Ailey II Brings Dynamic Dance Repertory to Westport Country Playhouse

Breaking news to your phone. US mobile only. No password required.

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

West End / UK

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

The performance will take place on Thursday, September 24.

Most Popular

Get all the top news & discounts for Connecticut & beyond. No password required.

Westport Country Playhouse will present “Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance,” on Thursday, September 24, at 7 p.m. Ailey II, the Second Company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country's best early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today's most outstanding and emerging choreographers.

Get all the top news & discounts for Connecticut & beyond.

For the 2026-27 touring season, Ailey II welcomes back dancers Kamani Abu, Jada Ammons, Christian Butts, Adanna Smalls, and Eric J. Vidaña—along with seven new dancers: Julie Colotroc, Daijia Monaé, Vic E. Davis, Jaydin Javier De Jesús, Michelle Osanya, Jalyn Postadan, and Dominic A. Roberts .

Ailey II's repertory at Westport Country Playhouse includes Artistic Director Francesca Harper 's In the Moment, a meditation on presence, transformation, and the profound impact of being truly seen; Ronald K. Brown and Arcell Cabuag 's Open Door, an enlivening work set to recordings by Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra; and Alvin Ailey 's Night Creature, a bubbly champagne cocktail of a dance, a perfect fusion of Mr. Ailey's buoyant choreography and Duke Ellington 's sparkling music.

Founded in 1974 as a bridge between The Ailey School and the professional dance world, Ailey II embodies Alvin Ailey 's pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people. Ailey II flourished into one of the most popular dance companies in the country under the leadership of Sylvia Waters from 1974–2012, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programs. With artistic director Francesca Harper at the helm, Ailey II is forging a new path for modern dance—one that's inclusive, experimental, and transformative.

First Look At THE SNOW GOOSE At Goodspeed

ANNIE Cast Announced for Goodspeed's 50th Anniversary Production

Illeana Douglas to Launch JUNGLE RED! at The Kate in Old Saybrook

Cast and Creatives Set For DRACULA at Hartford Stage

When are you seeing ?

Get an Alert Each Time Chloe Rabinowitz Writes

BroadwayWorld TV

Breaking Broadway news & show discounts. No password required.

Breaking alerts by text. US mobile only.

POPULAR

Sign up for announcements and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 — Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

Episode

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/connecticut/article/AILEY-II-THE-NEXT-GENERATION-OF-DANCE-is-Coming-to-Westport-Country-Playhouse-20260915)._