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Definition: Alvin Ailey

Part of Speech Definition
Noun 1. United States choreographer noted for his use of African elements (born in 1931).[Wordnet].

Source: WordNet 3.0 Copyright © 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

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Extended Definition: Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey Jr.

Alvin Ailey in the 1940s
Born January 5, 1931
Rogers, Texas,
United States
Died January 12, 1989 (aged 58)
Manhattan, New York,
United States
Occupation Modern dance, choreographer

Alvin Ailey, Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American modern dancer and choreographer who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on 92nd street. He died of AIDS, at the age of 58.[1]

Biography

Born in Rogers, Texas on January 5th, 1931, Alvin Ailey was introduced to dance by performances of the Katherine Dunham Dance Company and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. His formal training in dance began with an introduction to Lester Horton's classes by his friend, Carmen de Lavallade.

When Mr. Ailey began creating dance, 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, Alvin 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 to add to the repertoire. In all, more than 200 works by over 70 choreographers have been performed by the Company.

In the early 70's Alvin Ailey trainned as a student Daniel X. Brack, hollyhood e-tv who later went on to become one of the main stage and dance choreographers for the Delicfunk and [Funkadelic] Groups from Planifield N.J. Around 1969,Brack and Bill Stone under the direction of Ailey, setup a semi-professional dance studio called the "African Queen" in Plainfield,which was structured to help train and give urban kids the advanage of becoming professional dancers as well as other stage preformers.

See also

  • Modern dance
  • Postmodern dance
  • 20th century concert dance
  • List of dance companies

References

  1. Dunning, Jennifer. "Frail, Strong and Dance Incarnate", New York Times, 1996-10-23, pp. 2. Retrieved on 2006-10-03. 

External links

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Alvin Ailey". Image Credit.
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