Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey
Photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1955
Born(1931-01-05)January 5, 1931
Rogers, Texas, U.S.
DiedDecember 1, 1989(1989-12-01) (aged 58)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)Dancer, choreographer
AwardsPresidential Medal of Freedom, Kennedy Center Honors

Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (later Ailey School) as havens for nurturing Black artists and expressing the universality of the African-American experience through dance.

Ailey's work fused theater, modern dance, ballet, and jazz with Black vernacular, creating hope-fueled choreography that continues to spread global awareness of Black life in America. Ailey's choreographic masterpiece Revelations is recognized as one of the most popular and most performed ballets in the world.[1][2][3]

On July 15, 2008, the United States Congress passed a resolution designating AAADT a "vital American cultural ambassador to the World".[4][5] That same year, in recognition of AAADT's 50th anniversary, then Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared December 4 "Alvin Ailey Day" in New York City, while then-Governor David Paterson honored the organization on behalf of New York State.[6]

  1. ^ "'Dancing the Night Away : Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance'. By Jennifer Dunning (Addison-Wesley) : 'The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Dance Company'. By Sasha Anawalt (Scribner's) [book reviews]". Los Angeles Times. November 17, 1996. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  2. ^ Dunning, Jennifer (December 10, 1989). "Alvin Ailey: Believer in the Power of Dance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  3. ^ "For Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, the themes that inspired its founder are as relevant as ever". thestar.com The Star. January 30, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  4. ^ Nadler, Jerrold (July 15, 2008). "H.Res.1088 – 110th Congress (2007–2008): Recognizing and commending the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 50 years of service as a vital American cultural ambassador to the world". www.congress.gov. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  5. ^ Dunning, Jennifer (March 27, 2008). "Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Dance – Celebration". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  6. ^ MacAulay, Alastair (December 4, 2008). "One Foot in the Present Season, One Foot in the Past". The New York Times.