Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City;s founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey; currently made up of 32 dancers; artistic director, Robert Battle; associate artistic director, Matthew Rushing; first performed at New York's 92nd Street Young Men's Hebrew Association (92nd Street Y), under the name Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), in March 1958; the new company traveled on what were known as the "station wagon tours"; in 1960, the AAADT became a resident company of the 51st Street YWCA's Clark Center for the Performing Arts; during this period Ailey choreographed Revelations; Ailey changed his all-black dance company into a multi-racial group, 1962; Judith Jamison joined company, 1965; Ailey established a school in 1969;,AAADT made its first performance at the New York City Center, 1971; Masazumi Chaya, who later served as associate artistic director for 28 years, first joined the company as a dancer in 1972; AAADT, the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (later renamed Ailey II), and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (later renamed The Ailey School) relocated, 1980; Alvin Ailey died on December 1, 1989; before his death he selected Judith Jamison to succeed him as artistic director; Ailey organization moved to 211 West 61st Street; following tours in Russia, France and Cuba in the 1990s, as well as a residency in South Africa in 1997, the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation announced in 2001 that a new dance complex was to be developed; the Joan Weill Center for Dance opened, 2004; Jamison selected Robert Battle to succeed her as Ailey's artistic director in 2011

Alvin Ailey and a group of young, black modern dancers perform for the first time as members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York’s 92nd Street YM-YWHA, March 30, 1958