2. Alvin Ailey Defined
• Alvin Ailey was one of the greatest American choreographers to date. His talent went past
his own ventures, into creating widely acclaimed dance centers, a theater, and an ensemble.
• Ailey blazed a trail that few choreographers embarked on, by performing the works of many
different choreographers as well as by establishing an arena in which dancers of all colors,
whether minority or not could establish themselves as capable dancers.
•His dances hailed as a “timeless tribute to humanity, faith and survival,” Alvin Ailey took the
definition of modern dance and refined it to his liking.
• Furthermore Alvin Ailey only brought modern dance to the mainstream of American life,
with the backing of the United States government, Ailey was able bring his troupe to Southeast
Asia, Australia, Brazil, Europe and West Africa.
3. Beginnings…
•Born January 5. 1931, Alvin Ailey found the world of dance at a very early age, whether it be
through tap dance lessons from his neighbor, or classes at Lester Horton’s modern dance
company.
• After Lester Horton’s death in 1953, Ailey took over the dance company as the new artistic
director, entering the troupe in two pieces for the Jacob’s Pillow festival. The pieces however
were not received well, leading to the break up of the modern dance company.
• Despite this setback Alvin Ailey did not wallow in self-pity, but went onto to appear in
numerous theatrical and musical productions on and off-Broadway. These performances
culminated in recruitment of 35 dancers to perform several concerts at the 92nd Street Young
Men’s and Young Women’s. The success of the several concerts lead to the formation of the
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
4. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Founded in 1958 by Alvin Ailey the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater emerged as
the America’s most popular dance troupe by the late 1970’s.
• It went on to gain international acclaim through its travels throughout Southeast
Asia, Australia, Brazil, Europe and West Africa.
• The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was the first modern dancers/dance
company to visit the Soviet Union as well as one of the first recognized art programs
(in terms of dance) to gain the U.S State Department backing.
• Every semester hundred of students flock to Fordham University to audition for a
spot in the school’s prestigious Alvin Ailey Dance program.
• Each year over twenty-five hundred dancers enroll in his dance school and repertory,
continuously proving the relevance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the
many other sister dance centers and ensembles that have spawned off it.
5. What Does Ailey Mean to Us…
• For many in the dance world, Alvin Ailey revolutionized modern dance. His dance forms
and performances combined the raw power and beautiful control on a sequence that had
never been before seen.
•As said in the article “Ailey Founds His Dance Company, “The dance movement
originally created by Ailey has become part of the vocabulary of contemporary dance;
the images he choreographed have become an irrevocable part of American culture.”
• “His works have elated and moved audiences throughout the world, his spirit soars in his
creation and he has enriched and illuminated our lives.
• Through the creation of his company, schools and ensembles Ailey has gone on to
influence thousands. The programs he created have excelled in all aspects and have left a
lasting impact on the world of the arts.
•By revolutionizing his company to include dancers based on the merit rather than color,
his works came to exist as part of the total multicultural American experience.
6. Clips of Alvin Ailey & His Predecessors Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9uEq9Sjefg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1g1xbnlXis&feature
=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgk_Ba_gvvg&feature
=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSXh4xuvyRs&featur
e=related
