Ailey Extension is the public open-class program of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, launched in 2005 under the banner Real Classes for Real People. It is not a standalone studio but a program running inside The Joan Weill Center for Dance at 405 West 55th Street at Ninth Avenue in midtown Manhattan, the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, which opened the same year.
The schedule covers more than 25 dance and fitness techniques, among them Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Horton, House, Jazz, Limon, Masala Bhangra, Samba, West African, Pilates and Zumba. Classes are open to all ages, backgrounds and experience levels, from absolute beginner through advanced, with no audition or membership required. Instruction comes from renowned teachers, and the program runs a hybrid schedule: in-studio classes across multiple floors plus live virtual classes on Zoom, with links emailed through FitGrid about thirty minutes before start time.
There is also an Ailey Extension app on the iOS App Store for booking and streaming. Whether you danced for years or have never taken a class, pick one and sign up.
Ailey Extension