Judith Jamison can recall vividly the April lunch in St. Louis when Alvin Ailey designated her his artistic heir. The three new dances include Ronald K. When Ailey died Dec. And what I wanted to do was broaden it -- make it bigger, and certainly not have anyone forget who this man was, what he has done for the world of dance -- what a great swath of intelligence and beauty, and a different way of looking at movement, and sharing the stage.
He just made a big pathway for all of us to pursue our individual and collective goals. Jamison led the company through considerable growth, to a remarkable level of stability, thanks to extensive touring. She will be leaving it in strong shape for her successor when she steps down in the middle of next year. The Ailey organization encompasses not just the main company and Ailey II, its junior ensemble which also tours widely , but a school with a broad range of classes for both aspiring professionals and recreational dance students.
The gleaming eight-story building, with its huge windows inviting the public to look in, includes a black-box theater and enough studios that the Ailey Extension was launched, offering classes such as African dance and yoga that keep the hallways bustling with activity.
Forced by the conventions of the time to be circumspect about his private life, Ailey nonetheless lived with integrity and was an inspiration to everyone who had the honor to meet and work with him. In , one year before his death from AIDS-related illness, Ailey received the Kennedy Center Honor in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to American culture. Please login or register for an account to view this lesson plan. Sexual Orientation Gay.
Gender Identity Cisgender. Ethnicity African American Black. Nations Affiliated United States. Alvin Ailey Dancers and Elmo Perform. Ailey, Alvin, with A.
Peter Bailey. The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. Craine, Debra, and Judith Mackrell. New York: Oxford University Press, Marie, Jacquelyn. Over the years, his dancers have performed for about 25 million people around the world.
Alvin Ailey, who died in , was born in in Rogers, Texas. He wanted to express many things, and he never wanted to be put in a box… He was just trying to make beauty through this medium that he loved and that he found.
And if you could do his dances, no matter if you were purple or polka dot, he wanted you to have the opportunity to tell your story. Ailey living here, learning his craft, and then eventually taking that to New York, and starting the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Dancer Carmen de Lavallade was the one who got Ailey dancing in the first place, and she introduced him to Horton, who was her teacher.
Beyond dancing, Horton taught Ailey about costume making, lighting, and integrating diversity into performances. And so there he started the company on the brink of the civil rights movement… The company was not just about entertaining, but also educating.
Battle says not only has the company survived for so long, but it is thriving and just getting started. This season, Battle has commissioned hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris to make a work inspired by Ailey.
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