Ailey Short Film Created On Paris Street Debuts in Celebration Of United Nations Day

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is pleased to announce Rue Montorgueil, a joyful short film that sprang to life on a bustling Parisian street when Ailey company members performed with local dancers - people of different backgrounds, talents and nationalities joined together through the universal language of dance. Recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater participated in the project during a 10-week international tour throughout Europe led by Artistic Director Robert Battle. Fittingly, it is being released on United Nations Day, which celebrates the founding and ideals of the UN, with an official theme this year of "Potential in Diversity."

Debuting on Nowness, a global video channel screening the best in culture, Rue Montorgueil launches a year-long, web-based video series highlighting dancers from different parts of the Ailey organization in collaboration with French choreographer and director Redha Medjellekh. In line with Alvin Ailey's belief that "dance came from the people and should always be delivered back to the people," the goal is to showcase dance that works in a digital medium and makes dance accessible to everyone, everywhere at any moment.

Medjellekh, who conceived the project, said "I wanted to illustrate that no matter what your gender, nationality or age, we can communicate and share a common thread through dance - it's a universal language. Recorded on Paris' Rue Montorgueil in a one-shot take, we sought to create a chain reaction from person to person on one of Paris' busiest and most well-known streets, so the viewer feels a part of the frenetic energy." The series will speak to people through dance with varied creative content, resulting in conversations and bringing attention to the artistry of extraordinary dancers. In this first video, Ailey company members Solomon Dumas, Jacquelin Harris, Ashley Mayeux, Michael Francis McBride, Samuel Lee Roberts and Constance Stamatiou were joined by No Script Krumper, B-Boy Reem Kat, rhythmic gymnast Natalie Fauquette, and Claudette, a seasoned amateur who has a passion for dance and happens to be a longtime admirer of Alvin Ailey's work. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will inspire, unite and entertain during a new season starting with a New York City Center holiday engagement from November 29 to December 31, followed by a U.S. national tour through May. For information, visit: www.alvinailey.org.

ABOUT Alvin Ailey AMERICAN DANCE THEATER Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American "Cultural Ambassador to the World," grew from a now?fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Founded by Alvin Ailey, recent posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the nation's highest civilian honor - and guided by Judith Jamison beginning in 1989, the Company is now led by Robert Battle, whom Judith Jamison chose to succeed her on July 1, 2011. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents - as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms - promoting the uniqueness of the African?American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year?end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami?Dade County in Miami, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA, and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate), and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities, and lives of people of all ages; and Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey's permanent home-the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world -named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit www.alvinailey.org.

ABOUT REDHA MEDJELLEKH Redha Medjellekh has created multiple viral dance videos that not only speak to the dance community at large but to a wider audience. He specializes in telling stories with dance and bringing exquisite choreography to life on the street and in unusual settings. His work is not only about the beauty of the dance but also the message behind it. Medjellekh believes that dance should be accessible to everyone, everywhere, at any hour of the day. He wants the audience to be enraptured not only by the beauty of the gesture itself but asks the viewer to dig deeper and find meaning behind it.

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