AileyDay

This workshop is designed based on the Finding Grace curriculum, which is inspired by Grace, the acclaimed masterwork by Ronald K. Brown, commissioned in 1999 for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater by then Artistic Director Judith Jamison. Rooted in Brown’s distinctive movement style and artistic vision, the workshop invites participants to engage with Grace not only as a celebrated work of art but also as a way of reflecting on how we move through the world.

Participants learn a warm-up inspired by Brown’s movement vocabulary and explore selected excerpts from Grace. Participants are introduced to key movement elements that appear in the work and engage in embodied practice that connects physical movement with personal expression.

Using Grace as a springboard for creative inquiry, participants explore themes of transformation, healing, resistance, forgiveness, compassion, and grace. Through guided activities and movement creation, participants investigate the many meanings of the word grace while developing greater self-awareness, self-management, and self-acceptance.

By engaging both mind and body, this workshop encourages participants to reflect, move, and create as they discover how the concept of grace can be expressed through dance and lived in everyday life.

Alvin Ailey’s Revelations is the world’s most popular work of modern dance. Learn excerpts from this masterpiece conducted by an Ailey teaching artist. Come with your friends and family—all ages are welcome! Dance for a moment, remember for a lifetime.

Join us as we move and groove together in a Hip Hop and Jazz workshop, where participants are encouraged to show off their moves.

In this class, we’ll explore jazz music and movement while learning dance steps born out of one of the most influential cultural movements in history, Hip Hop.

Through a variety of movement combinations, this workshop is designed to inspire the mind, body, and imagination while celebrating rhythm, creativity, and community.

Explore the history and fun of New Jersey’s home grown music, dance energy and culture with Anthony Solo Harris – a Jersey Club original that was there from the beginning and helped grow the culture you see today! 

This class is for All Abilities, allowing those with limited movement to creatively express themselves comfortably. For individuals with developmental disabilities, Jersey Club dancing can positively impact attention span, memory, ability to follow instructions, and physical strength and coordination. Dance is a powerful therapy because of its sensorimotor integration. It highlights expressing emotions and ideas through individual movements and requires participants to control their bodies while simultaneously participating in group movement.

This class is an introductory course to popping & waving movement vocabulary.

This class will start with Brother Jerome teaching a fun and interactive introduction to traditional African dance movements, as well as LaRocque Bey Dance techniques that were used in the 1960’s when the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and the LaRocque Bey school of dance were in their beginning stages. 

Finish class with Kieron Dwayne Sargeant who will take dancers into the enchanting world of Trinidadian and Tobagonian skirt dances and uncover the rich tapestry of their intricate roots and influences. ‘Dances of Trinbago’ is a masterclass designed to guide dancers through the multifaceted retentions and influences that have shaped these Caribbean marvels, revealing their distinct essence and allure.

Join the Newark Public Library for a story time session of Alvin Ailey by Andrea Davis Pinkney.

Parents don’t always have to sit and watch their child dance. They can dance too! Experience the joy of dance and creative expression with fun props like scarves, fans and colorful fabrics. This class is geared for all movement types and ages.