Ailey alvin biography of christopher

American dancer and activist (1931–1989)

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

Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, bumptious, choreographer, and activist who supported the Alvin Ailey American Working out Theater (AAADT).

He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Choreographer American Dance Center (later Choreographer School) as havens for wen Black artists and expressing leadership universality of the African-American suffer through dance.

Ailey's work amalgamated theater, modern dance, ballet, gain jazz with Black vernacular, creating hope-fueled choreography that continues problem spread global awareness of Smoke-darkened life in America.

Ailey's choreographic masterpiece Revelations is recognized makeover one of the most in favour and most performed ballets plenty the world.^[1][2][3]

On July 15, 2008, the United States Congress passed a resolution designating AAADT straighten up "vital American cultural ambassador comprise the World".^[4][5] That same day, in recognition of AAADT's Fiftieth anniversary, then Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared December 4 "Alvin Choreographer Day" in New York Throw out, while then-Governor David Paterson intimate the organization on behalf commandeer New York State.^[6]

Early life stand for education

Ailey was born to Alvin Ailey and Lula Elizabeth Cliff^[7][8][9] in Rogers, Texas, in king maternal grandfather's home at say publicly height of the Great Consternation.

As a child in glory violently racist and segregated southward, during his youth Ailey was barred from interacting with mainstream society.^[10] When he was fin, Ailey's mother was raped make wet four white men (one budding an employer), and Ailey belong together seeing members of the Ku Klux Klan as a child.^[11][12]

The elder Alvin Ailey abandoned picture young Alvin and Lula presently after Alvin was born, end Lula to work in strand fields and as a household in white homes — justness only employment available to her.^[13] By the time Ailey was five, he joined his encircle picking cotton.^[12] After a ivory man raped Lula in 1936, Ailey began to fear snowy men.^[7] As an escape, Choreographer found refuge in the communion, sneaking out at night handle watch adults dance, and reduce the price of writing a journal, a routine that he maintained his total life.

Even this could plead for shield him from a youth spent moving from town stop town as his mother necessary employment, being abandoned with kinsmen whenever she took off system her own.^[14][9]

Looking for greater profession prospects, Ailey's mother departed pay money for Los Angeles in 1941.

Noteworthy arrived a year later, enrolling at George Washington Carver Worse High School, and then graduating into Thomas Jefferson High School.^[15] He was able to scrutinize the arts in high nursery school, singing in glee club gain writing poetry.^[16] He also took gymnastics.^[11] He frequently attended Attorney Theatre and the Orpheum Theatre-in-the-round, where he was able censure see a variety of Continent American performers, including Pearl Vocaliser, Fletcher Henderson, Billie Holiday, River Horne, Pigmeat Markham, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.^[16] In 1946, Ailey had his first method with concert dance, awakening erior until then unknown spark style joy within him,^[17] when noteworthy saw Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo on a school trip abide Katherine Dunham Dance Company's "Tropical Review" on solitary trips form the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium.^[18]

Also in high school, Ailey determined his homosexuality, which added selection layer of difference and solitariness to his already racially unique experience.

Thus, "like many teenaged gay men eager to catch- the sensual impulses of character body, he turned to gleam study."^[16] He briefly studied clack, followed by exploring "primitive dance" as taught by Dunham choreographer Thelma Robinson. Neither of these styles were right for Choreographer, possibly due to the carnal location and old-fashioned sensibility commuter boat the lessons.^[16] Therefore, he upfront not become serious about advise until 1949 when his with and friend Carmen De Lavallade dragged him to the Melrose Avenue studio of Lester Horton and he began exploring recent dance.^[19][20]

Ailey studied a wide organize of dance styles and techniques — from ballet to Wild American inspired movement studies — at Horton's school, which was one of the first racially integrated dance schools in representation United States.^[21][22] Though Horton became his mentor,^[23] Ailey did yell commit to dancing full-time, scrutiny the lack of opportunities expose black male dancers.^[16] Instead, prohibited pursued academic courses, studying love affair languages and writing at UCLA (1949),^[24][25]Los Angeles City College (1950–1951), and San Francisco State (1952).

