Alvin Ailey

Gerald L. Archard November 22, 2010 2nd block spring 2 saltation Pioneers, Companies, and Choreographers Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey, jr. was an African American modern trip the light fantasticr, dance teacher and choreographer, who founded the Alvin Ailey American trip the light fantastic toe Theater. Ailey was a gifted creator of dance expressing the African American heathen take and history. His choreographic whole caboodle live on in surgerys by the company he founded. The Alvin Ailey American bound Theater bited extensively and on a regular basis in Europe and Asia during Aileys lifetime, making Ailey a familiar name institutionwide.His act ass continue to inspire, uplift, educate, and communicate brilliance to alone who witness them. One of his top hat known nominates, the choreographic masterpiece, Revelations, based on Aileys go growing up as an African American in the South, consistently brings audiences to their feet in enthusiastic, self-generated ovation. Ailey was born to his 17-year-old mother, Lula Cooper, in Rogers, Texas. His father abandoned the family when Alvin was only a hardly a(prenominal) months old. Aileys mother was determined to make a better life for herself and child. She go numerous times in Aileys early old age.One of the constants in Alvins childhood was attending at the True Vine Baptist Church. His mother sang in the choir. Aileys immersion in the experience of charismatic and enthusiastic worship fil conduct with gospel euphony and traditional spiritual songs had a lasting affect. Later in life, he choreographed dances to some of the medication he first heard as a churchgoing adolescentster. In 1943, he and his mother travel to Los Angeles, California. Alvin was fourteen long time old then. His mother tended often. The teen used his freedom after instill to explore the city.Ailey was drawn to the music from the big band jazz clubs piece the musicians practiced for their evening shows. He was also dra wn to the theater marquees announcing upcoming shows like Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, and others. One day he spot a government note with a photo of Katherine Dunham, a dancer costumed in layers and layers of ruffles. At the time, Dunhams dance troupe was the only group of dancers checking and performing dances from Africa, Haiti, and Latin America. Aileys wonderment was so intense that he found himself peeking in the make up entre to catch sight of the performance of Dunhams Tropical Revue.This was the beginning of Aileys long wrath for dance. Alvin began hanging around the period entre of the theater during the run of Dunhams show. He was there so often that one of the dancers invited him arsestage and into the auditorium to watch. This introduction take him to study dance. Initi all toldy, Alvin took dance classes in the modality and method of choreographer and dancer Katherine Dunham, from a student of hers. However, he was not really comfortable with this po rt that concern abandoning oneself to sensuous full body movement.Later, he was introduced to dance teacher Lester Horton. Horton had a dance school in nearby in Hollywood and his style was more straightforward. After seeing the school performance of fellow Jefferson spicy School student and Horton protege, Carmen de Lavallade, Alvin signed on with Horton. Lavallade was to be a womb-to-tomb friend and colleague of Aileys. While studying with Horton, Ailey pursued college courses in the love story languages. At various times Ailey was enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles City College, and the University of California, Berkeley.He studied the publications of James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, and Carson McCullers. His scholarly pursuits led him a behavior from Lester Hortons school. In late pass of 1951, Ailey left for San Francisco to swear out and go to school. He soon befriended a youth singer and dancer by the name of Margareurite Angelos (Maya A ngelou). The two worked up a nightclub act called Al and Rita. They performed occasionally, and Ailey earned a living hold tables and dancing at the New Orleans Champagne Supper Club. It was here that he first began choreographing acts of his own.This experience also marked the end of his college pursuits. Ailey started his own dance company in 1958, featuring primarily African American dancers. The company was invited tail to Ted Shawns summer dance festival in Massachusetts, in the summer of 1959. next the stint, Susan Pimsleur, a concert manager offered to add the Ailey dancers to her roster. She laid out a plan for tours and concerts and designed a brochure, calling the company the Alvin Ailey American leaping Theater. A third concert at the 92nd course YMCA was planned for January 31, 1960.It was during this performance that Ailey first staged his signature work, Revelations. The piece came from a very indistinct clothe within Aileys psyche. The performance was an inte nse expression of heavenly faith, temporal despair, and unquenchable humanity. From its very first performance that January day, the audience jumped to their feet with a ring ovation. The producer of the dance program at the YMCA finally went on to the stage to silence the audience and announce that due to the overwhelming response of the audience, a second performance would be scheduled, an unprecedented fro that venue.In 1961, the United resigns Department of articulate approached Ailey, and invited him to travel in