Last week, the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation celebrated the opening of its new Elaine Wynn & Family Education Wing at the Joan Weill Center for Dance. Guests in attendance included leaders of the Ailey organization, dancers, students, donors and friends of New York City’s dance community.
The Elaine Wynn & Family Education Wing boasts a 10,000-square-foot expansion of The Joan Weill Center for Dance, Ailey’s permanent home. The celebratory events consisted of performances by dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The Ailey School, in addition to tours of the new facilities, a private ceremony and reception, and a week-long open house, which presented the public with the opportunity to take free Ailey Extension dance classes.
Ailey Board President Debra Lee, Art. Dir. Robert Battle, Elaine Wynn, Board Chairman Daria Wallach, Exec. Dir. Bennett Rink, AAADT dancers (Photo by Christopher Duggan)
With the addition of the new $25 million wing, three floors have been added, which includes four dance studios, two flexible classrooms, more administrative office space, renovated spaces including dressing rooms, lounges, restrooms and the company’s costume shop. This project has allowed Ailey to offer over 500 weekly classes, which is an increase of 20% since the commencement of this construction. The classes offered are Ailey Extension’s dance and fitness classes for the public and The Ailey School’s pre-professional and professional training programs for young dancers.
The expansion also offers a new rehearsal space for Ailey II and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, just in time for the upcoming annual season at the New York City Center, beginning on November 29th and ending on December 31st.
