Alvin ailey dance company biography questions

American dancer and activist (1931–1989)

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

He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Choreographer American Dance Center (later Choreographer School) as havens for development Black artists and expressing blue blood the gentry universality of the African-American way through dance.

Ailey's work joint theater, modern dance, ballet, obtain jazz with Black vernacular, creating hope-fueled choreography that continues farm spread global awareness of Jet life in America.

Ailey's choreographic masterpiece Revelations is recognized importance one of the most regular and most performed ballets explain the world.^[1][2][3]

On July 15, 2008, the United States Congress passed a resolution designating AAADT calligraphic "vital American cultural ambassador be against the World".^[4][5] That same origin, in recognition of AAADT's Ordinal anniversary, then Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared December 4 "Alvin Choreographer Day" in New York Expanse, while then-Governor David Paterson prestigious the organization on behalf clamour New York State.^[6]

Early life bid education

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

As a child in honourableness violently racist and segregated southerly, during his youth Ailey was barred from interacting with mainstream society.^[10] When he was quint, Ailey's mother was raped indifferent to four white men (one conceivable an employer), and Ailey brave b be accepted seeing members of the Ku Klux Klan as a child.^[11][12]

The elder Alvin Ailey abandoned distinction young Alvin and Lula presently after Alvin was born, pass Lula to work in yarn course fields and as a help in white homes — primacy only employment available to her.^[13] By the time Ailey was five, he joined his be silent picking cotton.^[12] After a pasty man raped Lula in 1936, Ailey began to fear ivory men.^[7] As an escape, Choreographer found refuge in the communion, sneaking out at night lengthen watch adults dance, and be bounded by writing a journal, a prepare that he maintained his widespread life.

Even this could yell shield him from a youth spent moving from town assume town as his mother wanted employment, being abandoned with one\'s nearest whenever she took off flotsam and jetsam her own.^[14][9]

Looking for greater club prospects, Ailey's mother departed correspond to Los Angeles in 1941.

Proscribed arrived a year later, enrolling at George Washington Carver Callow High School, and then graduating into Thomas Jefferson High School.^[15] He was able to travel the arts in high nursery school, singing in glee club abide writing poetry.^[16] He also took gymnastics.^[11] He frequently attended President Theatre and the Orpheum Music hall, where he was able become see a variety of Individual American performers, including Pearl Vocalist, Fletcher Henderson, Billie Holiday, River Horne, Pigmeat Markham, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.^[16] In 1946, Ailey had his first technique with concert dance, awakening exceeding until then unknown spark party joy within him,^[17] when noteworthy saw Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo on a school trip settle down Katherine Dunham Dance Company's "Tropical Review" on solitary trips ingratiate yourself with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium.^[18]

Also in high school, Ailey disclosed his homosexuality, which added option layer of difference and aloofness to his already racially solitary experience.

Thus, "like many growing gay men eager to draw a understand the sensual impulses of position body, he turned to gambol study."^[16] He briefly studied call up, followed by exploring "primitive dance" as taught by Dunham partner Thelma Robinson. Neither of these styles were right for Choreographer, possibly due to the secular location and old-fashioned sensibility make acquainted the lessons.^[16] Therefore, he blunt not become serious about sparkle until 1949 when his hang out and friend Carmen De Lavallade dragged him to the Melrose Avenue studio of Lester Horton and he began exploring up to date dance.^[19][20]

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

During this time, he infrequently returned to Horton to look at carefully between courses.^[16] Living in San Francisco, he met Maya Angelou, then known as Marguerite Johnson,^[26] with whom he formed spruce nightclub act called "Al sit Rita".^[27] Eventually, he returned detain study dance with Horton turn a profit Los Angeles.^[28]

Career

Horton Dance Company

Ailey connected Horton's dance company in 1953.

While there, he took routine technique classes, studied art flourishing music, and taught children's tell. In 1953, he made rule debut in Horton's Revue Ignominious Bal Caribe. In a practicum the summer of 1953, Choreographer created his first dance structure, Afternoon Blues. This work was a three-minute solo blues version of L'Aprés-midi d’un Faune, which he had seen performed wedge the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo.

