(NEWARK, NJ) -- Hundreds are expected to gather in Newark for the return of the 17th annual AILEY DAY on Saturday, May 3, 2025 beginning at 10:00am at Arts High School (550 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) and ending at 6:00pm with a free performance at NJPAC's Chamber Plaza (One Center Street). AILEY DAY includes free family-friendly activities for people of all ages and abilities and dancers of all skill levels. The full day of dance immersion kickstarts with classes taught by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater alumni, faculty and students.

Also on tap this year is a children’s book reading of Alvin Ailey by Andrea David Linkney presented by the Newark Public Library as well as a panel discussion with Alvin Ailey alumni and instructors. The afternoon culminates with the day’s participants showcasing their newly learned dance movements in a “Show & Share” performance at the newly renovated Chambers Plaza at NJPAC.

Registration is required. RSVP in advance by visiting NJPAC.org/event/ailey-day-2025 or by calling 1.888.GO.NJPAC/1.888.466.5722.

AILEY DAY is produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in partnership with: Camille Rennie’s “Maya” Company of Collaborative Artists, Eastside Dance Project, Newark Public Library, Sabreen T. Mateen, and Team Aavarta.

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. Forged during a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, the Company was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity.

Founded by Alvin Ailey, the posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor. Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and for 21 years she led the Company to unprecedented success. 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 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.

AILEY DAY | Saturday, May 9, 2025

@ Arts High School

9:00am Registration

10:00am Welcome & Warm-Up

11:45am Dance Classes (Session I)

1:00pm Dance Classes (Session II) + Storytime Children’s Book Reading of Alvin Ailey + Chat & Chew panel discussion with Ailey alumni and instructors

2:15pm-2:45pm Show & Share performance

@ Chambers Plaza at NJPAC

4:00pm-6:00pm Show & Share performance

Additional May-June Offerings: 

Friday, May 9 @ 12:30pm SchoolTime Performance @ NJPAC Open to schools only (not general public). Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s school-time performance introduces area students to the magic of Alvin Ailey’s must-see masterpiece Revelations. The hour-long educational experience, moderated by one of Ailey’s dancers, also features excerpts of Ailey classics and an insider’s look behind-the-scenes to inspire young people.

Friday, May 9 @ 6:00pm Panel Discussion in Tribute to Judith Jamison @ NJPAC. A special pre-performance event paying homage to Alvin Ailey’s Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison (1943-2024) with panelists to be announced soon. Available free to the evening’s performance ticketholders.

Friday, May 9 through Sunday, May 11 Public Performances @ NJPAC. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world’s most popular dance companies, returns to NJPAC on Mother’s Day Weekend May 9-11, 2025 for its final stop on its coast-to-coast 2025 United States tour in a season celebrating the life and legacy of Judith Jamison. Led by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, the passionate spirit and extraordinary technique of Ailey’s dancers will be showcased in three exciting performances featuring world premieres, new productions, repertory favorites, and Ailey classics.

July-August AileyCamp Newark - A unique summer day camp program for middle school students ages 11-14, AileyCamp will operate in 10 cities across the country, including Newark (July 1 – August 8; now accepting applications). In partnership with AILEY Arts In Education & Community Programs, NJPAC founded this six-week program for Newark kids in 2011. More than a dance program, AileyCamp provides young people a safe space to develop their self-esteem, creative expression, and critical thinking skills, ultimately helping them reach their unlimited potential. The 2025 summer camp culminates with a special performance by the students on the NJPAC stage on Wednesday, August 6 at 7:00pm.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted nearly 10 million individuals (including over 1.9 million students and families) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.