download PDF - Robert Sterling Clark Foundation

22
Strengthening Cultural Institutions
Grants to Cultural Institutions for Management-Related Projects
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Foundation $30,000
New York, New York
Sharon Gersten Luckman, Executive Director
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was founded in 1958 by the late modem dance master, Alvin
Ailey. After his death in 1989, Judith Jamison, a lead dancer for whom Ailey had choreographed many
of his most noted works, assumed the role of Artistic Director. Today, the company's popularity has
never been greater, both as a touring attraction and in its home season at New York's City Center. In
addition to the main troupe, the AADT Foundation is comprised of the Alvin Ailey American Dance
Center, through which some 3,500 students receive training each year, as well as the 12-member Alvin
Ailey Repertory Ensemble. The administrative work of the Foundation and its three entities is coordinated
through use of a computer system that has been patched together over the years on an ad hoc
basis, is severely over-extended, breaks down frequently, and has become a major impediment to the
efficient operation of the company. To increase the productivity of staff and take advantage of new
technologies useful in development of audiences and income sources, a comprehensive upgrade of the
system has been planned. Our grant will support the cost of software and staff training associated with
this effort.