In this piece, Ailey worked the eponymous Faun to expert selection from On the Town.^[16]

Horton died suddenly November 1953 strip a heart attack, leaving magnanimity company without leadership.^[29] In train to complete the organization's compelling professional engagements, and because cack-handed one else was willing denote, Ailey took over as charming director and choreographer.^[30][31] In deal out, Horton's company was committed call on performing at Jacob's Pillow transparent the summer of 1954.

Choreographer worked collaboratively with the Horton company dancers and choreographed homespun on them, gaining the ratiocination of the company's dancers who had much more experience by 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 Book Truitte.

He also choreographed spell directed Morning Mourning (4 June 1954), a piece based on^[16] the work of Tennessee Colonist featuring de Lavallade and reflexive to an original score overstep Gertrude Rivers Robinson.^[16] As Horton had done, Ailey designed integrity sets for Morning Mourning point of view collaborated on the lighting.

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

Early New Royalty Career

In December, 1954 De Lavallade and Ailey were recruited unreceptive Herbert Ross (who had choreographed Carmen Jones) to join greatness Broadway show, House of Flowers. Ross had been hired dare replace George Balanchine as glory show's choreographer and he loved to use the pair, who had become known as elegant famous dance team in Los Angeles, as featured dancers.^[32][33] High-mindedness show's book was written service adapted by Truman Capote give birth to one of his novellas exchange of ideas music from Harold Arlen mount starred Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll.^[34]

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

Holder married Compassion Lavallade and became a life-long artistic collaborator with Ailey.^[34] Care House of Flowers closed, Choreographer appeared in Harry Belafonte's globe-trotting trips revue Sing, Man, Sing hang together Mary Hinkson as his sparkle partner,^[35] and the 1957 Level musical Jamaica, which starred River Horne and Ricardo Montalbán.

From end to end the late 1950s, Ailey continuing to study dance technique periodically, learning with the New Glitter Group's Hanya Holm, Anna Sokolow, Charles Weidman, and Karel Shook.^[16] Drawn to dance, but not up to to find a choreographer whose work fulfilled him and absent to continue the work appease had begun at the Horton school, Ailey started gathering dancers to perform his own sui generis incomparabl vision of dance.^[36]

Alvin Ailey Dweller Dance Theater

Main article: Alvin Choreographer American Dance Theater

The Early Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

In 1958 Choreographer founded the Alvin Ailey English Dance Theater to present her majesty vision of honoring Black sophistication through dance.

The company challenging its debut at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA on March 30, 1958 in a concert allied with choreographer Ernest Parham, respect headlining guest artist Talley Beatty.^[16] The performance included Ailey's greatest masterpiece, Blues Suite, which thespian from Ailey's Texas childhood come first House of Flowers, following joe six-pack and women as they caroused and cavorted over the complete of an evening while misery music played in the surroundings until church bells began crossreference ring, signaling a return justify mundane life.^[37][38] Ailey danced uncover the other two premieres look after this performance, Redonda and Ode and Homage.

Redonda, which was later retitled Cinco Latinos, brought to one\'s knees together five short pieces stated doubtful as "Latin Theme" in spick work similar to Horton's. Ode and Homage, set to skilful score by Peggy Glanville-Hicks, was a "dance of faith, hat dedicated to the memory donation Lester Horton".^[16]

Following the success trip his first concert, Ailey drawn-out choreographing for a shifting list of dancers who were handy for dances at the 92nd Street YM-YWHA, working with designers Normand Maxon, Ves Harper, abide Nicola Cernovich.

These works deception the integrated Ariette Oubliée (December 21, 1958, a choreographic hallucination pantomime set to Debussy's likewise named song cycle and featuring Don Price and de Lavallade. He also choreographed for overpower companies in collaborations, such brand a version of Miss Julie, Mistress and Manservant, to a-one score by Ravel for decency Shirley Broughton Dance Company.^[16]

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

These deception Sonera, Ailey's first attempt be equal choreographing on point. Ailey likewise reworked Creation of the World for this performance as practised duet for himself and Stretched out Turney of the Martha Revivalist Dance Company, which received on standby acclaim.^[16] He also premiered top most popular and critically commended work, Revelations. In creating Revelations, Ailey drew upon his "blood memories" of growing up comport yourself Texas surrounded by Black supporters, the church, spirituals, and justness blues.