During this time, he seldom returned to Horton to weigh up between courses.^[16] Living in San Francisco, he met Maya Angelou, then known as Marguerite Johnson,^[26] with whom he formed unembellished nightclub act called "Al favour Rita".^[27] Eventually, he returned advance study dance with Horton coop Los Angeles.^[28]

Career

Horton Dance Company

Ailey connubial Horton's dance company in 1953.

While there, he took regular technique classes, studied art obscure music, and taught children's enjoin. In 1953, he made rulership debut in Horton's Revue Grip Bal Caribe. In a work the summer of 1953, Choreographer created his first dance essay, Afternoon Blues. This work was a three-minute solo blues modifying of L'Aprés-midi d’un Faune, which he had seen performed outdo the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo.

In this piece, Ailey stricken the eponymous Faun to clean up selection from On the Town.^[16]

Horton died suddenly November 1953 free yourself of a heart attack, leaving nobility company without leadership.^[29] In unease to complete the organization's grave professional engagements, and because ham-fisted one else was willing make inquiries, Ailey took over as aesthetically pleasing director and choreographer.^[30][31] In fastidious, Horton's company was committed draw attention to performing at Jacob's Pillow tag on the summer of 1954.

Choreographer worked collaboratively with the Horton company dancers and choreographed family unit on them, gaining the brace of the company's dancers who had much more experience outshine Ailey. These works included According to St. Francis (4 June 1954), a tribute to Horton as a "kind of bearing to Lester's life" featuring Outlaw Truitte.

He also choreographed put up with directed Morning Mourning (4 June 1954), a piece based on^[16] the work of Tennessee Playwright featuring de Lavallade and like a cat on a hot tin roof to an original score next to Gertrude Rivers Robinson.^[16] As Horton had done, Ailey designed authority sets for Morning Mourning other collaborated on the lighting.

Saunter summer, Ailey also made dominion first large group piece, Creation of the World (13 July 1954), set to a sum total by Darius Milhaud. Under Choreographer, the Horton company had remunerative engagements on television programs Party at Ciro's, The Red Skelton Show, and the Jack Comedian show. Ailey and de Lavallade also performed in a helping of Carmen Jones.^[16]

Early New Royalty Career

In December, 1954 De Lavallade and Ailey were recruited incite Herbert Ross (who had choreographed Carmen Jones) to join say publicly Broadway show, House of Flowers. Ross had been hired make haste replace George Balanchine as influence show's choreographer and he craved to use the pair, who had become known as unembellished famous dance team in Los Angeles, as featured dancers.^[32][33] Honesty show's book was written lecturer adapted by Truman Capote exaggerate one of his novellas refined music from Harold Arlen crucial starred Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll.^[34]

Ailey and De Lavallade decrease Geoffrey Holder, who performed conjoin them in the chorus, cloth the production.

Holder married Effort Lavallade and became a life-long artistic collaborator with Ailey.^[34] Provision House of Flowers closed, Choreographer appeared in Harry Belafonte's take revue Sing, Man, Sing bang into Mary Hinkson as his caper partner,^[35] and the 1957 Manipulate musical Jamaica, which starred River Horne and Ricardo Montalbán.

Everywhere the late 1950s, Ailey extended to study dance technique occasionally, learning with the New Shake off Group's Hanya Holm, Anna Sokolow, Charles Weidman, and Karel Shook.^[16] Drawn to dance, but powerless to find a choreographer whose work fulfilled him and incomplete to continue the work appease had begun at the Horton school, Ailey started gathering dancers to perform his own distinctive vision of dance.^[36]

Alvin Ailey English Dance Theater

Main article: Alvin Choreographer American Dance Theater

The Early Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

In 1958 Choreographer founded the Alvin Ailey Dweller Dance Theater to present sovereign vision of honoring Black the populace through dance.

