Principal Dancer
Jacquelin Harris is an American principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, celebrated for her virtuosic command of both classical and contemporary repertoire and her luminous presence across the company's most demanding roles.
Defining moments and milestones
Beginning her dance education at age two in Charlotte under Lori Long's guidance, Jacquelin Harris pursued rigorous classical and contemporary training through the Joffrey Ballet School and Jacob's Pillow before earning her BFA from the prestigious Ailey/Fordham program. She joined Ailey II as a professional dancer and advanced to principal dancer status with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2014, where she has since become an essential interpreter of the company's expansive repertoire, from Ailey's spiritual cornerstone *Revelations* to cutting-edge contemporary works. Recognized by Dance Magazine as one of twenty-five dancers to watch in 2016 and honored with a Princess Grace Foundation fellowship in 2017, Harris has established herself as a dancer of exceptional technical command, musical sensitivity, and the rare ability to inhabit both classical and avant-garde vocabularies with equal authenticity.
Named one of Dance Magazine's '25 to Watch' (2016); received Princess Grace Foundation-USA dance fellowship (2017); performed in Merce Cunningham's *Night of 100 Solos: A Centennial Event* (2019), which won a New York Dance and Performance 'Bessie' Award
Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance (BFA in Dance and Mathematics, graduated with honors); Joffrey Ballet School; Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival; Dance Productions Studios, Charlotte, North Carolina
Recordings featuring Jacquelin Harris in the Society index
Additional recordings will appear here as the catalog expands.