Alvin Ailey
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| Alvin Ailey Jr. | |
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 Alvin Ailey in the 1940s |
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| Born | January 5, 1931 Rogers, Texas, United States |
| Died | January 12, 1989 (aged 58) Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Modern dance, choreographer |
Alvin Ailey, Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American modern dancer and choreographer who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on 92nd Street in New York City. He died of AIDS, at the age of 58.[1]
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[edit] Biography
Born in Rogers, Texas on January 5th, 1931, Alvin Ailey 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.
When Ailey began creating dance, 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 "Revelations".
Although he created 79 ballets over his lifetime, Alvin Ailey maintained that his company was not exclusively a repository for his own work. Today, the company continues Mr. Ailey's mission by presenting important works of 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Dunning, Jennifer. "Frail, Strong and Dance Incarnate", New York Times, 1996-10-23, pp. 2. Retrieved on 2006-10-03.
[edit] External links
