The Ailey Extension

If you’re into dancing, learning and expanding, learning to move — this is your place! New Yorker’s are so lucky to have this place! So many talented teachers and you can just drop in and participate. You don’t have to be a professional dancer, just willing to try — to move — express yourself and be free in movement!
I’ve been following Quenia Riberio for years. She teaches Brazilian Samba and Afro-​Brazilian styles of dance. She always starts class with a proper warm-​up, gentle movement and stretching and light core work. Then she goes into the Brazilian Samba portion. There is choreography, footwork, and hip movements. Lots of hip movements! Don’t worry if you don’t pick it up on your first try. Stick with it and practice. The live drummers come after the warm-​up is complete. It’s so enriching to have the live drummers! They bring a lot of good energy. Then we go into Afro-​Brazilian portion of the class. So much fun.
Quenia has great energy and she’s truly the best, dedicated Brazilian dance instructor EVER! Full of smiles and encouraging. I’ve been taking her classes on and off now for 10 years. I only go to the Ailey Extension for her classes. But its cool to watch the other classes going on, and see all the other dancers practicing their craft — all ages and body types — men — women. So inspiring!
They also have locker rooms equipped with showers. So you can bring your towel and toiletries to freshen up after a dance workout.
The check-​in process can get hectic. I would recommend coming early or doing as much as you can ahead of time.
Highly recommend. Grab your dance shoes and move while you can!

I took Jonathan Lee’s hip hop class. His choreo is great — a lot of fun, fresh, challenging and it’s a new routine every week. The classes are on the larger side, with a pretty big variety of people who attend. Like a lot of people have mentioned, the facility is really gorgeous. I believe this place is slightly cheaper than BDC, Steps on Brodaway, etc., however I don’t think there’s that much more that sets it apart. Don’t get me wrong, great classes, just nothing to pull me here versus another place.

The Ailey Extension offers a variety of dance classes catered towards the dance enthusiast (every day people) or semi-​pro that needs to brush up after a long break. Their classes are challenging enough for someone who takes regular classes but not so much so that you are unable to participate if you have no or very little dance experience/​background; the key is to take the appropriate class level. My favorite classes are Afro-​Cuban Modern With Noibis Licea & Zumba (Ben Byrd) when he was around, they still have some other great Zumba instructors on staff that I highly recommend &.

Very nice facilities, and wonderful faculty. However, these classes are definitely not advanced-​level classes (and to be fair, all of their levels do specify some degree of «beginner»). If you’ve had more than a couple of years of dance experience, you will likely be pretty far ahead in any of the classes, which is not to say that they’re not enjoyable or a good chance to practice technique. It’s just important to know what you’re getting into. Prices are on-​par with any other drop-​in dance studio, and they’re on ClassPass, which is a nice way to try out some of their different options.

I took advanced beginners jazz a few weeks ago and unfortunately I was rather disappointed. I had danced for 12 years, I am in my early 20’s now and physically active, so was I in no way an inexperienced dancer nor too out of shape for the class. Perhaps it was my naivety and lack of experience with the studio, but I assumed this class would be a fun and enjoyable experience but this was not the case. Before class started I introduced myself to the teacher, Jeffrey Bynum, and let him know it was my first class and asked if there was anything I should know prior to starting. He did not even try to hide the fact that he found my introduction completely pointless and barely said anything. A little confused and uncomfortable, I decided to brush it off. The next hour only got worse. Jeffrey singled me out NUMEROUS times and made me preform certain moves alone for the rest of the class to critique. With zero exaggeration, he said to me in front of the entire class that if we were actually performing, he would step over my body and perform in front of me instead. Had Jeffrey actually provided any constructive criticism and/​or encouragement maybe I wouldn’t be so upset, instead I just felt singled out and really embarrassed.
Now I know this is a professional studio and I should have looked at this as a more serious class as opposed to a fun and different way for some exercise, but the experience left such a bad taste in my mouth that I do not plan on even using the second class I have already paid for.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that this is a public class and has «beginner» in the title, very intense and not for fun!

Be very careful what you sign up for here. Do NOT pay for anything without knowing the instructor well first. My first bad experience was with a class that was grossly mislabeled in terms of level (these classes are not really for amateur dancers, and are generally much harder than their labels would suggest). My second bad experience was with an instructor showing up 45 minutes late for a 1.5 hour class… That’s what I get for giving the Ailey Extension a second chance!

Chris Santamaria!!! The moves, NRG and his awesomeness are all here err Friday!
Super yay!!! Hands down the best in Nyc! I’ve seriously been waiting and hoping his name would just pop up magically one day on the mind and body app and today is seriously my luckiest day ever!!! I love august!
Shake it up for an hour of non stop unstoppable fun!!! Z club has always been my go to for some serious calorie buuuurn. with Jaime and Irina but Chris’s class at Aileys got dem beat even though they are all great.
Not sure if everyone can handle this intense hip hop music video j lo type of class since it is extremely goal oriented yet is truly fun for all levels. Chris S’s class was very inclusive of everyone whatever your level of dance experience or lack of.
Other Zumba instructors along with utube salsa gurus, they know what’s good. They all can be seen dancing, shaking, popping to Chris Santamaria’s modern and super hot moves.
Honestly he is more of an advanced instructor or is just the best of the best in this field. We Newyorkers are so lucky to have him here at Alvin Ailey! Yes!!! Thank God for small miracles!
Thank you Alvin Ailey for hiring such an awesome and much needed dance instructor! He is all that and more! My friend who is a Pilates and Zumba instructor stated that he is her new fave! I totally agree!!!
Class every Friday is a done deal for me. There’s no other activity or even anything I’d rather be doing. I’m here every Friday and my world is complete. Sweating, dancing and coordination are all at play and I’m loving this and the quick results of his fast paced class.
Super ahhhhmazing class in a dope profesh environment for super fun times while learning some real dance skills as well. Sweeet! Those moves simply take my breath away but in a good sweaty way is just the best of Chris Santamaria!!! The moves, NRG and his awesomeness are all here hopefully to stay!!!
SHOUTOUT!!! To Tweet Boogie’s hip hop class! Insanely talented and knowledgeable diva of hip hop movement who has a natural and incredibly solid way of teaching dance so you get it, have fun and get a great werkout at the same time. You better come, ready to werk wif these 2!

Facility is neat and clean.
I have taken Power Ashtanga Uoga classes with Irini Res. She’s an amazing instructor & motivator! Class is quite challenging but it’s good to experience a few new poses. She offers 2 options (basic or advanced) in each pose, which is helpful for non-​flexible people. If the basic pose is too easy for u, then do the advanced one.
If you’re up for the challenge, i highly recommend this class!

Hips (at least not mine) don’t lie, but this place is sneaky. I came here for a class during Dance Week and let me tell you, it did not turn out as smooth as I thought it would.
I anticipated on taking a Zumba class last Friday night and was actually excited because their studios seem clean and spacious. I had been taking different classes in light of Dance Week and I did not have a problem getting in any of the classes until I came here. When I arrived, I went straight to the elevators and up to the studio because the check-​in booth was all the way in the back, it might as well be hidden; this is where my frustration with this place began.
When I went to sign up for the class, there were 2 ladies in front of me that were also signing up for the class. Since they were strictly enforcing the Dance Week pass, one of the ladies didn’t have hers and was trying to log in Eventbrite on her friend’s phone, which did not have signal. Apparently, both of them were the last to sign up for the class and were the cut off for any registrants. I was not told this when I first asked them about the class and was given the waiver. While one of the ladies was still trying to log in her account, I already had my pass and waiver ready and the girl checking the passes was constantly ignoring me while waved my phone and waiver in front of her repeatedly. THEN, they told me I couldn’t get in that class anymore because I just missed the cut. Instead, I had to opt for the SharQui Bellydance class in vain, which set me an extra half-​hour back because they did not make any note that classes have quotas.
To be fair, the Bellydance class was not awful. It was very crowded though because I’m sure a lot of people, like me, were hoping to get in the Zumba class. I didn’t realize this class was a full hour and a half long and being used to high intensity workouts, I was easily a bit bored. The instructor, Sharon Zaslaw, was very energetic and fun, and the class will teach you to move like Shakira, but it wasn’t for me. If you are looking for something fun and light, this is the class for you. Since it seems like they’ve been a participant in Dance Week for awhile now, I would expect them to be more organized and crystal clear, but it seems like they are highly disorganized. What really annoyed me was that during class, staff members came in a number of times to check who was not registered for the class and disrupted the class a few times. Honestly, they are taking this too seriously. There are plenty of studios in the city that offer free classes and they don’t search thoroughly to see if you’ve signed up or not – not saying that’s a great thing, but potential clients should never be given a hard time on something so menial. Also, they are always misleading with their classes on Eventbrite, setting it as «free,» when in fact, you have to pay for them. Sneaky business practices and certainly a hassle to deal with.

Such a beautiful space. I took a Zumba class there today with Karen, and it was by far the best Zumba class I’ve ever taken (and I’ve taken A LOT). She was energetic, the music selection was on point (a lot of hip hop, which I love), and the other class members were so into it! Atmosphere was awesome, and even though the dancing was definitely exhausting physically, you don’t even realize it while you’re doing it because it’s so fun. Will definitely come back. Great workout!

