ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY
WELCOMES THE RETURN OF THE
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER,
FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 1, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (December 10, 2025) – Ensemble Arts Philly is proud to welcome modern dance powerhouse Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater back to Philadelphia at the Academy of Music on Friday, February 27 through Sunday, March 1, 2026. Repertory will be announced at a later date.
Experience the power of AILEY – a cultural force that transcends dance. With every performance, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrates the African American spirit and moves audiences worldwide with unmatched passion and artistry.
Now entering a bold new era under Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack, the company honors Alvin Ailey's pioneering legacy while charging forward with fresh vision. Expect timeless works from the Ailey repertory that have inspired and uplifted fans for decades – including the soul-stirring Revelations, the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy, alongside groundbreaking new works by contemporary choreographers that promise to propel dance in exhilarating new directions, pushing the boundaries of what the human body can do and what the human spirit can achieve.
“Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a cornerstone of the dance world, honoring the past, shaping the present, and inspiring the future,” said Ryan Fleur, president and CEO. “Their groundbreaking artistry elevates African American cultural narratives, celebrates universal human experiences, and bridges every generation through dance. Returning to our historic 2,500 seat Academy of Music, they remind us how dance can be both a powerful form of cultural expression and a force for unity and change.”
Forged during a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. As the company grew, Mr. Ailey invited dancers of all backgrounds to be a part of his vision while reimagining his company as a “library of dance,” a home for a wide range of choreographers’ works that might otherwise be lost – the first modern dance company of its kind. He expanded the global audience for dance with his visionary model and technically dazzling works.
Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and for 21 years she brought the company to unprecedented success before appointing Robert Battle to steward the Company from 2011–2023. In 2025, Alicia Graf Mack became the organization's fourth artistic director. A former Ailey dancer under both Ms. Jamison and Mr. Battle and a former dean and director of the Dance Division at The Juilliard School, Ms. Graf Mack brings her passion for dance and dance education to the continuation of the AILEY tradition.
Ailey also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs (1992), which brings dance into the classrooms, communities, and lives of people of all ages; and Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home, The Joan Weill Center for Dance – the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City.
Other featured upcoming performances include Cirque Dreams Holidaze (December 22–27, 2025, Miller Theater); Suffs (January 6–18, 2026, Academy of Music); Step Afrika!: The Evolution Tour (February 7, 2026, Miller Theater); Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (February 11–22, 2026, Academy of Music); Kurt Elling: Wildflowers (February 27, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); An Evening with Yotam Ottolenghi (March 2, 2026, Miller Theater); Emmet Cohen: Miles and Coltrane at 100 (March 20, 2026, Miller Theater); and Sh!t-faced Shakespeare®: Hamlet (March 20–21, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center).
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org, by calling 215-893-1999, or in person at the Academy of Music Box Office (240 S. Broad Street) daily from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. For more information, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Academy of Music
Friday, February 27, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 28, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 28, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 1, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
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ABOUT ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY
For more information about ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.
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