National Press Release

TOYOTA'S NEW VENZA TO DEBUT IN LOS ANGELES AND 4 OTHER MAJOR MARKETS

NEW YORK, March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's (AAADT) 50th Anniversary, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. will become Ailey's Official Vehicle Partner during the U.S. portion of the Company's 50-city global tour. Toyota's new 2009 VENZA will be spotlighted in five major markets, debuting with the Ailey Company's March 18th opening at the Los Angeles Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, as well as appearing onsite during AAADT engagements in Houston, TX; Chicago, IL; Brooklyn, NY; and at Ailey at the Apollo!, a special benefit evening at Harlem's world famous Apollo Theater, "where stars are born and legends are made."

"We are thrilled to welcome Toyota VENZA as a new partner during this historic 50th Anniversary Tour," stated Sharon Gersten Luckman, Ailey Executive Director. "Toyota's support will help bring to U.S. audiences the beauty, power, and passion that are Ailey hallmarks."

For five decades, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has been inspiring audiences world-wide with breathtaking artistry that uses the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition. "Toyota is excited to have VENZA join forces with Alvin Ailey as the Official Vehicle for their 50th Anniversary Tour - it's a rich partnership that represents shared values," said Dionne Colvin, Toyota National Manager Advertising. "The new 2009 Toyota VENZA personifies a duality of style and performance that is reflected in the beauty of Alvin Ailey's modern dance."

VENZA will provide the Ailey audience with an immersion into living media with a re-creation of the 'Faces' TV ad developed by Burrell Communications Group via the art installation entitled 'Are You VENZA?'. The art installation will merge sculptural artwork from the African Diaspora reflective of the VENZA's attributes, with archival Ailey posters through different time frames that visually represent the Company's history. Colvin explains, "VENZA's integration into the tour respectfully pays homage and celebrates Ailey's extraordinary artistry, providing a unique retrospective."

Toyota believes that an auto company can also be a vehicle for change today - and for the future. "Toyota's commitment to diversity is reflected in partnerships with many highly respected minority organizations throughout the country," says Fay Ferguson, co-CEO of Burrell Communications, Toyota's African American Agency-of-Record. "Designating VENZA as the Official Vehicle Partner of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater underscores Toyota's commitment in supporting arts and culture, community growth, and enrichment within African-American communities."

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER - 50th ANNIVERSARY

VENUES SPOTLIGHTING THE NEW 2009 TOYOTA VENZA

Los Angeles, CA March 18 - 22, 2009

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - (213) 972-0711 Details~

Houston, TX March 27 - 29, 2009

Jones Hall - (713) 227-4772 Details~

Chicago, IL April 1 - 5, 2009

Auditorium Theater - (312) 902-1500 Details~

AILEY AT THE APOLLO! GALA May, 5, 2009 - (212) 405-9031

Brooklyn, NY June 9 - 14, 2009

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House - (718) 636-4100 Details~

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs over 36,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in 2008. For more information about our company, please visit http://www.toyota.com/, http://www.lexus.com/ and http://www.scion.com/.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), now celebrating its 50th Anniversary and recognized by the US Congressional resolution as a "Vital American Cultural Ambassador to the World," was founded in 1958 and has performed for more than 21 million people in 71 countries and on 6 continents. Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. is the umbrella organization which includes AAADT; Ailey II, founded in 1974 as a junior performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School, founded in 1969 and currently offering some of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs which is committed to bringing dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people throughout the world; and The Ailey Extension, a program that offers dance and fitness classes to the general public at Ailey's permanent home, The Joan Weill Center for Dance, located at 405 West 55th Street (at 9th Avenue), New York, NY. For further information, visit www.alvinailey.org.

SOURCE Alvin Ailey