Ailey Teacher Certification Program: Ailey Horton Technique

Become a certified Ailey Horton instructor and expand your teaching opportunities

The Ailey School is proud to launch the Ailey Teacher Certification Program with its first dedicated field of study: Ailey Horton Technique. This new professional development program invites participants to deepen their understanding of the Ailey Horton technique, preparing them to teach with confidence and become a part of the Ailey legacy.

Alvin Ailey’s mentor, Lester Horton, established the Horton technique, which became the basis of many of Mr. Ailey’s works. The Ailey Horton technique—a development of Lester Horton’s technique as it has been practiced at taught at The Ailey School for over 60 years—provides a strong physical foundation for dancers, preparing them for versatile and sustainable careers.

In this groundbreaking program, participants will undertake an in-depth study of the Ailey Horton technique, learning comprehensive pedagogical approaches and teaching principles. Participants will further enrich their understanding of the technique by studying how Mr. Ailey incorporated it into his choreographic works, including Blues Suite and Revelations.

Through a combination of physical practice, independent study, and group discussion taking place in-person and online, the Ailey Teacher Certification Program: Ailey Horton Technique develops in educators an expanded level of confidence and awareness in their teaching practice. This certification prepares teachers to communicate with artistic integrity and gain an elevated awareness of movement, musicality, and storytelling, allowing them to foster similar transformations among their own students.

The Ailey Teacher Certification Program: Ailey Horton Technique launches in the summer of 2025 with Level 1 certification (Levels 2–4 currently in development for later release).

Program Details for Level 1 Certification

• This 32-week course begins with a five-day, in-person intensive workshop at AILEY headquarters—The Joan Weill Center for Dance in New York City—during which participants solidify their understanding of the Ailey Horton technique and receive an introduction to the legacies of Lester Horton and Alvin Ailey while building relationships with peers.
• In subsequent weeks, participants continue their study virtually, requiring approximately 6–8 hours per week. Coursework includes further study of Lester Horton’s and Alvin Ailey’s works, tracing the technique’s lineage through their choreography; devising phrase material to explore the technique’s creative potential; planning lessons that build a progression of the fundamentals; and analyzing relevant readings and video materials to deepen participants’ knowledge of the work’s historical significance. This includes a balance of independent study and online group discussion and sharing.
• This course concludes with an assessment of all the material covered in Level 1.