Alvin Ailey dancer hosts master class at Dreyfoos School of the Arts

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A group of student dancers at Dreyfoos School of the Arts are getting a chance to learn from some the best in the business.

All week-long students have been attending a series of master classes by guest artist, Solomon Dumas, a company member with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York.

Dumas is choreographing a piece that is influenced by a social justice cause.

It also sheds light on anxiety and depression and demonstrating how dance can be used as a form of self-expression to work through mental health challenges.

"This is something that we, as a society, are finding language to identify this social justice issue," said Solomon. "Through a retrospective lens, I remember dealing with bouts of anxiety and depression as a young artist. It is my hope that through this process, the dancers may find a cathartic release in exploring this topic.”

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is based in New York City.

In 1958, a performance led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers helped change the perception of American dance.

All of the choreography students are learning by Solomon Dumas this week will be on full display during a dance concert next month.

The event will mark the first in-person live performance students have been able to participate in since the pandemic began.

The dance concert will be held November 4-6 inside Meyer Hall at Dreyfoos School of the Arts at 7 p.m.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, click here.