Extremely LOW customer service and LOW managers… Very disappointed and will not recommend to anybody. Since I came there for a DANCE WEEK, so I want to see if there’s a chance if I love the class, and then I will pay for the class in the future. Their policy is crazy… Kick people out, the only reason is because they could allow 10 people for dance week per class, which is NOT SHOWING in the dance week calendar /​schedule. I HATE AILEY EXTENSION, it wastes my time and my commute money!!! Kick me out when I was taking the classes!!! I WOULD RECOMMEND THE BDC (BROADWAY DANCE CENTER)!!!

The studio space is AWESOME. Huge, well lit. These rooms make you want to dance! I take bellydance with Jannelle Cortes (Groovefit). Amazing class! Great workout, and a really dynamic, talented teacher. This class is always a lot of fun. Highly recommend!

I was ridiculed for having never been to this studio and being a born New Yorker. After attending one class, I now understand why.
The Ailey Extension is fabulous! I found out about a barre class from my daily subway read, AM New York, so I googled, and ended up with a beginner class pass which is two classes for $ 30. One class is $ 19 so it was a steal.
With their abundance of traditional and exotic dance classes, there seems to be something for everyone. The staff was very helpful in answering my noob questions at the front desk. I was a bit nervous to go, being a beginner «dancer» in nearly all categories, however, the instructor and other staff members made me feel very comfortable.
The barre studio was quite spacious, clean, and had a fantastic view of the city through the glass walls/​windows lining half of the space. Barre is a new class to the Alley Extension and I highly recommend it. You can make it as beginner or as challenging as you can handle. Can’t wait for the next class.
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because I wish they had more morning classes. Only two classes before noon during the week. Maybe that will change soon :)

5 stars from the min you walk in, and through out the approximate 2 hrs you spend there! For me part of taking dance is to love yourself a little bit better, look in the mirror and just go with the flow. After taking a few classes with Robin Dunn, she has set me expectations high. Not only is she professional, and energetic, but totally down to earth and knows how to coach a room FULL of people! Alvin Ailey is clean, spacious, and the staff is super friendly. I would def recommend anyone checking it out!

After I moved to Hell’s Kitchen, I’ve been looking for a place where I could sweat it out in a dance workout. I called up a few friends to try out the Beginner Hip Hop class by Jonathan Lee at Ailey and have been very satisfied after my first two visits.
The 90 min class is sure a workout, Jonathan does a really good job at keeping the enthusiasm level high and making sure all students are comfortable with and learn the moves well. What has really impressed me about Ailey is that it prides on its professionalism but still makes dancing accessible and makes learning effortless to the beginners. Love it.

I really love Zumba (and I mean it). I was recently visiting New York City for 3 days for a friend’s wedding.
5:30am — I arrive in New York City on a flight
6:30am — I finally get to the hotel that is 2 blocks away from Alvin Ailey studios
7:15am — I head for a quick «nap»
11:30am — I wake up to get ready for Zumba class at Alvin Ailey studios
There is one available on Fridays at 12:30pm hosted by Samuel Salazar (
).
It was worth it though! He is up to date with his Zumba songs. Fresh. Energetic. Fun. He’s legit (i.e. an official Zumba instructor for other Zumba instructors). What a great way to get a workout by dancing. I was able to be on a «Zumba High» to kickoff a full weekend of socializing in New York City!
Tip: There are showers in the Lower Level in the locker rooms (there is another door to get into the showers)!
Tip: Prepay for your classes online or in the MindBody app on your mobile phone.

Very disappointed… Would not recommend unless they revamp their customer service policy. The customer service is actually NON-​EXISTENT. They won’t even try to help you. I used to recommend this place for their high level of professionalism and commitment to making dance accessible to everyone. Unfortunately it’s completely CHANGED.
This is the SECOND time, they refused to help me. I stopped going 6 years ago because they wouldn’t extend the remaining 8 classes I had on my 20-​class card while I was away at school ($ 136 GONE). I never went back but this year I wanted to give them a second try…
I downloaded their app and reserved 3 classes in advance to hold my spot but was unable to attend. Nowhere in the app was it made clear that the reservation was a used class and not just a «hold until sign-​in». So they charged me for $ 50 worth of classes without my knowledge.
I called as soon as I realized what happened to see if they could help at least credit the classes back to me just once and they plainly told me there was «nothing they could do». It’s not even like I was asking for a refund I was just asking for a credit for my classes!

