Alvin Ailey, Jr was an African-American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York Theater. Ailey is largely credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance. It is theorized that Ailey's choreographic masterpiece Revelations is the most well-known and frequently seen modern dance performance.
Born into poverty in Rogers, Texas, on January 5, 1931 to a 17 yr old mother, and was abandoned by his father when he was 6 months old. Ailey grew up during a period of racial segregation and rumors of violence and lynchings against African-
Americans. The rape of his mother by white men when he was five made him fearful of whites. His early experiences in the Southern Baptist church and juke joints instilled in him a fierce sense of black pride and would go on to figure prominently in Ailey's signature works. He moved with his mother to Los Angeles at the age of twelve and was introduced to dance by performances of the Katherine Dunham Dance Company and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. His formal training in dance began with an introduction to Lester Horton's classes by his friend, Carmen de Lavallade.
Inspired by performances of the Katherine Dunham Dance Company and classes with Lester Horton, he began his formal dance training. It was with Horton, the founder of the first racially integrated dance company in this country, that Ailey embarked on his professional dance career.
After Horton's death in 1953, Ailey became the director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works. In 1954, he and his friend Carmen de Lavallade were invited to New York to dance in the Broadway show, House of Flowers by Truman Capote. In New York, Ailey studied with many outstanding dance artists, including Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman and took acting classes with Stella Adler. The versatile Ailey won a number of acting roles, continued to choreograph and performed as a dancer.
He formed his own group, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, in 1957 which presented its inaugural concert on March 30, 1958. Works of note presented at this time include Blues Suite, a work deriving from blues songs. Ailey's choreography was a dynamic and vibrant mix of his previous training in ballet, modern dance, jazz, and African dance techniques. Ailey also insisted upon a complete theatricality including costumes, lighting and make-up. A work of intense emotional appeal expressing the pain and anger of African Americans, Blues Suite was an instant success and defined Ailey's style.
For his signature work, Revelations, he drew upon his "blood memories" of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel as inspiration, which resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work. Ailey originally intended for the dance to be the second part of a larger, evening-length sur
vey of African-American music which he began with Blues Suite.
He created 79 works for his company, Ailey maintained that his company was not repository for his own work. Today, the company continues Mr. Ailey's vision by performing important works from the past and commissioning new ones to add to the repertoire. In all, More than 200 works by over 70 choreographers have been performed by the Company.
Ailey took pride in the fact that his company was multi-racial. While, he wanted to give black dancers, who were frequently discriminated against by the racist attitudes of his contemporaries, an opportunity to dance; at the same time, he also wanted to rise above issues of negritude. His company always employed artists based solely on artistic talent and integrity regardless of their race
In 1962 the U.S. State Department sponsored The Alvin Ailey Dance Company's first overseas tour. Ailey was suspicious of his company's benefactors motives. He questioned whether their motives were propagandistic, seeking to display a distorted attitude of tolerance by showcasing a modern Negro dance group. He retired from the stage in 1965 to devote himself to the company.
In 1970, Ailey was honored by being commissioned to create The River for American Ballet Theatre. The River used the music of Duke Ellington. Ailey viewed this as a chance to work with some of the best ballet dancers in the world, particularly with the great dramatic ballerina Sallie Wilson. ABT, however, insisted that the leading male role be danced by the only black man, despite Ailey and other contemporaries misgivings about said dancer's talent.
Cry (1971), was one of Ailey's greatest successes. He dedicated to his mother and black women everywhere. It became a signature piece for Judith Jamison.
He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1988.
Ailey kept his life as a dancer a secret from his mother for the first two years. When she came to his dressing room and saw him in stage makeup for the first time, she slapped him in the face.
Alvin Ailey died of AIDS in 1989 at the age of 58. To spare his mother the social stigma of his death of AIDS, Ailey asked his doctor to announce that he had died of terminal blood Dyscrasia.
The creative process is not controlled by a switch
you can simply turn on or off; it's with you all the time.
Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey - Revelations
