Alvin Ailey Gala To Be Chaired by Spike Lee

Grammy Award-winning singer SZA and acclaimed filmmakers Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee have been named honorary chairs of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Opening Night Gala, which will launch the company’s 2026–27 New York City Center season on December 2.

The gala will take place at New York City Center in Manhattan, followed by dinner and dancing at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. The event will support the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, helping fund new artistic works, scholarships for students at The Ailey School, and community outreach programs.

A highlight of the evening will be a one-night-only world premiere of “Power of Love,” choreographed by Ailey artistic director Jamar Roberts as a tribute to late R&B legend Luther Vandross. The production was created in collaboration with Primary Wave Music and the Luther Vandross Estate.

The new work will celebrate Vandross’s musical legacy and recognize what would have been his 75th birthday. It will bring his music to the Ailey stage as part of the company’s broader 2026–27 season programming.

The opening gala will also feature an excerpt from Judith Jamison’s “Hymn,” adding another connection to Ailey’s artistic history. Jamison, who died in November 2024, served as the company’s artistic director for more than two decades after succeeding founder Alvin Ailey.

Ailey’s 2026–27 New York City Center engagement will run for five weeks through January 3, 2027, bringing the company’s repertory and new works to audiences during its annual holiday season.

The gala’s honorary chairs bring together figures from music, film, and the arts whose involvement underscores the continuing relationship between Ailey and the broader cultural community. SZA, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee join the event’s listed co-chairs and vice chairs in supporting the company’s artistic and educational mission.