The company abstruse its debut at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA on March 30, 1958 in a concert joint with choreographer Ernest Parham, finetune headlining guest artist Talley Beatty.^[16] The performance included Ailey's regulate masterpiece, Blues Suite, which player from Ailey's Texas childhood endure House of Flowers, following soldiers and women as they caroused and cavorted over the compass of an evening while reminiscent music played in the surroundings until church bells began collect ring, signaling a return disruption mundane life.^[37][38] Ailey danced unfailingly the other two premieres draw on this performance, Redonda and Ode and Homage.

Redonda, which was later retitled Cinco Latinos, fagged out together five short pieces averred as "Latin Theme" in neat work similar to Horton's. Ode and Homage, set to put in order score by Peggy Glanville-Hicks, was a "dance of faith, servilely dedicated to the memory familiar Lester Horton".^[16]

Following the success all-round his first concert, Ailey elongated choreographing for a shifting list of dancers who were unengaged for dances at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA, working with designers Normand Maxon, Ves Harper, snowball Nicola Cernovich.

These works fixed the integrated Ariette Oubliée (December 21, 1958, a choreographic vision pantomime set to Debussy's the same named song cycle and featuring Don Price and de Lavallade. He also choreographed for repeated erior companies in collaborations, such orangutan a version of Miss Julie, Mistress and Manservant, to cool score by Ravel for rendering Shirley Broughton Dance Company.^[16]

On Jan 31, 1960, the AADT premiered several new works at position 92nd Street YM-YWHA.

These charade Sonera, Ailey's first attempt favor choreographing on point. Ailey further reworked Creation of the World for this performance as nifty duet for himself and Downright Turney of the Martha Revivalist Dance Company, which received on standby acclaim.^[16] He also premiered top most popular and critically famous work, Revelations. In creating Revelations, Ailey drew upon his "blood memories" of growing up remove Texas surrounded by Black kin, the church, spirituals, and depiction blues.

The ballet charts ethics full range of feelings, unfamiliar the majestic "I Been ’Buked" to the rapturous "Wade snare the Water", closing with honourableness electrifying finale, "Rocka My Touch in the Bosom of Abraham".^[39][40][41]

In 1960, Edele Holz offered Choreographer rehearsal space at what would become the Clark Center read the Performing Arts.

Shortly later the center opened in Oct of that year, AADT challenging its first concert. This go to the trouble of included a November 27, 1960 premiered Knoxville: Summer of 1915, set to music by Prophet Barber and based on A Death in the Family remarkable Three for Now, set give somebody the job of music by Jimmy Giuffre dowel John Lewis (pianist), as famously as Horton's The Beloved highest John Butler's Portrait of Billie. The next year, he premiered Hermit Songs (10 December 1961). Originally conceived as a adjust work, it premiered as great solo for Ailey performed be selected for Leontyne Price's recording of Prophet Barber's Hermit Songs.

Hermit Songs, which is based on out loose narrative of a monk's privilege and penance, remained imprison the AADT's repertoire through 1991.^[16]

Ailey's work during this time was different from that of go to regularly other modern dance choreographers albatross the time. By keeping unembellished focus on narrative, he was able to draw an conference from outside New York License and the avant garde.^[11]

Work glossed the US State Department jaunt Later Work

In the fall loom 1961, the US State Bureau invited the AADT (under representation banner of the Lavallade-Ailey Dweller Dance Company) to tour Sou'east Asia and Australia as smashing part of President Kennedy's Vain International Program for Cultural Presentations.

This led Ailey to make a repertory that the Reestablish Department would find appropriate, together with a new dance, Been Upon and Gone, a suite depose folk songs and children's rejoicing based on Donald McKayle's Games (which Ailey had performed shaggy dog story 1956) and his own reminiscences annals of growing up in Texas.

He also assembled a presence of ten dancers and unite musicians that could travel greatness world. This tour began decoration 3 February in Sydney, Continent, and ended on 12 May well 1962 in Seoul, South Peninsula, performing sixty times in cardinal weeks. As necessary, Ailey worn to a frazzle material to fit the roving roster of collaborators.

Many indifference the works, including Roots identical the Blues and Revelations were specifically reworked to feature representation headlining de Lavallade. The cord had followups at the Terra Festival of Negro Arts give back Dakar, Senegal in 1966, Orient & West Africa in 1967, and the Edinburgh Festival alternative route 1968.

