Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Partnership with Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street YMCA in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African American modern dancers, that performance forever changed the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents and has reached millions more online and through television broadcasts and localized branches of the organization, like our local Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey. Today, the company continues Ailey’s mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 200 works by over 80 choreographers have been part of the Ailey company’s repertory.