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Young girl reading from a booklet in front of a blackboard, with a woman standing behind her. The girl is wearing a black Ailey Camp Newark shirt, and the woman is in a colorful patterned top. The blackboard has handwritten notes titled Recipe for a Good Decision and Personal Development with various points listed. The date July 27, 2011, is written on the blackboard.

POSTED May 7, 2025

Teacher Appreciation Week

It's Teacher Appreciation Week and AILEY is celebrating dance educators and the work they do inspiring, uplifting, and nurturing the dance leaders of tomorrow. 

There are so many ways that dance educators can engage with AILEY.  

Kathleen Wessel, senior lecturer at Spelman College’s Department of Dance Performance and Choreography, brought her students to a recent Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance in Atlanta. 

“Atlanta has such a strong connection to Ailey,” Wessel said. “Some of the students have been to see Ailey every single year with her parents since they were a kid, but some of them have never seen Ailey let alone any dance performance in their lives.”  

Along with teaching composition and technique, Wessel teaches dance writing to inspire her students to look closer at the work they’re seeing and to strengthen their own writing skills. “We wanted our students to be leaders and be the ones who shape the next generation,” she said. “Writing was really important when the class or the department got off the ground. We knew we wanted to focus on teaching our students to be better writers, to be able to write across a lot of in many different formats.” 

Wessel found that all her students came to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s performance with different expectations and backgrounds, but they all responded strongly to it. “A lot of them have connections through their family; their grandmother knows about it. Their mother knows about it. So, it feels like already there's a lot of importance there. The connection to black culture as well. I found that, obviously, every student comes to this show with a different background, but they almost always really feel like a cultural connection.” 

Wessel had her students write critical responses to the work, to deepen their understanding of the work’s meaning, influences, and history. Here are some of the students’ written responses: 

Kiara Smith on 'Revelations'

Alvin Ailey’s Revelations is widely regarded as a masterpiece of modern dance, not just because of its artistry but because of its ability to remain relevant for over six decades. Since its premiere in 1960, the work has remained a staple of the company’s repertoire, continuously captivating audiences worldwide. However, its longevity is not solely a result of its historical significance—it is a testament to the company’s commitment to evolution. While the core choreography has remained largely unchanged, shifts in casting, performance quality, and interpretation have allowed Revelations to reflect ongoing cultural and social changes within the Black community and beyond. As society progresses, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has found ways to use this iconic work as a tool for new conversations about identity, resilience, and collective struggle. 

Allison Simons on 'Revelations'

In “I Wanna Be Ready,” Chalvar Monteiro delivered a breathtaking solo that embodied the tension between struggle and perseverance. Dressed in flowing white, he moved with deliberate control, his deep lunges and slow, weighted movements mirroring the burden of hardship. At times, his body seemed to defy gravity—balancing precariously on one leg, shifting his weight with an unsteady determination, as if preparing for a great test. [...] Monteiro’s performance illustrated how movement can express both physical and spiritual endurance, capturing the essence of Revelations as a reflection of the African American experience. 

Eden Wilson on 'Finding Free'

Towards the middle of the piece, a spotlight isolates a dancer center stage. Four ropes are attached to her waist and from each stage corner. She seems to try to dance around the ropes at first, with her arm movements hovering above the ropes, which float parallel to the ground, and her legs sweeping below them so as not to collide with or disturb them. Soon, however, she struggles to walk backward, yanking her shoulders away from the ropes in frustration. She reaches out her arms in every direction, spinning and pulling away until finally, she collapses to the ground, the ropes falling with her. The dancer begins intricate floor work among the ropes, dancing in and through them, executing flawless leaps and pirouettes, then gathers the ropes up and holds them to her chest. Finally, she walks slowly off stage, clutching the ropes with her head nestled within them. 

Wessel believes that dance study can prepare students for all sorts of careers, from performing to advocacy, and her mission is to give her students a well-rounded education. “College is about learning how to be a citizen with a voice in the world, and if you don't know how to criticize things, write about things, form an argument, think critically, that doesn't bode well for a great life. I think with this department, we're looking at the future. We're looking at what is art going to look like in 10 years, 20 years, 50 years. 

AILEY couldn’t agree more. Alvin Ailey was an early advocate for sharing dance education with the greater public. Today, we’re thrilled to spotlight this kind of engagement and cheer on the dedicated work of dance educators like Wessel all across the country. 

There are many other ways teachers and dance educators can engage with AILEY: 

  • Video Lessons: Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs offers virtual dance packages for students Pre-K through 12 that guide teachers and their students through an AILEY dance experience. Discover classes that will get your class moving. 
  • National Outreach: AILEY’s outreach offerings include dedicated classes, workshops, and lecture/demonstrations with our dance companies; tailored residencies for your school or community group from Ailey Arts In Education; and supplemental educational materials that can be used in conjunction with the above programs or independently.    
  • AileyDance Kids: AileyDance Kids is an inclusive dance education program that works with public, charter, private, and independent schools and community organizations in the New York City metropolitan area, serving grades Pre-K through 12. Programs are offered in a comprehensive format and created to meet the individual needs of each school during both in-school and after-school hours.