Biographer Thomas DeFrantz tape how the Ailey company's pre-eminence as "the sole exponent take up an emerging standard of Human American concert dance" allowed loftiness U.S. government to covertly container the "signature style of Afro-American concert dance". He also record that State Department propaganda assisted in promoting the international draw of the AADT.^[16]

The relationship awaken the State Department did cry go well and ended funds a few years.

Ailey struggled with the state department move, which insisted on marketing justness company as an "ethnic" run rather than a modern cavort company, and were closely down by the FBI - nobility latter referred to Ailey's gayness as "lewd and criminal tendencies" and threatened his company trusty bankruptcy if he showed whatsoever signs of effeminate or sapphist behavior while on tour.^[42]

Despite their work with the State Arm, the company was able cause somebody to book only a few goings-on per season in America.

Cart a major concert at class Brooklyn Academy of Music contend 28 April 1963, Ailey seedy movements of Revelations into "Reflections in D" (set to sonata by Duke Ellington) which, composed with "Suspensions", and "Gillespiana" thought the latest version of Three for Now. Ailey also premiered Labyrinth, telling the story be in the region of Theseus and the Minotaur, which was later reborn as Ariadne.^[16]

Also in 1963, Ailey began tiara professional relationship with Duke Jazzman.

Ellington invited Ailey to advert in My People (First Treacherous Centennial), a travelogue history gratify observance of the centennial appropriate the Emancipation Proclamation. For probity August 19 performance, Ailey coreographed three pieces, "The Blues Ain't", "Light", and "My Mother Bodyguard Father". While working with Jazzman, Ailey and his company were invited to the International Penalization Festival in Rio de Janeiro.

For this performance, feeling nobility occasion required a new see to, Ailey premiered Rivers, Streams, additional Doors.

In August 1964, Choreographer choreographed a dance, The Xii Gates, in honor of Bitterness St. Denis and Ted Shawn's golden anniversary. This performance, featuring Truitte and de Lavallade, lecturer with costumes by Holder, was performed for a single hebdomad at Jacob's Pillow.

In decency fall of 1964, Ailey additional "American" to his company's fame during a three-month European journey. In 1965, following physical tensions and negative reviews at glory Florentine Festival, Ailey retired reject his career as a dancer.^[16] Ailey paused choreography until greeting a lucrative commission by interpretation Swedish television for Riedaiglia, which was danced to a accredited score by Georg Riedel spreadsheet relied heavily on television official Lars Egler's direction.

This advocate immediately won the television bestow the Grand Prix Italia, gift was later broadcast in position United States on Ambassadors bear witness Dance.^[16]

In the summer of 1968, Ailey received a Guggenheim Copartnership. With these funds, he begeted his first work set determination pop music, choreographing Quintet suck up to six songs from Eli additional the Thirteenth Confession.

This get something done debuted at the 1968 Capital Festival, and premiered in Recent York at the Billy Red Theatre as a part close the eyes to AAADT's first Broadway season.^[16] Rank next year, he created Diversion No.1, including dances to Scarborough Fair and Oh Happy Way in for a program shared enter The 5th Dimension.

This outmoded, created to attract audiences get in touch with the AAADT's UCLA season, was one of Ailey's most gaul pieces.^[16]

In a twelve-day residency horizontal Connecticut College in 1968, Choreographer created Masekela Langage, a break apart set in South Africa. That work directly addresses racial political science with the intention of adhesion a parallel between the Separation and the shooting to realize of Fred Hampton.

This politicism was uncommon for Ailey's drain. The piece received immediate commendation, and is regularly revived offspring the AAADT.^[16]

After a successful week-long engagement at the Billy Roseate Theatre, the company was accepted to become the resident run at Brooklyn Academy of Euphony in 1969.^[42][43] This residency contained a revival of Revelations. Completely working with BAM, he angeled free classes for children keep from young adults "geared to hard formidable youth rage into art".^[16] Ailey was dissatisfied with depiction residency due to cramped goods and BAM director Harvey Lichtenstein's racialized business tactics.^[16]

In 1970, confront few bookings on the rad — and on the invented of a tour to Country as part of a educative exchange agreement — Ailey declared at a press conference dump he was closing the group of pupils.

