AileyCamp at UC Berkeley: Nurturing Confidence and Creativity Through Dance
AileyCamp, founded in 1989 by Alvin Ailey and the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, was created as a full-scholarship summer program for middle-school students. This initiative aimed to promote personal development through dance, offering young people an opportunity to grow both academically and personally. The program continues to thrive today, with its mission rooted in the legacy of Alvin Ailey, a pioneering African American choreographer.
At this year’s Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp, students from East Bay schools are participating in a six-week program that culminates in performances at the Zellerbach Playhouse on the University of California, Berkeley campus. Approximately 70 students aged 11 to 14 take part in the program each year, which is one of ten AileyCamps across the nation and the only one hosted at a university.
Laila Nicole Butler, a 12-year-old camper from Pinole, shares her experience: “I’ve learned how to build relationships with others and how to learn fast.” Soshana Clausen-Igra, also 12 and from Berkeley, adds, “I’ve learned that there’s no use in being self-conscious because everyone feels that way. You need to own yourself and your confidence.”
Patricia West, director of the Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp, emphasizes the unique value of the program. “What makes AileyCamp unique is that all of what you need in art to succeed in life, study, and school, dance has,” she explains. “It’s a discipline that enhances your focus. You’re asked to take risks. You have to improvise. You have to be prompt. You have to be on time. You have to be succinct. All of those values help you study for a test, know how to enter the work world, and how to treat others.”
The program is produced by Cal Performances, which has maintained a nearly six-decade-long relationship with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This year’s camp honors Judith Jamison, a dancer and former artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Prospective campers are often recommended by local principals, schools, guidance counselors, and artists.
West, who is also a dancer and assistant director with the Joe Goode Performance Group, highlights the program’s commitment to diversity. “We want a diverse population so when the children look around, they see the East Bay,” she says. No prior background in dance is required, making the program accessible to all. “We have kids who have been dancing for years, and then we have kids for whom this is the first time in a dance class,” West notes.
In addition to dance classes in modern, jazz, ballet, and African forms, AileyCamp offers creative communication classes focusing on spoken word, creative writing, and visual arts. A personal development course covers topics such as nutrition, conflict management, self-esteem, and drug abuse. West calls this class “the core” of the program, emphasizing its importance in fostering dialogue between instructors and campers.
This year’s theme, “resilience,” honors Judith Jamison and reflects the program’s focus on strength and perseverance. The finale, “Stronger Than Before,” includes pieces like Jamison’s Emmy Award-winning “Hymn” and works created by West and the dance instructors.
Since 2014, AileyCamp has partnered with the UC Berkeley Department of Education’s Principal Leadership Institute (PLI). Graduate students in the program gain hands-on experience in arts education, learning how it benefits young people. PLI Director Soraya Sablo Sutton explains, “The immersion aspect is really important because our students’ primary mode of learning is through reading theory and thinking about practice.”
The partnership began with PLI director Rebecca Chung, who, as a principal in the Berkeley Unified School District, sent her students to AileyCamp. Many graduates of the program go on to become leaders in the Bay Area education system.
West notes that three current members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater attended AileyCamp, but she emphasizes that all campers benefit from the program. “This experience is transformational for all of us, staff included, but really for the campers; they leave here changed,” she says.
The final performance, “Stronger Than Before,” will take place on July 23 and 24 at the Zellerbach Playhouse. The 7 p.m. performance on July 24 will be live-streamed. For more information, visit Cal Performances.org.
