Ailey Extension Celebrates Women's History Month With a Range of Lady-Led Workshops and New Weekly Classes

This March, Ailey Extension invites all to celebrate Women's History Month by joining in the fun during workshops taught by leading ladies of the dance world. Each workshop makes room for guests of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and experience levels to honor the impact of women in dance and embrace their own feminine energy while exploring a variety of exciting techniques. Throughout the month, dancers will have several chances to get moving and grooving with renowned women artists in a non-competitive environment at the Joan Weill Center for Dance - NYC's largest building dedicated to dance.

All are encouraged to celebrate International Women's Day on Wednesday, March 8 at 7pm by tapping into their femininity during a Heels Workshop with Marie Rose Baramo. Baramo - a commercial dancer whose worked with top acts such as Camila Cabello, Future, Lil Nas X, and more - will help In-studio and online participants uncover the secrets to strutting their stuff with confidence while also learning the basic techniques of dancing in heels. This open-level workshop is free to all and will leave dancers feeling comfortable, fierce, and flirty.

Two celebrations collide on Saturday, March 11 at 2pm when the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop meets Women's History Month for a full afternoon of in-studio workshops highlighting women's contributions to the culture. Fueled by live DJing from DJ Mari Ella, the Hip-Hop Workshop Series with Ladies of Hip-Hop will feature three distinct female-powered sessions illuminating the strength, power, and diversity of women in street styles. First dancers will get a crash course in hip-hop dance and culture learning the technique's foundational moves, party steps, musicality, and grooves during Open Hip-Hop with Tomoe "Beasty" Carr. At 3pm Imani Arrington will introduce dancers to the fundamentals of Lite Feet, a high-energy Harlem-born style that emphasizes weightless footwork. The last workshop at 4pm will take guests through the five elements of vogue - cat walks, hands performance, duck walks, floor performance, and spins and dips - as they learn Beginner Vogue Femme with Alora Tonielle of HBO Max's voguing reality competition show Legendary.

Just days before Ailey II kicks off their their two week engagement at the Ailey Citigroup Theater (March 22 - April 2), fans can learn to tap into their own creativity with Ailey II's Artistic Director during a Masterclass with Francesca Harper on Saturday March 18 at 3pm. During this rare in-studio contemporary ballet workshop Harper will introduce dancers of all experience levels to the Forsythe improvisation technique as they move to music from artists like Prince, Sampha, James Blake, Solange, and more. Dancers will leave with new tools to implement into their artistic process.

In addition to these timely workshops, Ailey Extension is adding three new female-led weekly classes to help students keep moving with elite New York City instructors. On Mondays at 7pm, learn the latest African street dance moves during Afro'Dance with performer and choreographer Judith McCarty. Novice dancers can practice foundational hip-hop steps in an Absolute Beginner Hip-Hop class with hip-hop dance pioneer Robin Dunn on Thursdays at 6:30pm. More experienced movers can build on their skills learning challenging combinations from celebrity dancer TweetBoogie during an Advanced Beginner Hip-Hop on Sundays at 3pm.

As Ailey opens its doors to the public, the health and well-being of all dancers, students, instructors, and staff remains a top priority. While masks are still encouraged, they are not mandatory for in-studio Ailey Extension students. Ailey continues to monitor case levels, prioritizing the safety of our community. In the event of another COVID-19 surge or a new variant of concern arises, our guidance will adjust accordingly. Please visit alvinailey.org/extension/covidsafety for the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

With more than 50 weekly classes and special workshops available, Ailey Extension allows students all over the world to explore different dance styles seven days a week. For more details about Ailey Extension's variety of in-person and virtual class options - which include hip-hop, ballet, Horton, West African, Zumba, jazz, samba, Masala Bhangra, NY Style Mambo, contemporary, Pilates, Broadway Jazz and more - please visit alvinailey.org/extension.

MARCH WORKSHOPS AT AILEY EXTENSION

HEELS WORKSHOP with Marie Rose Baramo (In-Studio & Online) FREE
Celebrate International Women's Day at Ailey and unlock a new level of self-confidence. Join Marie to learn the basic technique of dancing in heels while discovering the secrets to strutting with confidence. The choreography will focus on grooves, lines, and musicality to become comfortable, fierce, flirty while dancing in heels. Class is open to all dancers of all genders, ages, and dance experience levels! This workshop is free for all participants. Wednesday, March 8 at 7pm ET

HIP-HOP WORKSHOP SERIES with LADIES OF HIP-HOP (In-Studio)
Join Ladies of Hip-Hop for a series of three workshops in celebration of Women's History Month and Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary.Ladies of Hip Hop (LOHH) is an organization dedicated to empowering girls and women in Hip-Hop culture by providing a platform to be heard, seen, respected, and celebrated in the world of Hip-Hop. By presenting resources and opportunities such as dance training, performance opportunities, mentorships, educational programs, career development support, and networking opportunities, Ladies of Hip-Hop is building the next generation of hip-hop's changemakers. Saturday, March 11 at 2pm ET

MASTERCLASS with Francesca Harper (In-Studio)
Join Ailey II Artistic Director Francesca Harper for a contemporary ballet and Forsythe improvisation technique masterclass with music featuring artists like Prince, Sampha, James Blake, Solange Knowles, and more. Harper will introduce Forsythe improvisation modalities to encourage dancers to prioritize their creative thinking and to find pleasure in their movement while refining their technique. Dancers will leave class with new creative tools to implement in their artistic process. Saturday, March 18 at 3pm ET

NEW WEEKLY CLASSES AT AILEY EXTENSION

AFRO'DANCE with JUDITH MCCARTY (In-Studio)
Afro'Dance class is a mixture of the new generation of African influences and street dance. In the class, dancers will work on musicality heavily influenced by the rhythm and musical trends from the Congo, Ivory Coast, Angola, and beyond. Urban street styles are incorporated into the backdrop of this heavily African-based technique. The cultural, social, and free-spirited side of this class creates an environment where students dance, learn, have fun, and feel free. Mondays at 7pm ET

ABSOLUTE BEGINNER HIP-HOP with ROBIN DUNN (In-Studio)
This class is designed to introduce hip-hop culture through the element of dance. Beginning with a basic warm-up to stretch and tone the body, this class will challenge every dancer with the dynamics of movement and challenging combinations. In a non-competitive environment, this class encourages individualized style while staying true to the technique. Thursdays at 6:30pm ET

ADVANCED BEGINNER HIP-HOP with TWEETBOOGIE (In-Studio)
This class is designed to introduce hip-hop culture through the element of dance. Beginning with a basic warm-up to stretch and tone the body, this class will challenge every dancer with the dynamics of movement and challenging combinations. In a non-competitive environment, this class encourages individualized style while staying true to the technique. Sundays at 2:00pm ET