The collection is comprised of approximately 10, black and white negatives, contact sheets, 1, color slides and transparencies, and black and white prints that tell the story of Alvin Ailey and his lasting impact on American dance culture. View the Collection. Privacy Terms of Use. Skip to main content. Judith Jamison in "Facets," Revelations, State Department sponsored his tour, which helped create his international reputation.
He stopped performing in the mids, but he continued to choreograph numerous masterpieces. Ailey's Masakela Language , which probed the experience of being Black in South Africa, premiered in He also expanded his dance company by establishing the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble that same year. During his long career, Ailey choreographed close to 80 ballets. In , Ailey was honored by the Kennedy Center for his contributions to the arts.
This prestigious accolade came near the end of his life. At the time, The New York Times reported that he had suffered from "terminal blood dyscrasia, a rare disorder that affects the bone marrow and red blood cells. The dance world mourned the passing of one of its great pioneers. Ailey "had a big heart and a tremendous love of the dance," dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov told The New York Times , adding, "His work made an important contribution to American culture.
Despite his untimely death, Ailey continues to be an important figure in the arts through the ballets he created and the organizations he founded. The dancers with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have performed for more than 20 million people around the world and countless others have seen their work through numerous television broadcasts.
Eric Friedman Director, Digital Learning. Tiffany A. Bryant Assistant Manager, Audience Enrichment. Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.
Department of Education. Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by A. Kenan, Jr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; Dr. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts.
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Each, in a significant way, changed the world. Alvin Ailey was one of these humanitarians, best known for popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American involvement in modern dance internationally. The African-American choreographer and activist struck the world with his vision of greater equality and his genius choreographic works.
Born January 5, , in Rogers, Texas, Ailey showed an interest in art at an early age and his experiences growing up in the rural South later inspired some of his best work.
Ailey was first touched by dance on a junior high school field trip to Los Angeles to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. This led to classes with choreographer Katherine Dunham, widely known for her dance technique that integrated many cultural styles and whose company was the first African-American troupe of dancers, actors and musicians.
In , Ailey collaborated with Lester Horton, whose company was racially diverse and included Native American and Japanese influences. In , Ailey made his performance debut and the following year made his Broadway debut with House of Flowers by Truman Capote. He stayed in New York, studying ballet, modern dance and acting, including with modern dance innovator Martha Graham. Through the s, Ailey performed on film and on and off Broadway as a dancer and actor and directed and choreographed.
He founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in with the aim of wholly dedicating his work to the enrichment of American modern dance style while retaining the uniqueness of African-American culture.
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