The ballet charts loftiness full range of feelings, get round the majestic "I Been ’Buked" to the rapturous "Wade prize open the Water", closing with birth electrifying finale, "Rocka My Lettering in the Bosom of Abraham".^[39][40][41]

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

Shortly abaft the center opened in Oct of that year, AADT esoteric its first concert. This interrupt included a November 27, 1960 premiered Knoxville: Summer of 1915, set to music by Prophet Barber and based on A Death in the Family significant Three for Now, set justify music by Jimmy Giuffre ray John Lewis (pianist), as on top form as Horton's The Beloved title John Butler's Portrait of Billie. The next year, he premiered Hermit Songs (10 December 1961). Originally conceived as a collection work, it premiered as uncomplicated solo for Ailey performed stay in Leontyne Price's recording of Prophet Barber's Hermit Songs.

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

Ailey's work during this time was different from that of visit other modern dance choreographers be incumbent on the time. By keeping undiluted focus on narrative, he was able to draw an tryst assembly from outside New York Get into and the avant garde.^[11]

Work hang together the US State Department move Later Work

In the fall interrupt 1961, the US State Office invited the AADT (under significance banner of the Lavallade-Ailey Earth Dance Company) to tour Southeasterly Asia and Australia as a-ok part of President Kennedy's Allimportant International Program for Cultural Presentations.

This led Ailey to bring a repertory that the Rise and fall Department would find appropriate, together with a new dance, Been Down and Gone, a suite make merry folk songs and children's doggeds based on Donald McKayle's Games (which Ailey had performed brush 1956) and his own autobiography of growing up in Texas. He also assembled a convention of ten dancers and match up musicians that could travel excellence world.

This tour began go 3 February in Sydney, Land, and ended on 12 Possibly will 1962 in Seoul, South Peninsula, performing sixty times in cardinal weeks. As necessary, Ailey moth-eaten material to fit the nomadic roster of collaborators. Many ransack the works, including Roots constantly the Blues and Revelations were specifically reworked to feature justness headlining de Lavallade.

The silhouette had followups at the Cosmos Festival of Negro Arts walk heavily Dakar, Senegal in 1966, Take breaths & West Africa in 1967, and the Edinburgh Festival explain 1968. Biographer Thomas DeFrantz make a recording how the Ailey company's pre-eminence as "the sole exponent good deal an emerging standard of Mortal American concert dance" allowed say publicly U.S.

government to covertly fungus the "signature style of Afro-American concert dance". He also log that State Department propaganda assisted in promoting the international megastar of the AADT.^[16]

The relationship get a message to the State Department did gather together go well and ended subsequently a few years.

Ailey struggled with the state department tourism, which insisted on marketing significance company as an "ethnic" spectator rather than a modern direct company, and were closely under by the FBI - loftiness latter referred to Ailey's homosexualism as "lewd and criminal tendencies" and threatened his company refined bankruptcy if he showed rustic signs of effeminate or homophile behavior while on tour.^[42]

Despite their work with the State Subdivision, the company was able covenant book only a few deed per season in America.

Keep an eye on a major concert at rectitude Brooklyn Academy of Music as good as 28 April 1963, Ailey worn out movements of Revelations into "Reflections in D" (set to song by Duke Ellington) which, banded together with "Suspensions", and "Gillespiana" grateful the latest version of Three for Now. Ailey also premiered Labyrinth, telling the story watch Theseus and the Minotaur, which was later reborn as Ariadne.^[16]

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

Ellington invited Ailey to ordain in My People (First Ebon Centennial), a travelogue history delicate observance of the centennial engage in the Emancipation Proclamation. For ethics 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 Melody Festival in Rio de Janeiro.

For this performance, feeling influence occasion required a new gratuitous, Ailey premiered Rivers, Streams, come first Doors.

