Sylvia Waters

Since Ailey II’s 1974 inception, Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters has been responsible for the growth and expansion of one of the country's most vibrant dance companies.  

Ms. Waters' commitment to dance began when the art form was introduced to her in junior high school. She continued her studies with a scholarship at the New Dance Group, whose illustrious faculty included Alvin Ailey. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Dance from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Antony Tudor, Martha Graham, Alfredo Corvino, and Mary Hinkson. While at Juilliard, she danced with Donald McKayle’s company, where she appeared in the CBS television production of “They Called Her Moses,” and also had the incredible opportunity of working with a young Hava Kohav—who later became an actress and Academy Award nominee performing very often at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA, which was populated and attended by the entire New York dance community.  

Ms. Waters toured in the European company of Black Nativity. While living in Paris, she worked with Michel Descombey, then director of the Paris Opera Ballet, and Milko Šparembleck. She also performed in Donald McKayle's European production of Black New World and worked with Maurice Béjart’s company performing in Brussels and at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City.  

Upon returning to the United States in 1968, Ms. Waters joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 1975, Mr. Ailey personally chose her to become artistic director of the Alvin Ailey Repertory Theater (now Ailey II), a position she held until stepping down in 2012.  

Ms. Waters is the recipient of many awards and honors, including honorary doctorates from the State University of New York at Oswego and the Juilliard School. She is the recipient of a Bessie Award, the Legacy Award as part of the 20th Annual IABD Festival, Syracuse University’s Women of Distinction Award, and the prestigious Dance Magazine Award. She has served on a number of panels including the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Princess Grace Awards. She also served on the panel of the Seoul International Dance Competition for three years in Seoul, South Korea.  

Ms. Waters has dedicated herself to preserving and sharing Mr. Ailey’s legacy. She was a guest lecturer at Harvard University in 2010, where she gave weekly lectures on Mr. Ailey's work and arranged for Ailey company members to dance at the university. She is also a consultant to the Ailey Archives, where she spearheaded an oral history project, interviewing dancers, teachers, lighting designers, and critics. This project culminated in the eight-part documentary series, Portrait of Ailey. Conceived and directed by Ms. Waters with Dominique Singer and the Ailey Archives, in conjunction with PBS LearningMedia, this exceptional film series uses rare archival footage to chart the course of Mr. Ailey’s life, from his early childhood influences to his professional collaborations with composers, designers, and generations of dancers.