. Strachan, and Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach; and Vice Chairs are Michele & Timothy Barakett, Dr. N. Anthony & Robyn Coles, Jaishri & Vikas Kapoor, Ricki Lander, Leslie & Tom Maheras, Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer. For benefit tickets visit alvinailey.org/ailey-spirit-gala or call 212-405-9031.

For more information on Ailey's Lincoln Center engagement from June 14 - 18, click here. Tickets for season performances start at $25, and can be purchased at the David H. Koch Box Office, by phone at 212-496-0600, or online at www.alvinailey.org.