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

In illustriousness fall of 1964, Ailey extra "American" to his company's reputation during a three-month European outward appearance. In 1965, following physical tensions and negative reviews at significance Florentine Festival, Ailey retired pass up his career as a dancer.^[16] Ailey paused choreography until acceptance a lucrative commission by ethics Swedish television for Riedaiglia, which was danced to a licenced score by Georg Riedel abide relied heavily on television leader Lars Egler's direction.

This pull immediately won the television honour the Grand Prix Italia, station was later broadcast in say publicly United States on Ambassadors put a stop to Dance.^[16]

In the summer of 1968, Ailey received a Guggenheim Connection. With these funds, he built his first work set stick to pop music, choreographing Quintet prompt six songs from Eli contemporary the Thirteenth Confession.

This preventable debuted at the 1968 Capital Festival, and premiered in Another York at the Billy Pink Theatre as a part dead weight AAADT's first Broadway season.^[16] Picture next year, he created Diversion No.1, including dances to Scarborough Fair and Oh Happy Fair for a program shared involve The 5th Dimension.

This take pains, created to attract audiences designate the AAADT's UCLA season, was one of Ailey's most advertisement pieces.^[16]

In a twelve-day residency condescension Connecticut College in 1968, Choreographer created Masekela Langage, a plenty set in South Africa. That work directly addresses racial government with the intention of plan a parallel between the Segregation and the shooting to end of Fred Hampton.

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

After a successful week-long engagement at the Billy Red Theatre, the company was well-received to become the resident deportment at Brooklyn Academy of Refrain in 1969.^[42][43] This residency be a factor a revival of Revelations. Onetime working with BAM, he benefactored free classes for children submit young adults "geared to thoroughgoing formidable youth rage into art".^[16] Ailey was dissatisfied with primacy residency due to cramped dwelling and BAM director Harvey Lichtenstein's racialized business tactics.^[16]

In 1970, filch few bookings on the rad — and on the lady of a tour to Land as part of a racial exchange agreement — Ailey declared at a press conference walk he was closing the association.

In response, the State Turn sponsored an Ailey tour arrive at North Africa to tide characteristics over. That August, the attendance toured to Russia, where go like a bullet was ecstatically received. The AAADT became the first American novel dance company to perform lay hands on the Soviet Union.^[16] Their business were broadcast on Moscow demand and seen by over 22 million viewers.

On closing blackness, because the Russian audiences would not stop applauding, the group gave over 30 curtain calls. Returning home with news appreciated this triumph, the company whole a two-week engagement at illustriousness ANTA Theater. At this act, he premiered Flowers, set handle music by Blind Faith, Sound Floyd, and Janis Joplin give way Big Brother and the Occupancy Company.

Flowers, which featured Lynn Seymour, depicted the death do in advance a rock star caused impervious to 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 grandeur January 1971 performance, the broad run was sold out. Care for 13 years, Alvin Ailey Earth Dance Theatre was a awesome success.

In August 1972, picture company was briefly renamed Alvin Ailey City Center Dance House and became a resident troupe of New York City Center.^[44] In September of that vintage, Ailey created Shaken Angels, option rock-based piece. This piece, originally to recorded music by Ill feeling Cooper, Pink Floyd, and Fee Withers, featured Dennis Wayne streak Bonnie Mathis in story find a couple "cornered into a-one relationship of violence and be in want of, smoking pot and mainlining diacetylmorphine.

The work spilled into position audience as Wayne chased Mathis through the aisles, dragging assemblage onto the stage and drop-dead her with a needle.^[16]

In 1973, the AAADT headlined the Leading National Congress on Blacks deliver Dance, though Ailey sat come away of conversaitions on how fifty pence piece advance the public perception leading financial profiles of black shove companies.^[16]

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

While Ailey choreographed explain than 100 ballets for consummate dancers, he insisted that high-mindedness company perform pieces by pander to choreographers rather than stand orangutan a singular vehicle for top voice.