Southeast Asiaa for a thirteen week tour produced by the Presidents Special International Program for Cultural Presentations. Ailey accepted the invitation. He gathered dancers including some from his Horton days, including de Lavallade, Truitte and others. This was the first of many successful tours by the company. In a three years, Ailey had created a company and a body of work that communicated powerfully and conveyed to the military personnel the beauty and un iversality of art and its rightful gear up in American culture.Alvin wrote in program notes for one of the tours, The cultural inheritance of the American Negro is one of Americas richest treasures. Ailey integrated his dance company in 1963. He also did some acting and directing. One notable performance he directed was Langston Hughess Jericho-Jim Crow (1964). In summer of 1965, Ailey sight Judith Jamison, a strikingly tall dancer with a strong substructure in ballet, at an audition he was attending. Ailey saw something special in her and tracked her down to invite her to join the company. She accepted, and today it is Jamison who runs the AAADT.Presented around the world by the Aileys dance theater, the choreographic masterpiece Revelations, which is based on Aileys experience growing up as an African American in the South, is among the lift out known and most frequently seen of modern dance performances. This piece speaks to audiences of all stripes in such a profound and in spiring stylus that audiences often leap to their feet in ovation at the close of the performance. It is a timeless portrayal of the experience of the American south of the first half(prenominal) of the twentieth century.Ailey has been memorialized by the renaming of wolfram 61st path between Amsterdam and capital of Ohio Avenues in New York City as Alvin Ailey Way the Alvin Ailey American bounce Theater was located on that block at 211 westernmost 61st Street from 1989 until 2005, when it moved to a new, bigger facility at the corner of West 55th Street and Ninth Avenue. In 1987, Ailey received the Samuel H. Scripps American leap Festival Award. The citation on the award read, To Alvin Ailey, dancer teacher and choreographer, whose work is generated from the heart and powered by anger he stands as a model of dainty integrity.An American, informed by the Black experience, Mr. Aileys choreography presses by means of cultural lines and speaks a universal language. His dance s, whether sassy, sad, witty or lyrical, have brought rejoice and a sense of purpose to people throughout the world. Alvin Aileys consistent artistic achievements have insured him a place as a monster in the history of American modern dance. His longtime friend, Harry Belafonte presented the award. Ailey was awarded the Kennedy fondness Honors in 1988.Alvin AileyGerald L. Archard November 22, 2010 2nd block dance 2 terpsichore Pioneers, Companies, and Choreographers Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey, younger was an African American modern dancer, dance teacher and choreographer, who founded the Alvin Ailey American terpsichore Theater. Ailey was a gifted creator of dance expressing the African American cultural experience and history. His choreographic works live on in performances by the company he founded. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater toured extensively and regularly in Europe and Asia during Aileys lifetime, making Ailey a familiar name worldwide.His works continue to inspi re, uplift, educate, and communicate brilliance to all who witness them. One of his surmount known works, the choreographic masterpiece, Revelations, based on Aileys experience growing up as an African American in the South, consistently brings audiences to their feet in enthusiastic, off-the-cuff ovation. Ailey was born to his 17-year-old mother, Lula Cooper, in Rogers, Texas. His father abandoned the family when Alvin was only a a few(prenominal) months old. Aileys mother was determined to make a better life for herself and child. She moved numerous times in Aileys early years.One of the constants in Alvins childhood was attention at the True Vine Baptist Church. His mother sang in the choir. Aileys immersion in the experience of charismatic and enthusiastic worship filled with gospel music and traditional spiritual songs had a lasting affect. Later in life, he choreographed dances to some of the music he first heard as a churchgoing youngster. In 1943, he and his mother moved to Los Angeles, California. Alvin was fourteen years old then. His mother worked often. The teen used his freedom after school to explore the city.Ailey was drawn to the music from the big band jazz clubs man the musicians practiced for their evening shows. He was also drawn to the theater marquees announcing upcoming shows like Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, and others. One day he spotted a account with a photo of Katherine Dunham, a dancer costumed in layers and layers of ruffles. At the time, Dunhams dance troupe was the only group of dancers touring and performing dances from Africa, Haiti, and Latin America. Aileys rareness was so intense that he found himself peeking in the stage door to catch sight of the performance of Dunhams Tropical Revue.This was the beginning of Aileys lifelong passion for dance. Alvin began hanging around the stage door of the theater during the run of Dunhams show. He was there so often that one of the dancers invited him backstage and into the auditorium to watch. This introduction led him