Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ronald K. Brown's Grace Photo by Danica Paulos
Finding Grace
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About the Residency
The Finding Grace curriculum is based on Ronald K. Brown’s masterwork Grace, a work commissioned in 1999 for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater by then Artistic Director Judith Jamison.
Students study Ronald K. Brown’s style through movement, embedded instructional videos and interviews created specifically for this curriculum, including warm-up sequences and three excerpts from Grace.
The curriculum—created for elementary, middle, and high school students—invites educators to engage with Grace as both a work of art and a way of being. It uses Grace as a springboard for students to explore creating movement, developing cultural literacy, and fostering Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Students explore ideas of transformation, healing, resistance, forgiveness, grace, and compassion. The Finding Grace curriculum is aligned with the New York City Department of Education’s Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Dance: PreK-12, the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS), and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Framework.
| Grades | Elementary, middle, and high school |
| Location | Studio/gym/auditorium |
| Duration | National Residencies are 1-week and AileyDance Kids Residences are eight weeks minimum. |
| Student Capacity | 35 maximum per class |
| Availability | October–June |
Curriculum
The Finding Grace curriculum is an Ailey Arts In Education residency taught by Ailey teaching artists and customized to the interests of you and your students. In support of the Ailey residency, the curriculum is available online as a resource for educators.
We’d love to hear how you are using the Finding Grace curriculum and how it is impacting your students. Please share your experiences with Stacey Spencer-Willoughby at sspencerwilloughby@ailey.org.
Finding Grace residency with Hialeah Middle School students Photo by Eduardo Segovia
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ronald K. Brown’s Grace Photo by Danica Paulos
Finding Grace residency with Dos Puentes Elementary School students led by Ailey Teaching Artist Theara Ward Photo by Jada Alfred
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ronald K. Brown’s Grace Photo by Paul Kolnik
Finding Grace residency with Dos Puentes Elementary School students Photo by Jada Alfred
Scheduling & Contact Info
For more information about our programming, or to schedule an Ailey Arts In Education residency or workshop, please contact:
Stacey Spencer-Willoughby
Assistant, Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs
Phone: 212-405-9152
sspencerwilloughby@ailey.org
Support Ailey
Every donation to AILEY, a non-profit organization, furthers the pioneering vision of our founder, Alvin Ailey, to deliver dance back to the people.
Hero Credits: Photo by Eduardo Segovia, Photo by Eduardo Segovia