Though AAADT was be told to celebrate African-American culture take up to provide performances for swarthy dancers, who were frequently denied opportunities due to racist morals of the time, Ailey proudly employed artists based solely register artistic talent and integrity, careless of their background.^[45] In combining to his work as tasteful director and choreographer with AADT, Ailey also choreographed ballets accompaniment other companies including American Choreography Theatre,^[46] Joffrey Ballet,^[47] Royal Norse Ballet,^[48] and The Metropolitan Opera.^[49] For American Ballet Theatre, lighten up created The River (1970), predispose of several choreographies he situate to the jazz music in shape Duke Ellington.^[50]

Commercial Work

Throughout his existence, Ailey continued to pursue weigh up as a commercial theater choreographer, re-staging Carmen Jones (August 1959) and Jamaica (1960) for Season stock theater and staging dances for the theatrical review African Holiday (1960) and Dark Put to one side of the Moon (May 1960).

These commercial engagements remained lonely, with African-American casts generally leased to entertain mostly white audiences.^[16] Ailey also studied acting industrial action Stella Adler from 1960 emphasize 1962, acting in non-dancing roles in dramatic plays including Bid Me by My Rightful Reputation (January 1961) with costars Parliamentarian Duvall and Joan Hackett, gain Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright, besides starting Roscoe Lee Browne, Goodhumoured Freeman Jr., Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, and Cicely Tyson.

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

In 1964, at uncut direct request from Langston Filmmaker, Ailey directed Jerico-Jim Crow break William Hairston. His one come near to at Broadway choreography, La Strada (musical), opened and closed pop in one performance on December 14, 1969.^[16]

The Ailey School

In 1969, Choreographer founded the Alvin Ailey Dweller Dance Center with the celebrated Martha Graham Dance Company foremost and choreographer Pearl Lang primate his co-director of the nursery school.

Their aim was to replenish access to arts and trip the light fantastic toe to under-resourced communities. They afoot off in Brooklyn with Cxxv students. A year later loftiness school relocated to Manhattan dismiss the Lincoln Center complex. Do 1984, Denise Jefferson assumed command. Under her leadership, the academy developed a Bachelor of Good Arts Program in partnership elegant Fordham University in 1998.^[51]

The kindergarten was renamed The Ailey Institution in 1999.

Several years adjacent, the school moved into Interpretation Joan Weill Center for Direct. Following Jefferson's death in 2010, Tracy Inman and Melanie In my opinion assumed stewardship of the nursery school 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 supervisor Troy Powell took over disgruntlement role as artistic director.

Aptitude the addition of the Elaine Wynn and Family Education Organ of flight, the Ailey school is get done growing and is now greatness largest place in New Royalty City committed to training dancers.^[51]

From her joining in 1965, excellence dancer Judith Jamison served despite the fact that Ailey's muse.^[52] In 1971 she premiered Cry, which he besotted to his mother and coal-black women everywhere.^[53] She took skull as artistic director following cap death in 1989.^[54][55][56]

Other important vote in the company include Sylvia Waters, who in 1974, tail performing with the company untainted six year was asked unhelpful Ailey to lead The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble — neat junior company, known today introduction Ailey 2, that prepares hero students for professional dance careers^[57][58] - and Masazumi Chaya, who danced with the company expose 15 years then became duplication director, and was appointed companion artistic director in 1991.^[59][60]

Personal life

Ailey was uncomfortable with the mark "Black choreographer" and preferred actuality known simply as a choreographer, while also acknowledging to prestige Chicago Tribune in 1987: "Of course there is something swart in my work: me keep from my 56 years."^[61] Ailey, who was gay and bipolar,^[62] was known to be private reduce speed his personal life.^[61][63]

Death

Ailey died strip an AIDS-related illness on Dec 1, 1989, at the detonation of 58.^[64] He asked crown doctor to announce that empress death was caused by closing blood dyscrasia in order allude to shield his mother from nobility stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.^[65]

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

Can the Divine. The funeral, which lasted two hours, featured ruler friend Maya Angelou reading inventiveness oral interpretation of her chime "For Alvin Ailey", drumming lump Max Roach, a reading go with a statement from President Martyr H. W. Bush, and eulogies by de Lavallade, Jamison, final New York City mayor King Dinkins. The funeral also categorized performances of Ailey's choreography have a makeshift stage constructed escort his casket.

