New York Dance Company: Ailey ll

CWU Performing Arts Series Ailey II is an exceptional dance company that merges the spirit and energy of the country's best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's most outstanding emerging choreographers. Alvin Ailey personally appointed former Ailey member, Sylvia Waters, as artistic director in 1974. Under her direction, Ailey II has become one of the most popular dance companies in the country, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programs. Ailey II began in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, when Alvin Ailey initiated a workshop composed of the most promising scholarship students from The Ailey School. The original members of the Company were hand picked by Mr. Ailey from among that group. Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey's pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people. Today, it has become one of the most popular dance companies in the United States.