Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Opening Night Gala Celebrates Judith Jamison Tonight, 12/2

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's New York City Center season celebrating Judith Jamison's 20th year as Artistic Director will launch on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 with an Opening Night Gala Benefit. The one-night-only opening performance at New York City Center will be followed by a Gala Dinner-Dance at the Hilton New York attended by prominent figures in the worlds of entertainment, business, philanthropy and politics.

The 7:00pm performance at New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues), begins with welcome remarks by Judith Jamison and Board Chair Joan Weill who will honor American Express for its generous support of the Ailey organization. Restaged for this opening night tribute, HERE...NOW, a Jamison work commissioned for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in honor of Florence Griffith-Joyner will be danced to live on-stage music led by legendary musician Wynton Marsalis. Ailey's acclaimed artists will then perform Divining, Jamison's first ballet created for the Company at the request of Alvin Ailey in 1984. Ailey's beloved Revelations will rock the crowd in a rousing finale with live music sung by Ella Mitchell, Jeffery Lesley, Robert Mack, Marion Moore, M. Roger Holland II and conducted by renowned musical director Ray Chew.

Afterwards, over 1000 guests will arrive for the gala party at the Hilton New York 1335 Sixth Avenue between 53rd and 54th streets, for dinner and dancing in the Grand Ballroom, with decor inspired by the timeless grace of the Ailey dancers. The stars of Ailey will kick off the season in style, making red carpet entrances in gowns provided by acclaimed fashion designers Badgley Mischka and in suits by Sean John. Many of the Ailey women will be among the first to wear gowns from Badgley Mischka's new line Mark & James. "The dancers of Ailey, known for their beauty, grace and magnificent artistry are a true inspiration to us," stated Mark Badgley and James Mischka. "We are particularly thrilled to be involved in the Opening Night Gala Benefit, as it honors the legendary Judith Jamison."

This year, the Gala has been completely underwritten by Ailey's Board of Trustees so that all ticket sales and contributions will go directly to support Ailey's educational programs, including: AileyCamp, a tuition-free innovative summer day camp for inner-city youth in New York City and nine other cities around the country; Scholarships at the Ailey School for talented young students who would not otherwise have access to high-caliber dance training; and Arts In Education programs in public schools and communities across the U.S. that help young people explore their creative potential and build self-esteem.

For gala benefit tickets, starting at $500.00 and up, please call (212) 405-9031. For performance-only tickets, starting at $40, call CityTix (212-581-1212), order online (www.citycenter.org) or visit the New York City Center box office.
Gala Benefit Co-Chairs are Simin & Herb Allison, Kathryn & Kenneth Chenault, Katherine Farley & Jerry I. Speyer, Agnes & Gerald Hassell, Gabriella E. Morris & Dennis J. Brownlee, and Joan & Sandy Weill.

Opening Night Gala Benefit sponsors are Simin & Herb Allison, American Express, BNY Mellon, Prudential Financial, Inc., Speyer Family Foundation, and Joan & Sandy Weill and The Weill Family Foundation.

CORPORATE HONOREE - American Express
For more than a decade, American Express has been a vital partner and benefactor of the Ailey organization in a variety of ways. Through its cultural heritage program, which supports the revival and re-creation of important cultural works from the past, American Express has made it possible for today's audiences to experience and enjoy vibrant new productions of classics from the Ailey repertory, including last year's Ailey & Ellington celebration and this year's Best of 20 Years, a program of works from Judith Jamison's tenure as Artistic Director. We salute American Express as a true leader in the world of corporate philanthropy, supporting artistic work representative of diverse cultural traditions and promoting artistic expression and human understanding in an increasingly interdependent world.

 

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