Alvin Ailey Announces 60th Anniversary Opening Night Gala

As a centerpiece to its yearlong Ailey Ascending 60th Anniversary celebration and a kickoff to its five-week holiday season, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will host a star-studded gala benefit on Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm, complete with a performance for the ages at New York City Center and party at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. The Honorary Chairs for the evening are screen icons Angela Bassett and Cicely Tyson. Bassett, a Golden Globe Award winner, stars in the hit television series 9-1-1, and was most recently featured in the 2018 blockbusters Black Panther and Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Tyson - known for a myriad of roles across television and film, including Roots, Fried Green Tomatoes, and most recently How to Get Away With Murder - has received three Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and on November 18th will make history as the first black woman to receive an Honorary Academy Award.

This historic evening honors Prudential Financial for its generous support and commitment to Ailey for over three decades, especially its educational and community programs.

"As one of our longest-standing corporate benefactors, Prudential Financial has played a vital role in Ailey's success for more than half of the Company's lifetime," said Executive Director Bennett Rink. "Prudential has been indispensable in funding our outreach programs in Newark, AileyDance Kids and AileyCamp - a free summer program in Newark and 10 cities nationwide that helps guide inner city youth to their full potential. We thank them for their strategic planning and leadership support, as well as their commitment to advancing young people through education, and we applaud them for the tremendous work they've done to elevate the city of Newark."

"Prudential Financial is honored to have worked alongside Alvin Ailey to help achieve his vision to bring dance to all people," said Lata Reddy, senior vice president, Diversity, Inclusion and Impact at Prudential Financial. "His belief that the arts give voice to our shared humanity is one that we share. It's with great joy that we at Prudential congratulate the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on their 60th Anniversary."

Christopher Taylor, an alumnus of the inaugural AileyCamp Newark (2011) and a current scholarship student at The Ailey School, will join Artistic Director Robert Battle in presenting Prudential Financial with the Ailey Legacy Honor.

The once-in-a-lifetime program features selections of classic Ailey works including a specially staged excerpt of Memoria, a work he choreographed as an elegy for a dear friend; a piece d'occasion by Robert Battle, set to Nina Simone's Black is the Color; and culminates with Alvin Ailey's masterpiece, Revelations, performed with live musicians and special guest singers Ledisi (Grammy-nominated jazz and R&B artist), Erica Campbell (Grammy-winning singer from the gospel duo Mary Mary), Norm Lewis (Tony-nominated baritone known for Broadway's Porgy and Bess and NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar live), and Brandie Sutton (critically-acclaimed Metropolitan Opera soprano). The program also features the premiere of Becoming Ailey, a multimedia piece celebrating the continual gift of Alvin Ailey's presence in our hearts, minds, and stages. Created in collaboration with the award-winning artists Bob Bonniol and Caryl Glabb of MODE Studios, Inc., it will bring the voice and likeness of Alvin Ailey back to the stage at the start of each performance during the New York City Center season.

"On this historic night we will mark 60 groundbreaking years and carry Alvin Ailey's pioneering legacy onward and upward with a performance featuring renowned guest performers, cutting-edge innovation, and the artistry and inspiration that has made Ailey one of the world's most beloved dance companies," said Artistic Director Robert Battle. "It is also fitting that we take this occasion to honor Prudential Financial, a company that has helped Ailey reach so many milestones and was instrumental in creating the New Jersey Performing Arts Center where Ailey is the Principal Resident Affiliate and has performed annually for two decades. We welcome everyone to join the celebration and share in the joy during this milestone season."

Prominent figures in the worlds of entertainment, business, philanthropy and politics will join Robert Battle and the Company for dinner and dancing to live music in the New York Hilton Midtown's Grand Ballroom following the performance. The Gala benefits the creation of new works, scholarships to The Ailey School, and Ailey's educational programs for young people. Emily & Len Blavatnik, Paulette & Howard Bradnock, Mellody Hobson & George Lucas, Debra L. Lee, Stephen Meringoff & Kim Charlton, Lata N. Reddy, Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach, and Joan & Sandy Weill serve as Co-Chairs for the Gala. Call 212-405-9031 or visit alvinailey.org/support/60th-anniversary-gala for tickets.

Ailey is also proud to announce the Ailey Ascending Honorary Committee, a distinguished group of individuals across industries who will join the organization in celebrating 60 years of artistry and excellence: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Christiane Amanpour, Jon Batiste, Harry Belafonte, Colman Domingo, André Holland, LaTanya & Samuel L. Jackson, Jane Krakowski, Audra McDonald, Naturi Naughton, Yvonne Orji, Robin Roberts, Anika Noni Rose, Jussie Smollett, Lorraine Toussaint, and Fredricka Whitfield.

Ailey's 60th Anniversary holiday season of premieres by renowned choreographers Rennie Harris, Ronald K. Brown, and Wayne McGregor, and returning favorites also features special programs, including "Timeless Ailey," "All New," "Three Visionaries," "All Ailey," and "All Battle," plus a sparkling Season Finale on Sunday, December 30th. Click here for more information. Tickets for season performances start at $29, and are now on sale at the New York City Center Box Office, through CityTix at (212) 581-1212, or online at www.alvinailey.org or www.nycitycenter.org.