Nasha Thomas, National Director of AileyCamp/Arts In Education Spokesperson & Master Teacher

Ms. Thomas oversees national outreach and AileyCamps for Ailey’s Arts in Education & Community Programs department. As a primary liaison between Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation and the national arts-in-education community, she plays a central role in working with local communities to develop and run AileyCamps across the U.S., as well as managing national residencies, workshops, and master classes. A former principal dancer with the Ailey company (1986 to 1998) and former director of the Ailey Dancers Resource Fund, she is a 1980 recipient of the prestigious Presidential Scholar of the Arts award. Ms. Thomas is a graduate of New York’s High School of the Performing Arts and Southern Methodist University.

Featured News Releases

AileyCamp New York & Newark Return To The Stage For An Uplifting Joint Final Performance At NJPAC On Friday, August 13 at 7pm

New York, NY – August 6, 2021 – AileyCamp New York and AileyCamp Newark will return to the stage after two years for the first-ever joint final performance on Friday, August 13th at 7pm at New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Victoria Theater. Entitled Unique, this special performance commemorates two special anniversaries, 30 years of AileyCamp New York and 10 years in Newark in an exceptional program that showcases the positive impact AileyCamp continues to have on the next generation.

Fit And Fabulous Fun During National Physical Fitness Month With Virtual Classes and Special Workshops At Ailey Extension

New York, NY – May 5, 2021 – Ailey Extension has kicked off National Physical Fitness Month with an invitation for people around the world to have fun being fit and fabulous during in an array of virtual classes and special workshops. During the month of May, students are encouraged to keep dancing and experience the physical and mental benefits of dance, including improved strength and flexibility, coordination, endurance, and decreased stress. All are welcome to celebrate by moving and grooving with popular instructors during a Hip-Hop Workshop on Thursday, May 6, a special Mother’s Day weekend BellydanceBURN workshop on Saturday, May 8; a Kids & Teens West African Workshop on Saturday, May 15, and a NY Style Mambo Workshop on Saturday, May 22. Two new weekly Beginner Horton and Morning Jumpstart classes give dancers even more opportunities to get their fitness fix on a consistent basis.

Ailey Extension And AREA Atlanta Join Forces To Host Classes Led By Stars Of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater During First-Ever Virtual Ailey Experience Destination Dance Atlanta Workshop Series

(New York) January 27, 2021 – For the first time in the five-year history of its collaboration, Ailey Extension and AREA Atlanta are coming together to make the multi-day Ailey Experience Destination Dance Atlanta event into a virtual affair. This year’s participants are in for a unique treat, as the workshops will be taught by current Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Company members. The three-day weekend experience immerses greater Atlanta residents in the spirit of Ailey with classes in Horton, contemporary, and West African techniques, while introducing dancers to the exciting world of choreography, creativity, and fun in a non-competitive environment. These classes and the preceding panel discussion allow participants to learn the rich history of Ailey’s signature style and how he changed the perception of American modern dance.

Featured Press Coverage

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Dance Informa - Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs Offers 'Revelations' Virtual Dance Workshop Series

Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs has announced an inspiring new virtual series that expands available Remote Learning Activities for schools and organizations looking for alternatives to in-person dance classes and residencies, supplements to physical education offerings, or to provide an engaging extracurricular activity for students. Launching during Black History Month as Alvin Ailey’s signature American masterpiece Revelations marks six decades, Revelations Virtual Dance Workshop Series furthers Ailey’s mission of using dance to inspire, enlighten and entertain people of all backgrounds and ages.

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Atlanta Journal Constitution - Alvin Ailey 'Revelations' Comes To Fox

For 21 years former Alvin Ailey principal dancer Nasha Thomas has traveled to Atlanta with a singular mission. In an age when many public schools have gutted or cut back on their arts programs, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Thomas - in a long and important collaboration with the city - haven shown the value of art in individual lives. The founder of the renowned New York City-based Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey, who died in 1989, was an advocate for the importance of arts education and believed that bringing the arts to underprivileged communities and to public schools was vital.

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News 12 Bronx - AileyCamp Celebrates 30 Years Of Teaching Kids To Dance

THE BRONX - The prestigious Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's AileyCamp is celebrating its 30th anniversary. About 1,000 kids citywide are participating in the weekslong, free summer program to learn the art of different types of dance, including ballet, modern, jazz and West African. The kids will get to show off what they learned with a performance next month at the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture. This year marks 60 years since the dance company was founded. AileyCamp was the last foundation created by Ailey before his death in 1989. Organizers say the camp is made possible by funding through Children’s Aid.