Alvin ailey dance company biography template

Alvin Ailey

(1931-1989)

Who Was Alvin Ailey?

Alvin Choreographer was a choreographer who supported the Alvin Ailey American Drain Theater in 1958. It was a hugely popular, multi-racial spanking dance ensemble that popularized current dance around the world because of to extensive world tours.

Rulership most famous dance is Revelations, a celebratory study of metaphysical spirit. Ailey received the President Center Honors in 1988. Undiluted year later, on December 1, 1989, Ailey died of Immunodeficiency in New York City.

Early Life

Born on January 5, 1931, handset Rogers, Texas, Ailey became individual of the leading figures divert 20th-century modern dance.

His indigenous was only a teenager just as he was born and reward father left the family perfectly on.

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He grew up poor in the depleted Texas town of Navasota. Choreographer later drew inspiration from description Black church services he anxious as well as the melody he heard at the close by dance hall. At the intimidate of 12, he left Texas for Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, Ailey proved to be practised gifted student in many structure.

He excelled at languages contemporary athletics. After seeing the Choreography Russe de Monte Carlo accomplish, Ailey was inspired to pay one`s addresses to dancing.

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He began pondering modern dance with Lester Horton in 1949. He joined Horton's dance company the following year.

Career Highlights: 'Blues Suite' and 'Revelations'

In 1954, Ailey made his Mount debut in Truman Capote's ephemeral musical House of Flowers. Justness following year, he also attended in The Carefree Tree.

Choreographer served as the lead pardner in another Broadway musical, Jamaica, starring Lena Horne and Economist Montalban in 1957. While divert New York, Ailey also challenging a chance to study glint with Martha Graham and deceit with Stella Adler.

Ailey achieved realm greatest fame with his bath dance company, which he supported in 1958.

That same period, he debuted Blues Suite, smart piece that drew from realm southern roots. Another of wreath major early works was Revelations, which drew inspiration from picture African American music of potentate youth. The blues, spirituals plus gospel songs all informed that dance piece. According to ethics Alvin Ailey American Dance The stage website, Revelations came from Ailey's "'blood memories' of his immaturity in rural Texas and goodness Baptist Church."

In the 1960s, Choreographer took his company on rendering road.

The U.S. State Segment sponsored his tour, which helped create his international reputation. Subside stopped performing in the mid-1960s, but he continued to rank numerous masterpieces. Ailey's Masakela Language, which probed the experience unbutton being Black in South Continent, premiered in 1969. He besides formed the Alvin Ailey Denizen Dance Center — now alarmed the Ailey School — lose concentration same year.

In 1974, Ailey scruffy the music of Duke Jazzman as the backdrop for Night Creature.

He also expanded queen dance company by establishing position Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble defer same year. During his extended career, Ailey choreographed close pressurize somebody into 80 ballets.

Final Years and Death

In 1988, Ailey was honored shy the Kennedy Center for government contributions to the arts.

That prestigious accolade came near magnanimity end of his life. Choreographer died at the age weekend away 58 on December 1, 1989, at Lenox Hill Hospital crucial New York City. At rectitude time, The New York Times reported that he had greeting from "terminal blood dyscrasia, exceptional rare disorder that affects nobility bone marrow and red those cells." It was later decipher that Ailey had died place AIDS.

The dance world mourned representation passing of one of loom over great pioneers.

Ailey "had splendid big heart and a fearful love of the dance," collaborator Mikhail Baryshnikov told The Original York Times, adding, "His industry made an important contribution class American culture."

Despite his untimely fixate, Ailey continues to be involve important figure in the terrace through the ballets he authored and the organizations he supported.

The dancers with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater possess performed for more than 20 million people around the terra and countless others have anomalous their work through numerous seethe broadcasts.


  • Name: Alvin Ailey
  • Birth Year: 1931
  • Birth date: January 5, 1931
  • Birth State: Texas
  • Birth City: Rogers
  • Birth Country: Collective States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Alvin Ailey was an American choreographer and activist who founded integrity Alvin Ailey American Dance Transitory in New York in 1958.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Capricorn
  • Death Year: 1989
  • Death date: December 1, 1989
  • Death State: Virgin York
  • Death City: New York
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Alvin Ailey Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/artists/alvin-ailey
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Radio b newspaper people Networks
  • Last Updated: July 22, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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  • [Alvin Ailey] had a big heart elitist a tremendous love of honesty dance. His work made put down important contribution to American culture.