Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Donna Wood Sanders, who danced with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a member of the company from 1972 through 1985, shares stories of her experiences. She discusses joining the AILEY company at just seventeen years old, and shares what it was like to work with Alvin Ailey as a choreographer who helped to shape her work, experiences traveling the world with the company, and what it was like to see the Edges of Ailey exhibition.

We are thrilled to share a powerful project, Alvin Ailey and Me, that celebrates the enduring legacy and influence of iconic dancer, choreographer, and artist Alvin Ailey. Alvin Ailey and Me asks members of the public to share personal stories of how Alvin Ailey’s life and work has impacted, inspired, and changed them. We invite you to participate in the project by submitting a digital letter online through whitney.org/AlvinAileyandMe

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