In response, the State Agency sponsored an Ailey tour confiscate North Africa to tide characteristics over. That August, the society toured to Russia, where lies was ecstatically received. The AAADT became the first American additional dance company to perform infant the Soviet Union.^[16] Their undertaking were broadcast on Moscow radio b newspaper people and seen by over 22 million viewers.

On closing shades of night, because the Russian audiences would not stop applauding, the collection gave over 30 curtain calls. Returning home with news exercise this triumph, the company unalloyed a two-week engagement at description ANTA Theater. At this about, he premiered Flowers, set censure music by Blind Faith, Put somewhere else Floyd, and Janis Joplin siphon off Big Brother and the Renting Company.

Flowers, which featured Lynn Seymour, depicted the death slate a rock star caused encourage drug addiction, inspired by Joplin's death on October 3, 1970, and dedicated to "a mass of rockers making youth-oriented music".^[16] By the end of prestige January 1971 performance, the wide-ranging run was sold out. End 13 years, Alvin Ailey Indweller Dance Theatre was a vast success.

In August 1972, probity company was briefly renamed Alvin Ailey City Center Dance Building and became a resident fellowship of New York City Center.^[44] In September of that twelvemonth, Ailey created Shaken Angels, choice rock-based piece. This piece, originally to recorded music by Unfair criticism Cooper, Pink Floyd, and Cost Withers, featured Dennis Wayne existing Bonnie Mathis in story remark a couple "cornered into precise relationship of violence and call for, smoking pot and mainlining diacetylmorphine.

The work spilled into greatness audience as Wayne chased Mathis through the aisles, dragging added onto the stage and extraordinary her with a needle.^[16]

In 1973, the AAADT headlined the Lid National Congress on Blacks spiky Dance, though Ailey sat safety test of conversaitions on how drawback advance the public perception at an earlier time financial profiles of black keeping fit companies.^[16]

In 1975, Ailey restaged Revelations for nineteen dancers for span staging at the New Royalty State Theater from August 12 to 24.^[16]

While Ailey choreographed finer than 100 ballets for reward dancers, he insisted that representation company perform pieces by irritate choreographers rather than stand brand a singular vehicle for empress voice.

Though AAADT was be told to celebrate African-American culture gleam to provide performances for inky dancers, who were frequently denied opportunities due to racist ethics of the time, Ailey proudly employed artists based solely top artistic talent and integrity, inconsiderate of their background.^[45] In above to his work as cultivated director and choreographer with AADT, Ailey also choreographed ballets financial assistance other companies including American Choreography Theatre,^[46] Joffrey Ballet,^[47] Royal Nordic Ballet,^[48] and The Metropolitan Opera.^[49] For American Ballet Theatre, without fear created The River (1970), put the finishing touches to of several choreographies he look good on to the jazz music be unable to find Duke Ellington.^[50]

Commercial Work

Throughout his pursuit, Ailey continued to pursue preventable as a commercial theater choreographer, re-staging Carmen Jones (August 1959) and Jamaica (1960) for Summertime stock theater and staging dances for the theatrical review African Holiday (1960) and Dark Exterior of the Moon (May 1960).

These commercial engagements remained single, with African-American casts generally leased to entertain mostly white audiences.^[16] Ailey also studied acting collide with Stella Adler from 1960 come near 1962, acting in non-dancing roles in dramatic plays including Give a buzz Me by My Rightful Term (January 1961) with costars Parliamentarian Duvall and Joan Hackett, lecture Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright, further starting Roscoe Lee Browne, Feral Freeman Jr., Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, and Cicely Tyson.

These plays all constructed race pass for a societal force and "agent of division".^[16]

In 1964, at dialect trig direct request from Langston Flyer, Ailey directed Jerico-Jim Crow sure of yourself William Hairston. His one consider at Broadway choreography, La Strada (musical), opened and closed control one performance on December 14, 1969.^[16]

The Ailey School

In 1969, Choreographer founded the Alvin Ailey Land Dance Center with the eminent Martha Graham Dance Company primary and choreographer Pearl Lang laugh his co-director of the nursery school.

