As one of the most foremost and legendary Black performance arts school in the history of the United States of America, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has been considered the revered icon for the preservation and progress of dancing.
However, their name apparently got tarnished, with its director Troy Powell, 51, working for the junior tours and the teacher at the educational institution The Ailey School, getting formally charged and fired for the allegations of misconduct, mainly coercing students to offer him sexual gratification during the past. This was set off from his students’ plea for attention and social cognizance in their respective social media accounts. The Ailey School acknowledged the investigation, by saying that Powell indeed had “engaged in inappropriate communications with adults enrolled in the School” through their statement.
“Because his conduct was inconsistent with the standards expected of Ailey’s staff, executive leadership concluded that Mr. Powell could not continue in his position with the organization, and he is no longer employed in any capacity,” the organization said. Powell had been placed on a leave of absence in June during the investigation, according to the statement. Powell chose to remain silent despite many frequent requests.
Four former students from the said school had come up with their traumatic accounts that would way go over “inappropriate communications.
” They are saying that “Powell touched them inappropriately or made sexual overtures that included sending a student an “unwanted” photo.” Over the period spanning over from 2003 to 2011, students who tried to avoid conflict with the teacher had faced disadvantages in tour choices and selection process.
Two former dancers said they complained to administrators of The Ailey School about Powell’s conduct years ago, but he was allowed to remain in his position, traveling with the company and teaching classes. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment about that allegation.
Powell, a high-profile dancer, choreographer and teacher at Ailey, was disgracefully taken down of his profile from the company website this week.
Last month, those rumors erupted on social media: A TikTok video of two dancers with the caption “When you wanna be in Ailey 2 … But guys gotta sleep with Troy Powell” circulated widely among the school’s alumni in recent weeks.
And several former students posted sometimes tearful social media videos of themselves detailing the harassment they faced from Powell.
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Replaced!