Two young dancers from our area were recently given funding to attend a workshop in New York City.
Ailey, the organization that runs the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recently announced that Daelyn Francis, 15, of Jonesboro and Kestin Raines, 14, of Hampton have won scholarships to attend the Ailey Experience NYC workshop, which is put on by Ailey Extension and offers dance and fitness classes for people of all ages and levels of experience.
They will learn dance with more than 70 other students from around the world and practice choreography by famous New York City artists to show to a small group of people, according to a news release from Ailey.
Technique classes for kids ages 8 to 21 that introduce them to routines in a non-competitive setting are part of Ailey Experience NYC. The goal is to show the variety of the Ailey dancer.
In Ailey’s home at The Joan Weill Center for Dance, participants learn with professional dancers, such as former members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II company.
According to a press release, the young dancers will learn more about dance styles like ballet, Horton, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, West African, and more. They will also practice original choreography that they will perform at the Ailey Citigroup Theater for family and friends in a final show.
After attending Ailey Experience Atlanta earlier this year, Francis and Raines were given the grants, which cover the cost of the five-day workshop.
