On Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 7:30pm, the August
Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) welcomes Ailey
II: The Next Generation of Dance to Pittsburgh as part of a 39-city world
tour. The 2025-2026 repertory features four compelling world premieres by
emerging and established choreographers including former Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater and Ailey II member Chalvar Monteiro, Rena Butler, Renée
I. McDonald, and My’Kal Stromile.
“Ailey II represents the brilliance of what’s next in the
world of dance,” said Janis Burley, President and CEO of AWAACC.
“We are thrilled to welcome them to Pittsburgh and share this electrifying
experience with our community.”
For more than five decades, Ailey II has merged the spirit
and energy of the country’s best early-career dance talent with the passion and
artistry of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers. Founded in
1974 as a bridge between The Ailey School and the professional dance
world, the company embodies Alvin Ailey’s pioneering mission to nurture
the next generation of talented artists and reach audiences around the world by
making dance accessible to all. Under Artistic Director Francesca Harper’s
direction, Ailey II is forging a new path for modern dance—one that’s
inclusive, experimental, and transformative.
The program on October 7 includes Alvin Ailey’s Streams,
an abstract exploration of bodies in space, danced to a percussion score by
Miloslav Kabela; My’Kal Stromile’s Third Person Point of View, a piece inviting the audience to witness
from the outside, observing a relationship as it unfolds without ever being
directly addressed; Renée I. McDonald’s Likes vs Life, a work
featuring three dancers wrestling with powerful forces, the need to connect,
and the desire to escape; and the evening culminates with Alvin Ailey’s signature
must-see American masterpiece, Revelations.
Please visit pressroom.alvinailey.org/ailey-ii for
bios, hi-res downloadable photos, and b-roll. Interviews with Ailey II company
members are available upon request.
Following the performance, AWAACC will host a special
post-event party at the Center from 9:30p-11:00p., giving guests an opportunity
to celebrate the evening together, mingle with fellow arts supporters, and
continue the night’s energy with music, refreshments, and community connection.
Event Details:
- What:
Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance
- Where:
August Wilson African American Cultural Center | 980 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
- When:
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 7:30PM
- Tickets
start at $63
- Tickets
on sale now at awaacc.org/event/ailey-ii-the-next-generation-of-dance
Ailey II Matinee Launches Arts Ambassador Program
Earlier in the day, a special Ailey II student matinee
will serve as the inaugural event of AWAACC’s new Arts Ambassador Program
— an initiative that invites 10th grade students from Westinghouse Academy, The
Barack Obama Academy of International Studies, and University Preparatory
School to connect with world-class art across dance, music, theater, and visual
arts
The Arts Ambassador Program is designed to engage youth with
a journey through the arts, providing students with access to live
performances, gallery exhibitions, artist talks, and in-school workshops. By
beginning with Ailey II — a company that itself bridges training and
professional artistry — the program underscores AWAACC’s mission to empower
the next generation of cultural ambassadors and to deepen students’
appreciation for artistic excellence and self-expression.
ABOUT AILEY II: THE NEXT GENERATION OF DANCE
Ailey II—the second company of Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater—is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the
country’s best early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision
of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers. Founded in 1974 as a
bridge between The Ailey School and the professional dance world, Ailey II
embodies Alvin Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural
community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs
for all people. Ailey II flourished into one of the most popular dance
companies in the country under the leadership of Sylvia Waters from 1974–2012,
combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach
programs. With Artistic Director Francesca Harper at the helm, Ailey II is
forging a new path for modern dance—one that’s inclusive, experimental, and
transformative. For more information, visit ailey.org/aileyii.
ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a
nonprofit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that
generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the
legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson.
One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused
exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black
culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more
than 100,000 visitors locally and nationally.
Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such
as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film
Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art
exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and
emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity
that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today.
Major support for AWAACC’s
operations is provided by Richard King Mellon Foundation, Henry L. Hillman
Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD).
AWAACC’s programming is made possible by generous support from its donors. For
a complete list, visit our website: awaacc.org
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