Ailey Announces Spring Gala Virtual Broadcast on June 24

The Ailey organization springs into summer with the Ailey Spring Gala virtual broadcast celebrating Hope, Promise and the Future on June 24 at 7:30pm EDT, an exceptional culmination of the Ailey All Access online performance series inspiring millions around the world. Presenting a special homage to our nation's capital, Washington, D.C., appearances will include guest of honor Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, Congressman James E. Clyburn and Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama along with performances from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and gifted young dancers from The Ailey School.

Viewable via the Ailey Spring Gala website for 48 hours, the free broadcast is made possible through the support of Southern Company, a leading energy company serving nine million customers through its subsidiaries. Benefit Co-Chairs are Michele & Timothy Barakett, Lyndon K. Boozer, Sela and Art Collins, Stephen J. Meringoff, Daria & Eric Wallach and Yelberton R. Watkins; Vice Chairs are Joyce Brayboy, Janell Mayo Duncan & Lawrence Duncan III, Tanya Leah Lombard, Nicole Venable, Vanessa Reed and Katharine Weymouth; and Corporate Chair is Southern Company President & CEO, Thomas A. Fanning.

"Over the past year, we've learned to focus on the opportunity of this moment, not the challenges, and the privilege of carrying on the legacy of Alvin Ailey that speaks to all of us," stated Artistic Director Robert Battle. "Instilled in movement is a message of hope that helps us look towards the bright promise of our future together. We're delighted to have this opportunity to share Ailey's inspiring artistry in new dance films and honor a legend of the Civil Rights Movement as we join in a virtual celebration with our community around the world."

The Ailey Spring Gala program showcases Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in three premieres expressing the evening's themes choreographed by Company members, Ghrai DeVore-Stokes (Hope), Chalvar Monteiro (Promise) and Kanji Segawa (Future). Ailey's extraordinary dancers made various iconic New York City locations their stage to create the new dance films, including Hudson Yards, St. Nicholas Park and The Unisphere, one of the largest globes ever made and built as a symbol of world peace.

During the global broadcast, the organization will honor the late Congressman John Lewis for his unwavering commitment to the Civil Rights Movement. As part of the tribute, Congressman James E. Clyburn will reflect on Mr. Lewis' legacy, which will follow excerpts from In Memory, a powerful film created as a commission for the virtual March on Washington Film Festival by Ailey resident choreographer Jamar Roberts. Roberts has leapt to the forefront of dance on film during the pandemic, creating praised works that engage artfully with contemporary issues such as gun violence and the devastating effect the pandemic and police misconduct have had on Black bodies and Black lives. Founded in 2013, The March on Washington Film Festival is held every year in Washington, DC, serving as a national platform to tell, celebrate, and increase awareness of the untold events and icons and foot soldiers, known and unsung, of the Civil Rights Movement. This year's festival will take place October 1 - 4, 2021 celebrating heroes of yesterday, pioneers of today and the leaders of tomorrow.

The evening will also feature For Four, a filmed dance choreographed by Artistic Director Robert Battle set to "Delfeayo's Dilemma" by Wynton Marsalis, and a performance by Clifton Brown and talented students from The Ailey School in Bird Lives!, based upon Alvin Ailey's dance tribute to jazz legend Charlie "Bird" Parker.

The gala raises the vital funds needed to sustain its programs for young people, like scholarships to The Ailey School and Ailey's Arts In Education & Community Programs, including AileyCamp - an innovative, full-scholarship summer day camp that uses dance as a means to help inner-city youth stretch their minds, bodies, and spirits. A post-gala dance party will continue the joyous program with music by DJ M.O.S. and DJ Kiss. Join Ailey for a celebration of the future of both the capital of our nation and the first city of dance, great legacies of hope that inspired us all, and the promise of the next generation.

To register for a reminder to enjoy the free Ailey Spring Gala global broadcast, please visit here. The broadcast will be livestreamed for 48 hours starting Thursday, June 24 at 7:30pm EDT on the Ailey Spring Gala website.

Preceding the virtual gala will be two Ailey All Access online offerings: "The Greenwood Story" program available now through Tuesday, June 8, includes excerpts from Donald Byrd's riveting ensemble work that draws on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre as a source, a documentary "Black Wall Street Remembered," and a deeper look into the creative process with a behind-the-scenes video. To observe Juneteenth, a presentation sponsored by Amazon will be streamed on Wednesday, June 16 at 7pm EDT featuring a special BattleTalk with Opal Lee "Grandmother of Juneteenth," Sam Collins, Juneteenth Legacy Project's historian and co-chair, as well as the Juneteenth Legacy Project's commissioned artist, Reginald Adams. In addition to the conversation, excerpts from Lazarus, Judith Jamison performing the third section of Cry, "Right On, Be Free," and "Rocka My Soul" of Revelations will be shown. For further updates on the spring series of free online performances, visit Ailey All Access and www.alvinailey.org.

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