Ailey Extension offers real classes for real people to embody the legacy of Mr. Ailey by giving dance back to people. Our staff is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment by making dance accessible to everyone.

Alvin Ailey movement style infuses modern dance, ballet, jazz and theater. This class will begin with a Horton-based warm up - signature technique of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, followed by an introduction to basic dance choreography and Ailey movement styles. Each step is broken down slowly with an emphasis on individuality.

Imani Uzuri (Vocalist, Composer, Cultural worker) will host her intergenerational Revolutionary Choir salon—a Freedom & Protest Song teach-in of historical and new songs of resistance and resilience. Come learn and sing liberation songs with us! All voices are welcome!

Bulla en el Barrio is an effort to open a space in New York City and Austin, TX (Bulla en Austin) to explore at a deeper level the bullerengue tradition born in Colombia in the Urabá and Caribbean region of the country. From its early days, bullerengue has been a tool for women to express themselves through music and dance; for this reason, women’s leadership and their power to engage communities into creative processes characterize bullerengue. This is why Bulla en el Barrio also aims to unite communities and encourage them to generate a spontaneous celebration of life through music, dance and the stories that these songs tell.

The ensemble's members include: Carolina Oliveros, Camilo Rodriguez, Rocio Jaimes, Andres Jimenez, Juan Jimenez, Beatriz Lopez, Victor-Andres Cruz, Gabriel Benavides, Julissa Maldonado, Andres Fonseca, Roxanna Kasegari, Juan Ospina, Melody Feo, and Julian Gomez.

Celisse Henderson is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, performer and spoken word artist. Her deep and varied career has seen her on stage, from the recent revival of Godspell at Circle in the Square Theater and the Broadway national tour of Wicked to Bridget Everett’s Rock Bottom at The Public Theater. On television, Celisse has appeared on PBS’s The Electric Company, 30 Rock, Rescue Me, The Big C, White Collar and more. She has also appeared countless times in concert with artists ranging from, most recently, Melissa Etheridge, Joss Stone, PHISH, Macy Gray and Mariah Carey to Bernstein’s MASS at Carnegie Hall and the various concerts of Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens and Bill Finn.