Episode 5 - Francesca Harper

Francesca Harper, Artistic Director of Ailey II, is back where it all began. She trained at the Alvin Ailey School, where her mother, Denise Jefferson, was director for 26 years. She has also choreographed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and now leads Ailey II, which fosters new generations of shining talent and will visit the UK later this year. Francesca has enjoyed an astonishingly varied journey through classical and contemporary dance – notably as a principal dancer with William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt – not to mention in music and theatre. What has sustained her, and what does she hope to pass on to her young dancers?Francesca Harper is Artistic Director of Ailey II, the celebrated second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She began her career with Dance Theater of Harlem and was a Principal with William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt. She performed with designers Issey Miyake and Gianni Versace, and on Broadway in Fosse, All Shook Up, and The Color Purple. A writer and recording artist, she has choreographed for companies including Ailey, Ailey II, Dance Theater of Harlem and The Francesca Harper Project. She was ballet consultant for the film Black Swan and movement director for Nick Cave’s The Let Go.Learn more about Ailey II’s Dance Consortium tour of the UK. Find out more about the work of the RADFollow the RAD on social media and join the conversation with host David Jays:Instagram @royalacademyofdanceFacebook @RoyalAcademyofDanceTwitter @RADheadquartersYouTube / royalacademydanceDavid Jays @mrdavidjaysSign up to our mailing list to keep in touch!RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign or making a donation.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.