STAGE TUBE: Ailey II Appears on Polish SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

Ailey II recently completed a successful four week international tour with performances in Luxemburg, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. While in Warsaw Poland, Ailey II appeared on Poland's version of "So You Think You Can Dance." Troy Powell who will become Artistic Director of Ailey II next month, taught the four finalists choreography from his 2011 work Reference Point and the finalists attended Ailey II's performance at Poland's Palace of Culture and Science. See the video!

Troy Powell has served as Associate Artistic Director of Ailey II since 2003. A native of Harlem, he participated in Ailey educational programs in his elementary school and began his formal dance training at age nine, when Alvin Ailey personally selected him to receive a scholarship to The Ailey School.

In 1988, after Mr. Powell graduated from The High School of Performing Arts, Sylvia Waters invited him to become a member of Ailey II. He performed with the company for three years. He joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1991 and toured with it throughout the United States, South America, Europe and South Africa for ten years before becoming a master teacher at The Ailey School and resident choreographer of Ailey II.

Mr. Powell has choreographed 15 ballets for The Ailey School as a resident choreographer; seven ballets for Ailey II, including The External Knot and The Tyner Project (with music by McCoy Tyner, for the Verizon Arts festival at Alice Tully Hall); and Ascention for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He has also choreographed for Dallas Black Dance Theater, Alaska Dance Theater and Sesame Street. He has performed as a guest artisti with companies such as Batsheva, Dallas Black Dance Theater and Complexions. He was featured in an American Express commercial as a member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and has appeared on television in George C. Wolfe's The Colored Museum, the PBS Great Performances: Dance In America special A Hymn for Alvin Ailey, choreographed by Judith Jamison, and, most recently, America's Next Top Model.