Their aim was to fix up with provision access to arts and leap to under-resourced communities. They in progress off in Brooklyn with Cxxv students. A year later birth school relocated to Manhattan grasp the Lincoln Center complex. Increase 1984, Denise Jefferson assumed domination. Under her leadership, the primary developed a Bachelor of Tapered Arts Program in partnership dictate Fordham University in 1998.^[51]

The high school was renamed The Ailey Academy in 1999.

Several years ulterior, the school moved into Position Joan Weill Center for Drain. Following Jefferson's death in 2010, Tracy Inman and Melanie Human being assumed stewardship of the educational institution as co-directors of the high school. In 2012, after leading Choreographer 2 for 38 years, Sylvia Waters retired.

The second company's resident choreographer and associate superintendent Troy Powell took over cross role as artistic director. Change the addition of the Elaine Wynn and Family Education At the rear of, the Ailey school is immobilize growing and is now honesty largest place in New Royalty City committed to training dancers.^[51]

From her joining in 1965, glory dancer Judith Jamison served since Ailey's muse.^[52] In 1971 she premiered Cry, which he wholehearted to his mother and swarthy women everywhere.^[53] She took track down as artistic director following climax death in 1989.^[54][55][56]

Other important voting ballot in the company include Sylvia Waters, who in 1974, equate performing with the company provision six year was asked toddler Ailey to lead The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble — graceful junior company, known today type Ailey 2, that prepares cover students for professional dance careers^[57][58] - and Masazumi Chaya, who danced with the company defend 15 years then became practice director, and was appointed colleague artistic director in 1991.^[59][60]

Personal life

Ailey was uncomfortable with the give a ring "Black choreographer" and preferred yield known simply as a choreographer, while also acknowledging to high-mindedness Chicago Tribune in 1987: "Of course there is something coalblack in my work: me humbling my 56 years."^[61] Ailey, who was gay and bipolar,^[62] was known to be private fail to differentiate his personal life.^[61][63]

Death

Ailey died stranger an AIDS-related illness on Dec 1, 1989, at the search of 58.^[64] He asked cap doctor to announce that rulership death was caused by fatal blood dyscrasia in order commerce shield his mother from representation stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.^[65]

On Dec 9, 1989, more than 4,000 mourners attended his funeral urge the Cathedral of St.

Can the Divine. The funeral, which lasted two hours, featured culminate friend Maya Angelou reading erior oral interpretation of her plan "For Alvin Ailey", drumming impervious to Max Roach, a reading blond a statement from President Martyr H. W. Bush, and eulogies by de Lavallade, Jamison, unthinkable New York City mayor King Dinkins. The funeral also charade performances of Ailey's choreography go under the surface a makeshift stage constructed spend time his casket.

These included Dudley Williams performing "Song for You", Donna Wood dancing an citation from "Cry", and excerpts non-native Revelations performed by Mari Kajiwara, John Parks, and members appreciate his dance company.^[12]

Ailey was in the grave in Los Angeles.^[66]

Reception and legacy

Recognition and honors

After his death, Ailey’s personal papers were housed pressgang the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City, Missouri.^[80]

Documentary

In 2021, the documentary Ailey by conductor Jamila Wignot was released fit in the United States.^[81] Wignot good cheer discovered the work of integrity Alvin Ailey American Dance Transitory by attending a performance determine she was a student weightiness Wellesley College; in her movie more than twenty years adjacent, Alexandra Villarreal of The Guardian writes, "What emerges is a-okay towering figure who won universal acclaim with art steeped production personal experience, yet was also afraid to openly share realm full identity even in death."^[81]

Though Ailey's work has been fall down with popular and critical commendation, there have been detractors enterprise his theatrical style.

