Couple saying goodbye to Alvin Ailey after a decade as dancers

UPPER WEST SIDE (WABC) -- Partners on and off the stage, two Alvin Ailey dancers are getting ready to start a new chapter in their lives.

"We get to admire each other from a far, but still in the same space, so it's great," said Antonio Douthit-Boyd.

"Yeah, I love watching him grow in his work and seeing him develop as an artist," said Kirven Douthit-Boyd.

True partners, Kirven and Antonio are principal dancers with Alvin Ailey, where they met and married nearly two years ago.

"Just getting to know ourselves within the company, we also built a relationship by getting to know each other and so it was a natural progression of things," said Kirven.

For a decade, the pair has not only been front and center at performances, but had the unique opportunity to learn the business side, how to run a world renowned dance troupe, something they tell me they treasure.

"To be trusted with going to do outreach and helping with development and all that stuff, it helps you figure out the thing you want to do with the field of dance," said Kirven.

Timely, since the pair is bidding farewell to Ailey. I caught up with the men at the rehearsal.

Right now they're performing at Lincoln Center through June 21st, but in August will head to St. Louis.

"it's really not about us, we want to go there because we are thinking what we can do for those kids," said Kirven. "And it doesn't hurt that we can build a nice house."

It's where Antonio grew up, where they'll run the dance department at the Center of Creative Arts. Ailey creative director Robert Battle has given them his blessings.

"He's like, whatever ballets you need from me, you can set them there, just to keep that connection and take what we learned from Ailey and bring it to the Midwest will be extraordinary," Antonio said.

Life after Ailey..a bittersweet ending to an incredible journey.

"We're going away but not going far," said Kirven.