Alvin Ailey, Jr.
photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1955
Born	(1931-01-05)January 5, 1931 Rogers, Texas, U.S.
Died	December 1, 1989(1989-12-01) (aged 58) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Dancer, choreographer

Alvin Ailey (January 5, 1931 - December 1, 1989) was an American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance. His company gained the nickname "Cultural Ambassador to the World" because of its extensive international touring. Ailey's choreographic masterpiece Revelations is believed to be the best known and most often seen modern dance performance. Ailey received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1988, just one year before his death.

Early years[link]

Ailey was born to his 17-year-old mother, Lula Elizabeth Ailey, in Rogers, Texas. His father abandoned the family when Alvin was only six months old. Like many African Americans living in Texas during the Great Depression, Ailey and his mother moved very often and she had a hard time finding work. Ailey grew up during a time of racial segregation, violence and lynchings against African-Americans. When Ailey was five, his 22-year-old mother was raped by a group of white men, leaving him afraid of whites. Early experiences in the Southern Baptist church and jook joints instilled in him a fierce sense of black pride that would later figure prominently in Ailey's signature works.^[1]' ^[2]

In the fall of 1942, Ailey's mother, in common with many African Americans, migrated to Los Angeles, California, where she had heard there was lucrative work supporting the war effort. Ailey joined his mother later by train, having stayed behind in Texas to finish out the school year. Ailey's first junior high school in California was located in a primarily white school district. As one of the only black students, Ailey felt out of place because of his fear of whites, so the Aileys moved to a predominantly black school district. He matriculated at George Washington Carver Junior High School, and later attended the Thomas Jefferson High School. He sang spirituals in the glee club, wrote poetry, and demonstrated a talent for languages. He regularly attended shows at Lincoln Theater and the Orpheum Theater. Ailey did not become serious about dance until in 1949 his school friend Carmen De Lavallade introduced him to the Hollywood studio of Lester Horton. Horton would prove to be Ailey's major influence, becoming a mentor and giving him both a technique and a foundation with which to grow artistically.^{[3][page needed]}

Horton's school taught a wide range of dance styles and techniques, including classical ballet, jazz, and Native American dance. Horton's school was also the first multi-racial dance school in the United States.^{[3][page needed]} Ailey was, at first, ambivalent about becoming a professional dancer. He had studied Romance languages at various universities in California,^{[citation needed]} but was restless, academically, and took courses as well in the writings of James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, and Carson McCullers. He moved to San Francisco to continue his studies in 1951. There, he met Marguerite Johnson, who later changed her name to Maya Angelou. They occasionally performed a nightclub act called "Al and Rita". Ailey earned a living waiting tables and dancing at the New Orleans Champagne Supper Club. Eventually, he returned to study dance with Horton in southern California.^{[3][page needed]}

The Horton Dance Company[link]

He was introduced to the company through Carmen, a life-long friend. At the age of twenty-two Ailey began full-time study at Horton's school. He joined Horton's company in 1953, making his debut in Horton's Revue Le Bal Caribe. It was during this period that Ailey performed in several Hollywood films. Like all of Horton's students, Ailey studied other art forms, including painting, acting, music, set design, and costuming, as well as ballet and other forms of modern and ethnic dance.

When Horton died in November 1953 the tragedy left the company without an artistic director. The company had outstanding contracts that required and desired new works. When no one else stepped forward, Ailey assumed the role of artistic director. Despite his youth and lack of experience (Ailey was only twenty-two and had choreographed only one dance in a workshop) he began choreographing, directing scene and costume designs, and running rehearsal.

Ailey designed his first piece in memory of Horton. It was arranged to showcase James Truitte's physical strength and Carmen de Lavallade's beauty and dramatic abilities.

New York[link]

In 1954, he and his friend Carmen De Lavallade were invited to New York to dance in the Broadway show, House of Flowers by Truman Capote, starring Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll. He also appeared in Sing, Man, Sing (1956, starring Harry Belafonte) and in Jamaica (1957) with Lena Horne and Ricardo Montalbán. The New York modern dance scene in the fifties was not to Ailey's taste. He observed the classes of modern dance contemporaries such as Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and José Limón. He felt Graham's dancing "finicky and strange" and disliked the techniques of both Humphrey and Limón. Ailey expressed disappointment at not being able to find a technique similar to Horton's. Not finding a mentor, he began creating works of his own.^[4][5]

Alvin Ailey Dance Theater[link]

Ailey formed his own group, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, in 1958. The group presented its inaugural concert on March 30, 1958. Notable early work included Blues Suite, a piece deriving from blues songs. Ailey's choreography was a dynamic and vibrant mix growing out of his previous training in ballet, modern dance, jazz, and African dance techniques. Ailey insisted upon a complete theatrical experience, including costumes, lighting, and make-up. A work of intense emotional appeal expressing the pain and anger of African Americans, