1931-1989
Dancer, choreographer, and Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Alvin Ailey became involved with dance at a very young age. In 1953 he was the director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater. When that disbanded he studied with dance greats Martha Graham and Charles Weidman before forming his own theater in 1958.
The AAADT was composed primarily of African Americans althought Latinos, Asians and Anglos(Madonna most notably) have also danced with the troupe. To this day they tour extensively all over the world.
The critically acclaimed theater's signature piece is Revelations (1960), a powerful, early work by Ailey that is set to American Negro spirituals.
Since Ailey's death, the theater has been run by former dancer, Judith Jamison.