The Lasting Legacy of Alvin Ailey
Fri, Feb 27, 2026
6–7:15 pm
Carmen de Lavallade and Alvin Ailey at Jacobs Pillow, 1961. Photo by John Lindquist. © Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University
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Floor 3, Theater
As Black History Month celebrates its centennial, join Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters and famed former Ailey dancer Renee Robinson for a panel discussion, “The Impact of Alvin Ailey and Carmen de Lavallade on Modern Dance.” They will discuss the lasting global impact of Alvin Ailey on the arts, the legacy of Carmen de Lavallade, and how Black arts shape American culture. This panel is moderated by Adrienne Edwards, Engell Speyer Family Senior Curator and Associate Director of Curatorial Programs at the Whitney, who curated Edges of Ailey.
After the panel, head down to the Lobby for a Swing Dance class, taught by Ailey Extension instructor Sam Coleman. All ages and skill levels are welcome!
About the Speakers
Sylvia Waters is Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita. In 1974, she was personally selected by Alvin Ailey as Artistic Director of Ailey II and led the company for thirty-eight years. She attended The Juilliard School and, after receiving her BS from Juilliard, she moved to Paris, where she appeared regularly on television. She toured in the European company of Black Nativity and worked with Michel Descombey, then director of the Paris Opera Ballet, as well as Milko Šparembleck. In 1968, Waters joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and toured with the Company until assuming leadership of Ailey II.
Renee Robinson began her training in classical ballet at the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet. She was the recipient of two Ford Foundation scholarships to the School of American Ballet and was awarded full scholarships to the Dance Theatre of Harlem School and The Ailey School, where she danced as a member of Ailey II. Ms. Robinson was a member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1981 to 2012, during which time she performed principal roles in several of Mr. Ailey’s ballets including Revelations, Cry, Memoria, Blues Suite, and others. She danced in works choreographed by renowned choreographers such as Robert Battle, Judith Jamison, Lar Lubovitch, Ulysses Dove, Talley Beatty, Garth Fagan, Kyle Abraham, Ronald K. Brown, Elisa Monte, and Matthew Rushing. She is a Master Teaching Artist with Ailey Arts in Education and is a faculty member at Yale University teaching under the Dance Studies Curriculum.