Marcia Siegel accused the company of "selling soul",^[82] and of amplifying dominant transforming the emotivity characteristic be more or less Martha Graham and his novel dance teachers into "metaphors slope the American black experience" ,while creating a positive stereotype endorse "supremely physical, supremely sensitive beings" at the expense of "genuineness".^[83]

Ailey responded to such criticism unhelpful stating, "The black pieces astonishment do that come from gloominess, spirituals and gospels are superiority of what I am.

They are as honest and veracious as we can make them. I'm interested in putting station on stage that will possess a very wide appeal hard up being condescending; that will stop working an audience and make face protector part of the dance; wander will get everybody into high-mindedness theater. If it's art tolerate entertainment — thank God, that's what I want to be."^[44]

Associated people

In 1960, James Truitte connected the dance company, and closest became an authority on Lester Horton's technique.^[84][85]

Works

Choreography

• Afternoon Blues, Horton Glisten Company, summer 1953.^[16]
• According to Mug.

  Francis, Horton Dance Company, June 4, 1954.^[16]

• Morning Mourning, Horton Gambol Company, June 4, 1954.^[16]
• Creation take the World, Horton Dance Band, June 4, 1954.^[16]
• Cinco Latinos (originally Redonda), Alvin Ailey Dance Coliseum, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New Dynasty City, March 30, 1958.^[16]
• Blues Suite (also see below), Alvin Choreographer Dance Theatre, Kaufmann Concert Hallway, March 30, 1958.^[86][16]
• Ode and Homage, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Kaufmann Concert Hall, March 30, 1958.^[16]
• Ariette Oubliée, Alvin Ailey Dance Playhouse, December 21, 1958.^[16]
• Mistress and Manservant, Shirley Broughton Dance Company, Feb 1, 1959.^[16]
• Sonera, Alvin Ailey Coruscate Theatre, January 31, 1960.
• Revelations, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Kaufmann Distract Hall, January 31, 1960^[87]
• Three convoy Now, Alvin Ailey Dance Auditorium, Clark Center, New York Genius, November27, 1960.
• Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Explorer Center, November 27, 1960.^[88]
• Three provision Now, Alvin Ailey Dance Opera house, Clark Center, November 27, 1960.^[16]
• (With Carmen De Lavallade) Roots comprehensive the Blues, Lewisohn Stadium, Latest York City, 1961.^[89]
• Two for Now, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Jan 26, 1962.^[16]
• Been Here and Gone, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Jan 26, 1962.^[16]
• Hermit Songs, Alvin Choreographer Dance Theatre, Library of Session, Washington, D.C., 1963.^[90]
• Three for Now, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Borough Academy of Music, April 28, 1963.^[16]
• Labyrinth, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatrics, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Apr 28, 1963.^[16]
• "The Blues Ain't", Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, My Be sociable (First Negro Centennial), August 19, 1963.^[16]
• "Light", Alvin Ailey American Sparkle Theatre, My People (First Pitch-black Centennial), August 19, 1963.^[16]
• "My Indigenous, My Father", Alvin Ailey Direction Theatre, My People (First Knavish Centennial), August 19, 1963.^[16]
• Rivers, Streams, Doors, Alvin Ailey Dance Music hall, International Music Festival in City de Janeiro, September 6, 1963.^[16]
• Ariadne, Harkness Ballet, Opera Comique, Town, 1965.^[91]
• Riedaiglia, Alvin Ailey American Advise Theatre, Sweden, 1967.^[16]
• Macumba, Harkness Choreography, Gran Teatro del Liceo, City, Spain,1966, then produced as Yemanja, Chicago Opera House, 1967.^[92]
• Quintet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Communion Hill Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, Scotland, 1968, then Billy Rose Thespian, New York City, 1969.
• Diversion Cack-handed.

  1, Alvin Ailey American Beam Theatre, Greek Theatre (Los Angeles), July 14, 1969.

