The Curtain Rises for Alicia Graf Mack, Ailey’s New Artistic Director

On a crisp Monday evening at the Manhattan headquarters of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the rehearsal for Revelations gathered the energy of a reunion. A drum set pulsed from the corner, while vocalists settled into their chairs, sheet music and iPads in hand. The late choreographer’s canonical 1960 work—set to song‑sermons and gospel—was performed live at the start of the company’s annual residency at New York City Center. Artists had finally gathered in one room to prepare for opening night on December 3, and Alicia Graf Mack stepped in during a lull to demonstrate the easy fluidity of a head movement. The moment felt both celebratory and prophetic: a new artistic director, a new season, a new vision for the people.

A Vision for the Future: Alicia’s Artistic Direction

The Journey of a Trailblazer

From Dance Theatre of Harlem to Juilliard to Ailey

Alicia’s path to Ailey’s artistic directorship is a tapestry woven with dedication and experience:

• First job at 17 with Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she learned the fundamentals of choreography and stagecraft.
• Seven‑year tenure directing Juilliard’s dance division, where she expanded the roster of dancemakers and re‑imagined the BFA program with Fordham.
• brengen of community outreach programs—Ailey II, the School, Extension, and Camp—into a single, thriving ecosystem.

Her appointment in 2018 as dean and director of Juilliard’s dance division demanded institutional savvy and in‑the‑classroom nuance. She helped with fundraising, tapped visiting choreographers, and reframed history courses. As a Black woman with a long performing career, she understood the evolving landscape for working artists and the need for stylistic versatility across a breadth of disciplines.

The Season in Focus: Revelations, Jazz Island, Blink of an Eye

Program Highlights

The new season opens with a blend of tradition and contemporary innovation. Alicia has curated a program that pays homage to Ailey’s roots while exploring fresh narratives:

• Revelations (1950s‑style gospel) – a foundational piece for the residency.
• Jazz Island (Maija García) – an Afro‑Caribbean folklore narrative with original score by trumpeter & composer Etienne Charles.
• Blink of an Eye (Medhi Walerski) – a contemporary eight‑dancer work created for Nederlands Dans Theater.
• A Case of You (revived for the season) – a heartfelt reinterpretation of the Joni Mitchell track.

Community Engagement and Outreach

Ailey II, School, Extension, Camp

Alicia’s vision includes a strong focus on community outreach:

• Expand Ailey II to nurture local talent and provide a platform for emerging choreographers.
• Reinforce the School’s curriculum with digital media courses, enabling dancers to work with choreographers who increasingly build off in‑studio improvisations.
• Enhance the Extension program to bring Ailey’s repertory to underserved neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., and beyond.
• Revitalize Camp Ailey to create a year‑long training pipeline for young dancers.

Behind the Scenes: Rehearsals and Collaborations

The Monday Evening Rehearsal

Key Collaborators: Ronni Favors, Melissa White, Samara Joy

During the Monday rehearsal, Alicia let out a yelp when a petite dancer leapt a far distance into a pair of waiting arms—a moment of risk and reward that exemplified her daring vision.

The Legacy of Judith Jamison

Continuity and Innovation

Judith Jamison’s original big‑tent vision—“a repertory company to give a platform for other artists to share their stories”—remains a guiding principle. Alicia sees Jazz Island as a narrative exploration of Afro‑Caribbean folklore, inspired by Geoffrey Holder’s Black Gods, Green Islands. She believes that the company’s core principles—honoring identity alongside aesthetic achievement—will shape the new season’s creative direction.

Conclusion: A New Chapter Begins

Alicia’s Vision for the People

Closing Thoughts

Alicia’s appointment comes at a moment of cross‑currents. The recent “Edges of Ailey” exhibition at the Whitney Museum has recontextualized that household name for new audiences, and the company’s two‑week run at Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., quietly closes a long chapter at the Kennedy Center. With her institutional savvy and artistic vision, Alicia will follow the founding tenets and then allow Mr. Ailey’s bravery to keep us going into the future. The stage is set, the music is ready, and the people are invited to see themselves onstage from any background, identity, place around the world.

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