I’ve used Ailey with ClassPass and have tried their Yoga, Masala Bhangra and Belly Dance classes. In general, the teachers here are pretty serious about dance techniques — which is great because I love dancing!
The Power Ashtanga Yoga class was quite challenging — I took the class with Irini Eckes who is adorable and oh so flexible! She made the weirdest, most convoluted positions seem so easy. It was good to push myself and experience a few new poses in this class. I do prefer some of the other yoga studios I go to because of the «vibe». There were a lot of pretentious «yogis» here and I didn’t feel very centered after the class.
The Masala Bhangra class was AMAZINNG! Highly recommend the class — it was a great workout and I actually learned some legit Bhangra moves, not just the watered down aerobics morphed «balle balle”“s you see in most Bollywood classes.
The Belly Dance class was fun — the dance moves are sexy and graceful! I felt amazing through it and the instructors are quite patient. They even bring the gear for you to wear so you look the part too! It’s just not the best «workout» so not a good option of you want the burn.

Unfortunately, I came only once, and that was all I needed to know I did not want to return. I think that it was an unlucky serendipity that I came on the last day of Kat Wildish’s teaching tenure here, but it was high drama and it affected my experience. It wasn’t a bad class, but I felt no need to return.
Most people love the rooms here. Not that I don’t love them, but whatever — it’s a studio, like so many other places in NYC. It felt like a PIA to get here — dunno why.
Anyway, I bought a two-​class card and used only one of the two classes. So I lost the money because I didn’t care to return within the 30-​day period.
For ballet — there are so many other amazing options in NYC, that you don’t HAVE to come here to have a great learning experience. I suppose if you already have a connection or loyalty here, then it’s good. Otherwise, it just blends in to the masses of other schools in the city.

I go the Ailey Extension for Zumba classes.
The classes are tight, but for good reason. The prices are affordable, the facility is clean, and the classes are fun!
I’ve taken classes with Samuel Salazar and Richard Martinez. Salazar’s class was decent, considering it was my first ever Zumba experience. Martinez is an amazing Zumba instructor. He is easy to follow, has great music, and really gauges the class well (he’ll slow the move down for a few beats until everyone catches up). His class will make you so sweaty that you can probably drown in your own perspiration. If I could somehow pack myself into Martinez’s pocket and take his every single class, I would totally creep on his classes! Alas… he only teaches the late-​morning Saturday class at Ailey.

Summary: A beautiful environment. Great instruction and variety of classes. Affordable relative to other classes in the area. Better weekend and evening times than early morning.
Citibike: I live close by, but for citibikers, you can drop off at 54^th and 9^th Ave.
Price: I think it’s $ 15/​class and $ 75 for a 5 class card for 2 months. You can extend the 2 months for an extra… which I almost always have to do.
Facilities: 6 floors of studios with 2 lower levels. People don’t always realize this, but are in fact showers in the downstairs bathrooms. Just ask. It really is a full facility for dancing.
Classes: I’ve taken nearly all of them over the years. Here are some notes:
Zumba — There are 3 instructors, all of which are great, but serious… Ben Byrd… he’s amazing. I have no idea how to describe why, but he just is and as a result, his class is always very full. You need to get there early and they give you a wrist band, like it’s a club. This is because Ben doesn’t want them stopping class to count everyone.
Ballet — Finis Jung is better for folks that want to focus on details and minutia. I prefer Kat Wildish… not sure how to explain the difference, because she’s also very detailed… you got to try them both if you’re interested as they could not be more different.
Masala Bangra — fun fun fun. Every class I’ve taken totally rocks. Great energy from the instructor.
Belly dancing… wow. I generally like it, but got to admit, it can really vary depending on the instructor. It’s not a bad workout at all.
Capoaera — Not bad. Small classes and people are super nice. It was not my thing.
5pm Sun Yoga — I could not love this instructor more. She has the best voice. I can’t believe she gets all these muscle guys who take this class to tie themselves into a knot. That to me is the best show in all of the theater district. Good job guys! way to be flexible and super strong!
Beginner Jazz — Boy… I am really not very good at this, but Sheila tried really hard to make me feel comfortable being terrible anyway. I really think she’s great and would take her class again.
I can’t remember the other classes I’ve gone to, but the keyt hing here is the consistency. For classes that are larger, the instructors now how to handle the crowd. Versus classes that are large at equinox, you don’t feel so terribly overwhelmed or just plain uncoordinated… even if you are.
Other: Definitely a place you can go to with your friends to catch up. Also, the classes before 10am, are awesome in their lack of people. Small classes and always a great way to start the day. Also, there are loads of children’s classes. If I had little ones, boys or girls, I would absolutely have them burn off their energy here. The instructors — who often are in the classes prior to mine — really seem to know how to handle little ones.