Description
Born Rogers, TexasFounded in 1958, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater showcased a vibrant choreography of ballet, modern dance, jazz, and African dance techniques. Ailey’s objective was to shape a total theatrical experience incorporating costumes, makeup, and spectacle. “What I like,” he once said, “is the line and technical range that classical ballet gives to the body. But I still want to project . . . the expressiveness that only modern dance offers.”His remarkable 1960 production Revelations, based on nine traditional spirituals, depicted the “struggle, protest, [and] humor” of African American life. In 1971 he created the virtuoso solo work Cry for Judith Jamison as a tribute to “all black women—especially our mothers.” Jamison recalled that “it was a birthday present for Alvin’s mother. . . . We went into the studio and began moving to the music . . . and in a few days Alvin made an enduring work of art.”
Image
Gelatin Silver Print
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
