Laurence Jacques

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has grown from a now-fabled first performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for over 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents -- as well as millions more through television broadcasts, movie screenings and online platforms. In 2008, a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Company as "a vital American cultural ambassador to the world," one that celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage. When Mr. Ailey began creating dances, 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, Mr. 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. In all, more than 235 works by over 90 choreographers are part of the Ailey company's repertory. Before his untimely death in 1989, Alvin Ailey named Judith Jamison as the new Artistic Director, and over the next 21 years she brought the Company to unprecedented success. Ms. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to take over the Company in 2011, and The New York Times declared that he "has injected the company with new life."​