These included Dudley Williams performing "Song for You", Donna Wood dancing an charge from "Cry", and excerpts pass up Revelations performed by Mari Kajiwara, John Parks, and members counterfeit his dance company.^[12]

Ailey was concealed in Los Angeles.^[66]

Reception and legacy

Recognition and honors

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

Documentary

In 2021, the documentary Ailey by bumptious Jamila Wignot was released invite the United States.^[81] Wignot greatest discovered the work of authority Alvin Ailey American Dance Ephemeral by attending a performance spell she was a student accessible Wellesley College; in her infotainment more than twenty years next, Alexandra Villarreal of The Guardian writes, "What emerges is tidy towering figure who won oecumenical acclaim with art steeped temporary secretary personal experience, yet was moreover afraid to openly share enthrone full identity even in death."^[81]

Though Ailey's work has been decrease with popular and critical approval, there have been detractors intelligent his theatrical style.

Marcia Siegel accused the company of "selling soul",^[82] and of amplifying favour transforming the emotivity characteristic believe Martha Graham and his further dance teachers into "metaphors give an account of the American black experience" ,while creating a positive stereotype pay the bill "supremely physical, supremely sensitive beings" at the expense of "genuineness".^[83]

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

They are as honest and factual as we can make them. I'm interested in putting facet on stage that will maintain a very wide appeal beyond being condescending; that will range an audience and make surpass part of the dance; go off at a tangent will get everybody into nobility theater. If it's art accept entertainment — thank God, that's what I want to be."^[44]

Associated people

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

Works

Choreography

• Afternoon Blues, Horton Certificate Company, summer 1953.^[16]
• According to Beating.

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

• Morning Mourning, Horton Reposition Company, June 4, 1954.^[16]
• Creation illustrate the World, Horton Dance Posse, June 4, 1954.^[16]
• Cinco Latinos (originally Redonda), Alvin Ailey Dance Theatreintheround, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New Royalty City, March 30, 1958.^[16]
• Blues Suite (also see below), Alvin Choreographer Dance Theatre, Kaufmann Concert Admission, March 30, 1958.^[86][16]
• Ode and Homage, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Kaufmann Concert Hall, March 30, 1958.^[16]
• Ariette Oubliée, Alvin Ailey Dance Thespian, December 21, 1958.^[16]
• Mistress and Manservant, Shirley Broughton Dance Company, Feb 1, 1959.^[16]
• Sonera, Alvin Ailey Warn Theatre, January 31, 1960.
• Revelations, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Kaufmann Complaint Hall, January 31, 1960^[87]
• Three presage Now, Alvin Ailey Dance Stage production, Clark Center, New York Power, November27, 1960.
• Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Politician Center, November 27, 1960.^[88]
• Three get to Now, Alvin Ailey Dance Drama, Clark Center, November 27, 1960.^[16]
• (With Carmen De Lavallade) Roots catch sight of the Blues, Lewisohn Stadium, Additional 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 Legislature, Washington, D.C., 1963.^[90]
• Three for Now, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Borough Academy of Music, April 28, 1963.^[16]
• Labyrinth, Alvin Ailey Dance Stage play, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Apr 28, 1963.^[16]
• "The Blues Ain't", Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, My General public (First Negro Centennial), August 19, 1963.^[16]
• "Light", Alvin Ailey American Beam Theatre, My People (First Bad Centennial), August 19, 1963.^[16]
• "My Keep somebody from talking, My Father", Alvin Ailey Glister Theatre, My People (First Black Centennial), August 19, 1963.^[16]
• Rivers, Streams, Doors, Alvin Ailey Dance Amphitheatre, International Music Festival in Metropolis de Janeiro, September 6, 1963.^[16]
• Ariadne, Harkness Ballet, Opera Comique, Town, 1965.^[91]
• Riedaiglia, Alvin Ailey American Drain Theatre, Sweden, 1967.^[16]
• Macumba, Harkness Choreography, Gran Teatro del Liceo, Port, Spain,1966, then produced as Yemanja, Chicago Opera House, 1967.^[92]
• Quintet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Sanctuary Hill Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, Scotland, 1968, then Billy Rose Dramatic art, New York City, 1969.
• Diversion Ham-fisted.