to study dance. Initially, Alvin took dance classes in the style and method of choreographer and dancer Katherine Dunham, from a student of hers. However, he was not really comfortable with this style that knotted abandoning oneself to sensuous full body movement.Later, he was introduced to dance teacher Lester Horton. Horton had a dance school in nearby in Hollywood and his style was more straightforward. After seeing the school performance of fellow Jefferson superior School student and Horton protege, Carmen de Lavallade, Alvin signed on with Horton. Lavallade was to be a lifelong friend and colleague of Aileys. While studying with Horton, Ailey pursued college courses in the court languages. At various times Ailey was enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles City College, and the University of California, Berkeley.He studied the literary exertions of James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, and Carson McCullers . His scholarly pursuits led him away from Lester Hortons school. In late summer of 1951, Ailey left for San Francisco to work and go to school. He soon befriended a young singer and dancer by the name of Margareurite Angelos (Maya Angelou). The two worked up a nightclub act called Al and Rita. They performed occasionally, and Ailey earned a living postponement tables and dancing at the New Orleans Champagne Supper Club. It was here that he first began choreographing acts of his own.This experience also marked the end of his college pursuits. Ailey started his own dance company in 1958, featuring primarily African American dancers. The company was invited back to Ted Shawns summer dance festival in Massachusetts, in the summer of 1959. followers the stint, Susan Pimsleur, a concert manager offered to add the Ailey dancers to her roster. She laid out a plan for tours and concerts and designed a brochure, calling the company the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. A third concert a t the 92nd Street YMCA was planned for January 31, 1960.It was during this performance that Ailey first staged his signature work, Revelations. The piece came from a very mystic place within Aileys psyche. The performance was an intense expression of heavenly faith, mortal despair, and unquenchable humanity. From its very first performance that January day, the audience jumped to their feet with a reverberative ovation. The producer of the dance program at the YMCA finally went on to the stage to silence the audience and announce that due to the overwhelming response of the audience, a second performance would be scheduled, an unprecedented fro that venue.In 1961, the United States Department of State approached Ailey, and invited him to travel in Southeast Asiaa for a thirteen week tour produced by the Presidents Special International Program for Cultural Presentations. Ailey accepted the invitation. He gathered dancers including some from his Horton days, including de Lavallade , Truitte and others. This was the first of many successful tours by the company. In a three years, Ailey had created a company and a body of work that communicated powerfully and conveyed to the world the beauty and universality of art and its rightful place in American culture.Alvin wrote in program notes for one of the tours, The cultural hereditary pattern of the American Negro is one of Americas richest treasures. Ailey integrated his dance company in 1963. He also did some acting and directing. One notable production he directed was Langston Hughess Jericho-Jim Crow (1964). In summer of 1965, Ailey spotted Judith Jamison, a strikingly tall dancer with a strong presentation in ballet, at an audition he was attending. Ailey saw something special in her and tracked her down to invite her to join the company. She accepted, and today it is Jamison who runs the AAADT.Presented around the world by the Aileys dance theater, the choreographic masterpiece Revelations, which is based o n Aileys experience growing up as an African American in the South, is among the trounce known and most frequently seen of modern dance performances. This piece speaks to audiences of all stripes in such a profound and inspiring way that audiences often leap to their feet in ovation at the close of the performance. It is a timeless portrayal of the experience of the American south of the first half of the twentieth century.Ailey has been memorialized by the renaming of West 61st Street between Amsterdam and capital of Ohio Avenues in New York City as Alvin Ailey Way the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was located on that block at 211 West 61st Street from 1989 until 2005, when it moved to a new, bigger facility at the corner of West 55th Street and Ninth Avenue. In 1987, Ailey received the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award. The citation on the award read, To Alvin Ailey, dancer teacher and choreographer, whose work is generated from the heart and powered by passion he stands as a model of artistic integrity.An American, informed by the Black experience, Mr. Aileys choreography presses through cultural lines and speaks a universal language. His dances, whether sassy, sad, witty or lyrical, have brought gratification and a sense of purpose to people throughout the world. Alvin Aileys consistent artistic achievements have insured him a place as a giant in the history of American modern dance. His longtime friend, Harry Belafonte presented the award. Ailey was awarded the Kennedy touch on Honors in 1988.