How Alvin Ailey's Hip Hop Program Changed Dance Forever — And the Pioneer Who Made It Happen

Robin Dunn Brought Structure, Heart, and Cultural Respect to Hip Hop at One of the World's Most Prestigious Dance Institutions

By Dance Mogul Magazine  |  Feature & Exclusive Interview

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Robin Dunn — Hip hop dance pioneer, F.A.C.E. Technique creator, and first hip hop teacher at The Ailey School. Photo courtesy of Dance Mogul Magazine.

A Legacy Born From One Night in New York

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that single evening changed forever the perception of American dance. What began as a one-night showcase of original works became the foundation of one of the most important cultural institutions in the world.

In the decades since, the Ailey organization has performed for an estimated 23 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents — as well as millions more through television broadcasts. The company has been recognized by the United States Congress as a vital American cultural ambassador, and its signature work, Revelations, remains one of the most widely performed modern dance pieces on the planet.

Alvin Ailey envisioned a company where African-American dancers could display their talents, express their heritage, and share their experiences with the world. From those early "station wagon tours" — where dancers were driven from venue to venue by a longtime friend of the company — Ailey built something that would outlive him and continue to grow in ways even he might not have imagined.

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When Hip Hop Met Ailey: A Cultural Bridge

The Ailey Extension was created in 2005, opening the doors of the Joan Weill Center for Dance to people of all ages and experience levels. Today, the program offers over 80 adult dance and fitness classes per week across more than 25 different techniques — from ballet and Horton to West African, house, and hip hop. But it was the inclusion of hip hop that marked a particularly significant moment in the organization's evolution.

Hip hop dance, born from the streets and block parties of New York City in the 1970s, had long been viewed by traditional dance institutions as something outside the boundaries of "serious" technique. For a prestigious institution like The Ailey School to embrace hip hop was more than a scheduling decision — it was a statement that this art form, rooted in African-American and Latino communities, deserved the same respect and institutional support as ballet, modern, and jazz.

The person who made that bridge possible was Robin Dunn.

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Robin Dunn: The Pioneer Who Brought Structure to Hip Hop Dance

Robin Dunn is a F.A.C.E. coach, choreographer, motivational speaker, and arts educator who has established herself as one of the key community leaders within the entertainment industry. She holds a BBA in Marketing from Bernard M. Baruch College and has appeared in and choreographed several off-Broadway and dinner theater productions.

Robin was the first person to introduce the art of hip hop dance to the East Coast at New York's Broadway Dance Center, and she holds the historic distinction of being the first hip hop teacher at The Ailey School. Along with her sisters, Desiree Crichlow and Greta Dunn, Robin was a pioneer in bringing hip hop into New York's most respected studio spaces — at a time when many institutions did not yet recognize the form as a legitimate dance discipline.

She served as Director of Amateur Night at the world-famous Apollo Theater, discovering and shaping talent on one of the most iconic stages in entertainment history. Her client list reads like a who's who of the industry: Saturday Night Live, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, Missy Elliott, Chris Brown for Teen Vogue, Tony Award winner Heather Headley, The Braxtons featuring Jay-Z, Brian McKnight, Sean Kingston, Raven-Symoné, and the management team of the iconic rock band U2.

Robin is also the creator and executive producer of two awards shows that celebrate the culture she has dedicated her life to: Ladies Get Down (A Salute to Women in Hip Hop) and Fellas Git Dap (A Salute to Men in Hip Hop).

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The F.A.C.E. Technique: Focus, Attitude, Confidence, Energy, and Eye Contact

One of Robin Dunn's most lasting contributions to dance education is her creation of the F.A.C.E. Technique — a tightly constructed method designed to develop and enhance performance for artists, business professionals, and individuals seeking greater comfort and presence on stage, on camera, and in life.

F.A.C.E. stands for Focus, Attitude, Confidence, Energy, and Eye Contact. The method blends deep internal self-discovery work with external performance mastery, giving students not just technical ability but the emotional and psychological tools to truly own their presence. Robin's specialized F.A.C.E. workshops cover career development, performance technique, and repertory for dancers and singers, and she also delivers motivational speaking engagements across a wide range of events and organizations.

This approach to teaching is what makes Robin's classes at the Ailey Extension legendary. The moment she walks into the studio, she transforms her beginner hip hop class into a celebration. Her students — a mix of first-time visitors and longtime regulars — learn freestyle hip hop inspired by foundation dances including popping, locking, breaking, and house, all while absorbing the history and cultural roots of hip hop dance.

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What Robin Dunn's Dedication Means to Dance History

Robin Dunn did not simply teach hip hop at a prestigious institution — she changed what prestigious institutions were willing to accept. By bringing structure, cultural respect, and educational rigor to hip hop dance, she helped an entire art form gain the recognition it had always deserved. Her work opened doors not just at Ailey, but across the academic and institutional dance world, from NYU and Hunter College to Syracuse University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Steps on Broadway, and beyond.

She played an important role in introducing notable hip hop pioneers like Mr. Wiggles and Skeeter Rabbit of the legendary Electric Boogaloos to the Ailey Extension, and helped bring in fellow instructors TweetBoogie and Jonathan Lee, who have become pillars of the program themselves. Robin has been a faculty member of the Ailey organization for well over a decade, and her influence continues to shape how hip hop is taught, respected, and understood within institutional settings.

Her collaborations with fellow luminaries in the industry — including Buddha Stretch, Mr. Wiggles, Frank Hatchett, and Charlotte Pollak — speak to a career built on mutual respect, continuous learning, and a deep love for the culture. Robin has also taught at the Harlem School of the Arts, Ron K. Brown's Evidence Summer Intensive, Complexions Winter Intensive, Fashion Institute of Technology, Long Island University, Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, and Young Audiences New York.

In a world where hip hop culture is often commercialized without credit or context, Robin Dunn represents something essential: a living bridge between the streets where this art form was born and the institutions where it can be preserved, studied, and passed on to future generations with integrity.

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Why Ailey's Hip Hop Program Matters to the World

The Ailey Extension's hip hop program is more than a class schedule — it is a cultural statement. It tells the world that hip hop belongs alongside every other respected dance form. It offers people from all walks of life — from absolute beginners to seasoned professionals — the opportunity to learn authentic hip hop technique in a space built on the legacy of one of the greatest dance visionaries who ever lived.

Today, the program features multiple weekly classes led by instructors like Robin Dunn, Jonathan Lee, TweetBoogie, Aaron Thomas, and others who carry the culture with pride and purpose. Classes are offered at the Joan Weill Center for Dance in Manhattan — the largest building in New York City dedicated to dance — and are open to students ages 16 and up, with kids and teens programming also available.

For anyone looking to experience hip hop dance at its highest level — taught with cultural integrity, technical precision, and genuine heart — the Ailey Extension is the place to be. And if you have the chance to take a class with Robin Dunn, you will leave the studio not just a better dancer, but a more confident and inspired person.

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