Ailey Benefit Raises $2.3 Million for Youth in Arts

Ailey's season celebrating five decades of the timeless classic, Revelations, kicked off last night with an Opening Night Gala Benefit hosted by Honorary Chairs Robin Roberts and Alfre Woodard. The night honored Joan Weill on her 10th anniversary as Chairman of Ailey's Board of Trustees and helped raise $2.7 million for Ailey's programs for children and young people, including AileyCamp and scholarships to The Ailey School. Artistic Director Judith Jamison expressed sincere gratitude to Joan Weill for her dedicated leadership and passionate commitment to furthering Ailey's mission of inspiring and educating through dance.  

The Company debuted a new production of Alvin Ailey's Cry - the iconic work made famous by Judith Jamison - with three female soloists (Linda Celeste Sims, Constance Stamatiou and Briana Reed) and premiered Artistic Director Designate Robert Battle's explosive tour-de-force for six men, The Hunt, to a sold-out crowd of over 2,600 audience members.
 
The inspiring finale performance of Revelations included live music by Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock and the premiere of the short film directed by Judy Kinberg, winner of seven primetime Emmy Awards, which will set the stage before each performance of the ballet this season.  The celebration continued at the gala party in the Hilton New York's Grand Ballroom with 1,000 guests, including Debra L. Lee, Mayor Adrian Fenty & Michelle Fenty, Pauletta Washington, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sandy Weill, Kenneth Chenault, Judith Byrd and Susan Taylor & Kephra Burns, who joined in dinner and dancing with the stars of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
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AAADT in Alvin Ailey's Revelations
 
Tonight, the season-long celebration of 50 years of Revelations continues with Target 1960 Night, proclaimed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City of New York as "a tribute to Revelations... fostering a stronger cultural community throughout the five borough and beyond." Additional special performances honoring Revelations are scheduled to take place throughout the season, including live music conducted by Judith Jamison and a first-time extended cast of 50 dancers. The Ailey Extension will also join in the season's celebrations with Revelations at 50 Classes - offered for the first-time ever! 

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