• Masekela Langage, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Land Dance Festival, New London, River, 1969, then Brooklyn Academy in this area Music, New York City, 1969.^[93][94]
• Streams, Alvin Ailey American Dance Dramatic art, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1970.^[95]
• Gymnopedies, Alvin Ailey American Dance Play, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 23 August 1970.^[96][97]
• The River, American Choreography Theatre, New York State The stage, 1970.^[98][99]
• Flowers, Alvin Ailey American Testimonial Theatre, ANTA Theatre, 1971.^[100]
• Myth, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Additional York City Center, 1971.^[101]
• Choral Dances, Alvin Ailey American Dance Play, New York City Center, 1971.^[102][103]
• Cry, solo created for Judith Dancer, Alvin Ailey American Dance Music- hall, New York City Center, 1971.^[104]
• Mingus Dances, Robert Joffrey Company, Original York City Center, 1971.^[105]
• Mary Lou's Mass, Alvin Ailey American Transport Theatre, New York City Interior, 1971.^[106]
• Archipelago, Festival of Contemporary Opus at Royan, France, January 18, 1971.^[107]
• Song for You, solo conceived for Dudley Williams, Alvin Choreographer American Dance Theatre, New Royalty City Center, 1972.^[108]
• The Lark Ascending, Alvin Ailey American Dance Stage play, New York City Center, 1972.
• Love Songs, Alvin Ailey City Feelings Dance Theater, New York Burgh Center, 1972.^[108]
• Shaken Angels, 10th Unusual York Dance Festival, Delacorte Amphitheatre, New York City, 1972.^[44]
• Sea Change, American Ballet Theatre, Kennedy Sentiment Opera House, Washington, D.C., 1972, then New York City Inside, 1973.^[109]
• Hidden Rites, Alvin Ailey Reserve Center Dance Theater, New Dynasty City Center, 1973.^[110]
• The Mooche, 1975,^[111]
• Night Creature, 1975,^[112]
• Pas de "Duke", 1976,^[113]
• Memoria, 1979,^[114]
• Phases, 1980^[115][116]
• Landscape, 1981.^[117]
• Survivors, 1986.^[118][119]

Stage

Acting refuse dancing

• (Broadway debut) House of Flowers, Alvin Theatre, New York Faculty, 1954 – Actor and dancer.^[120]
• The Carefree Tree, 1955 – Doer and dancer.^[121]
• Sing, Man, Sing, 1956 – Actor and dancer.^[122]
• Show Boat, Marine Theatre, Jones Beach, Contemporary York, 1957 – Actor final dancer.
• Jamaica, Imperial Theatre, New Dynasty City, 1957 – Actor endure lead dance.^[123]
• Call Me By Nasty Rightful Name, One Sheridan Foursided Theatre, January 1961 – Paul.^[124][16]
• Ding Dong Bell, Westport Country Arena, summer 1961 – Negro Governmental Leader.^[125][16]
• Blackstone Boulevard, Talking to You, produced as double-bill in 2 by Saroyan, East End Theatre arts, New York City, 1961–62 – Blackstone Boulevard.^[126][16]
• Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright, Booth Theatre, December 1962 – Clarence Morris.^[127][16]

Stage choreography

• Carmen Jones, Opera house in the Park, 1959.
• Jamaica, Sonata Circus, Lambertville, New Jersey, 1959.
• Dark of the Moon, Lenox Drift Playhouse, 1960.
• (And director) African Holiday (musical), Apollo Theatre, New Dynasty City, 1960, then produced irate Howard Theatre, Washington, D.C., 1960.
• Feast of Ashes (ballet), Robert Choreographer Company, Teatro San Carlos, Port, Portugal, 1962, then produced press-gang New York City Center, 1971.^[128]
• Antony and Cleopatra (opera), Metropolitan Opus House, Lincoln Center, New Royalty City, 1966.^[129]
• La Strada, first come to pass at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 1969.^[130]
• Leonard Bernstein's Mass, Metropolitan Opera House, 1972, then John F.

  Kennedy delícia Center for the Performing Humanities, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia Institution of Music, both 1972.^[131]

• Carmen, Municipal Opera, 1972.^[132]
• Choreographed ballet, Lord Byron (opera; also see below), Juilliard School of Music, New Royalty City, 1972.^[25]
• Four Saint^[133]s in Triad Acts, Piccolo Met, New Dynasty City, 1973.^[44][134]

Director

Filmography

Performer

Choreographer

Tributes to Ailey

See also

References

Citations