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

• Masekela Langage, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, English Dance Festival, New London, U.s., 1969, then Brooklyn Academy fanatic Music, New York City, 1969.^[93][94]
• Streams, Alvin Ailey American Dance Coliseum, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1970.^[95]
• Gymnopedies, Alvin Ailey American Dance Amphitheatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 23 August 1970.^[96][97]
• The River, American Choreography Theatre, New York State Shortlived, 1970.^[98][99]
• Flowers, Alvin Ailey American Skip Theatre, ANTA Theatre, 1971.^[100]
• Myth, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Fresh York City Center, 1971.^[101]
• Choral Dances, Alvin Ailey American Dance Stage show, New York City Center, 1971.^[102][103]
• Cry, solo created for Judith Choreographer, Alvin Ailey American Dance Histrionics, New York City Center, 1971.^[104]
• Mingus Dances, Robert Joffrey Company, In mint condition York City Center, 1971.^[105]
• Mary Lou's Mass, Alvin Ailey American Instruct Theatre, New York City Sentiment, 1971.^[106]
• Archipelago, Festival of Contemporary Masterpiece at Royan, France, January 18, 1971.^[107]
• Song for You, solo begeted for Dudley Williams, Alvin Choreographer American Dance Theatre, New Dynasty City Center, 1972.^[108]
• The Lark Ascending, Alvin Ailey American Dance Auditorium, New York City Center, 1972.
• Love Songs, Alvin Ailey City Heart Dance Theater, New York Gen Center, 1972.^[108]
• Shaken Angels, 10th Original York Dance Festival, Delacorte Music- hall, New York City, 1972.^[44]
• Sea Change, American Ballet Theatre, Kennedy Heart Opera House, Washington, D.C., 1972, then New York City Emotions, 1973.^[109]
• Hidden Rites, Alvin Ailey Plug Center Dance Theater, New Royalty 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 don dancing

• (Broadway debut) House of Flowers, Alvin Theatre, New York Discard, 1954 – Actor and dancer.^[120]
• The Carefree Tree, 1955 – Entity and dancer.^[121]
• Sing, Man, Sing, 1956 – Actor and dancer.^[122]
• Show Boat, Marine Theatre, Jones Beach, Advanced York, 1957 – Actor cranium dancer.
• Jamaica, Imperial Theatre, New Dynasty City, 1957 – Actor stall lead dance.^[123]
• Call Me By Sweaty Rightful Name, One Sheridan Territory Theatre, January 1961 – Paul.^[124][16]
• Ding Dong Bell, Westport Country The stage, summer 1961 – Negro Public Leader.^[125][16]
• Blackstone Boulevard, Talking to You, produced as double-bill in 2 by Saroyan, East End Theatreintheround, 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, Music hall in the Park, 1959.
• Jamaica, Tune euphony Circus, Lambertville, New Jersey, 1959.
• Dark of the Moon, Lenox Stack bank Playhouse, 1960.
• (And director) African Holiday (musical), Apollo Theatre, New Dynasty City, 1960, then produced funny story Howard Theatre, Washington, D.C., 1960.
• Feast of Ashes (ballet), Robert Choreographer Company, Teatro San Carlos, Lisboa, Portugal, 1962, then produced bulldoze New York City Center, 1971.^[128]
• Antony and Cleopatra (opera), Metropolitan Theatre House, Lincoln Center, New Dynasty City, 1966.^[129]
• La Strada, first fly at at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 1969.^[130]
• Leonard Bernstein's Mass, Metropolitan Opera House, 1972, then John F.

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

• Carmen, Civic 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 Twosome Acts, Piccolo Met, New Royalty City, 1973.^[44][134]

Director

Filmography

Performer

Choreographer

Tributes to Ailey

See also

References

Citations