Education & Community Outreach
FRIENDS OF THE CORONADO
BOOK A TOUR OF THE CORONADO THEATRE
Contact Beth Howard at bhoward@friendsofthecoronado.org or call (815) 847-6314.
Be the First to Know!
Please use the registration form below to be the first to receive information on our special free public events – 1927 Grand Barton Organ concerts, historic tour events and movies.
Free Admission – Reservations Required!
SAVE THE DATE: "REACH FOR THE STARS" FREE FIELD TRIP!
Ailey II—The Next Generation of Dance
February 26th and 27th 2026
"Reach for the Stars" brings Rockford school students to the Coronado Theatre for a world-class touring cultural arts performance each year."
After re-opening the meticulously restored and modernized Coronado Theatre in 2001, the Friends of the Coronado established the "REACH for the Stars" project. The annual "REACH" project is our commitment that the Coronado Theatre will always be here to enrich the lives of children.
Each school year, the Friends of the Coronado's "REACH for the Stars" project presents a fully staged world-class touring cultural arts performance at the Coronado Theatre for over 4,000 students to experience.
To ensure participation regardless of the ability to pay the "REACH for Stars" performances are free-of-charge to students and schools.
The "REACH for the Stars" project is made possible by special funding to benefit Rockford students. All Rockford 4th-Grade students are invited to this FREE performance. Reservations are limited on a first come, first served basis.
On February 26th and 27th, 2026 we are thrilled to present to the students a fully staged performance of Ailey II | The Next Generation of Dance
For more information and to register, contact Beth Howard at bhoward@coronadopac.org or call (815) 847-6314.
ABOUT
Ailey II—the next generation of dance—
Founded in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, Ailey II has advanced Alvin Ailey’s vision by giving early-career dancers the vital experience of transitioning from training as a student to becoming a professional dancer. Ailey II dancers bring their technical mastery and emotional depth to works by the most daring established and emerging choreographers. Just as Mr. Ailey envisioned, the company continues to expand the audience for dance through global touring and community-based performances.
Sylvia Waters, the company’s first artistic director, was personally chosen by Mr. Ailey and led the company for 38 seasons. In September 2021, Francesca Harper became artistic director. Ms. Harper—a former student at The Ailey School who has choreographed for both AILEY companies—guides Ailey II with her unique perspective, paying homage to Mr. Ailey’s legacy while taking the company in bold, new directions.
Under Ms. Harper’s direction, Ailey II is forging a new path for modern dance—one that’s inclusive, experimental, and transformative.
ABOUT ALVIN AILEY
Alvin Ailey was an incomparable dancer, a forward-facing visionary, and one of the most significant choreographers of the 20th century. His work changed the course of modern dance forever.
Alvin Ailey was born on January 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas where he grew up with his mother, working in cotton fields and witnessing the river baptisms at their local church—experiences that would later inspire some of his most memorable ballets. It was after moving to Los Angeles that he experienced concert dance for the first time, seeing performances by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company. Soon after, his close friend, the extraordinary dancer Carmen de Lavallade, convinced him to formally train under Lester Horton, the founder of one of the first racially integrated dance companies in the United States. With a keen eye for talent, Horton became a mentor to Mr. Ailey. After Horton’s passing in 1953, Mr. Ailey became the director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works. The following year, he moved to New York City, where he performed in four Broadway shows—including House of Flowers and Jamaica—and continued to develop his choreography.
In 1958, Mr. Ailey founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to carry out his vision of a company dedicated to uplifting the African American experience while enriching and preserving the legacy of modern dance. The creation of his masterpiece Revelations in 1960 cemented his reputation as a choreographer of unique vision, with the ability to transcend racial barriers and connect deeply to people’s humanity. Mr. Ailey established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now The Ailey School) in 1969 and formed the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (now Ailey II) in 1974. He was also a pioneer of programs promoting arts in education. In 1989, he founded AileyCamp, a summer day camp for children to explore their creativity through dance and the arts—the last initiative he spearheaded before his untimely death.
Throughout his lifetime, Mr. Ailey collaborated with other outstanding American artists including Romare Bearden, Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, and Mary Lou Williams, to name a few. He was awarded the highest distinctions in the arts, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 1988 in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to American culture. In 2014, he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the country’s highest civilian honor—in recognition of his contributions and commitment to civil rights and dance in America. When Mr. Ailey died on December 1, 1989, The New York Times said, “you didn’t need to have known [him] personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm, and exuberance and his courageous stand for multi-racial brotherhood.”
Mr. Ailey was a trailblazer, a man fully dedicated to his art form who generously shared his passion with everyone he encountered, from artists to audiences. His legacy lives on through his ballets—which continue to resonate with millions of people—and the AILEY organization, forever dedicated to his mission of returning dance to the people.
“Dance is for everybody. I believe that dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.”
We are so grateful to expose our students to these types of opportunities. While the Coronado Theatre is a historic gem in this community, many residents spend their entire life here and never get to see the majestic theatre. Our students truly enjoyed and were in awe of the Alvin Ailey Dance performance as well as the Nutcracker! … It’s becoming apparent that our students are developing better creative and social skills from these cultural experiences. We cannot thank The Friends of the Coronado enough for inviting and making these life-enhancing opportunities available to our students. Kudos!”
–Rockford Public School Education Staff
Over 40,000 students have attended REACH performances!
REGISTER YOUR STUDENTS FOR OUR “CORONADO CLASSROOM” PROJECT
The “Coronado Classroom” enriches the lives of students, educators, and lifelong learners by providing opportunities for extraordinary experiences at the Coronado Theatre.
The Coronado Classroom presents vibrant programs in an interactive format to small groups of no more than 50 students each. These inspiring programs showcase a broad spectrum of disciplines. Each session lasts 1.5 hours and begins in the Coronado Classroom with a presentation that is thoughtfully developed to create student engagement with a multidisciplinary approach. Their experience continues as they explore the stunning spaces and stage of the Coronado Theatre.
Through our photo archives, artifacts, and walking through the very spaces that made history at the Coronado, it is a unique approach to bring history to life.
- The roaring 20's when the Coronado was constructed
- The Great Depression when Rockfordians left their hardships for a short time in the magical theater seeing low cost movies and leaving their troubles behind.
- WWII, how the Coronado inspired our community to raise a national record of $175,000 in war bonds in a single evening at a variety talent show by Camp Grant personnel. The event was documented in Life Magazine.
- 1960 the streets and every seat when presidential candidate John F. Kennedy came to Coronado Theatre.
- Civic pride, when the community came together in 1997 to save the Coronado Theatre, winning national awards for the project
The “Coronado Classroom” Program is made possible by special funding to benefit Rockford students.
All Rockford schools are invited to make your reservation for FREE student field trips to experience the “Coronado Classroom” Program. Reservations are limited on a first come, first served basis. Cost = $0 FREE
For more information and to register, contact Beth Howard at bhoward@coronadopac.org or call (815) 847-6314.
REGISTER to visit the Coronado Education Center!
The Coronado is in a rare class of theaters with an extensive collection of historical archives.
Come experience the history of the Coronado Theatre. Historical photos, newspaper clippings, and stories have been meticulously collected by Land of Lincoln Theatre Organ Society. The Coronado Theatre's historical archives and artifacts are on display for public viewing in the Coronado Education Center. It's truly an exceptional display of living history.
