Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

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The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. It is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate artistic director Matthew Rushing.

Alvin Ailey and a group of young Black modern dancers 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. Ailey was the company's director, choreographer, and principal dancer. The company started as an ensemble of only seven dancers, plus their choreographer, and many guest choreographers. Following their first performance, which included Ailey's Blues Suite, the 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 his famous work Revelations, a character dance done to traditional music. In 1962, Ailey changed his all-black dance company into a multi-racial group. In that same year, the company was chosen to tour the Far East, Southeast Asia and Australia as part of President John F. Kennedy's "President's Special International Program for Cultural Presentations". AAADT was the first "Black" company to travel for Kennedy's program. Judith Jamison, a star of the company for 15 years, joined the company in 1965.

Ailey established a school in 1969, the same year that the company moved to the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Both company and school relocated to 229 East 59th Street in Manhattan a year later, to a renovated church building. In April of that year, a financial crisis caused Ailey to issue a statement that the dissolution of the company might take place. The crisis abated, however, and in 1971 AAADT made its first performance at the New York City Center, where it is currently the resident company. 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 in 1980 to four new studios in a building on Broadway. The company celebrated its 25th anniversary three years later. Alvin Ailey died on December 1, 1989; before his death he selected Judith Jamison to succeed him as artistic director,[2] and the entire Ailey organization moved to 211 West 61st Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The Ailey School and nearby Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), Fordham University, have since affiliated to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program.

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. Ground was broken on the building site in Manhattan the following year. The company and school moved into the building, named the Joan Weill Center for Dance, in 2004.

After 21 seasons, Jamison personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her as Ailey's artistic director in 2011.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Wood, Donna,. Interview with Donna Wood. New York Public Libraries for the Performing Arts, Dance Collection
referencedIn Body and Soul: the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (1992 : New York, N.Y.) [Clippings] New York Public Libraries for the Performing Arts, Dance Collection
creatorOf Maryland Dance Theater. Maryland Dance Theater records, 1973-2008 (majority 1973-1988) University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
referencedIn Clarke, Ivy [clippings] New York Public Libraries for the Performing Arts, Dance Collection
referencedIn Souvenir programs of ballet, dance, and theatrical productions, ca. 1924-1998. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Double exposure (Jamison) [clippings] New York Public Libraries for the Performing Arts, Dance Collection
referencedIn Ailey, Alvin, 1931-1989,. Interview with Alvin Ailey. New York Public Libraries for the Performing Arts, Dance Collection
referencedIn Thompson, Clive,. Interview with Clive Thompson. New York Public Libraries for the Performing Arts, Dance Collection
referencedIn Theatre National de la Danse et de l'Image (Chateauvallon, France) [clippings]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Graf, Alicia J. [clippings]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Strayhorn, Danny [clippings]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Robert Alexander Papers, 1962-1987 Fales Library & Special Collections
referencedIn Paul Szilard papers, 1938-1996 and undated, 1938-1996 and undated The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
referencedIn Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater [clippings]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Correspondence with Marian Anderson, 1973. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Rene Highway Collection. Clive Thompson / presented by Toronto Dance Theatre, 1979 - House Program. University of Guelph. McLaughlin Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
foundedBy Ailey, Alvin, 1931-1989, person
associatedWith Alexander, Robert, 1947- person
associatedWith Jamison, Judith person
associatedWith Maryland Dance Theater. corporateBody
associatedWith Szilard, Paul, 1912- person
associatedWith Thompson, Clive, person
associatedWith Wood, Donna, person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York City NY US
Subject
Occupation
Activity
Dancer

Corporate Body

Establishment 1958-03-30

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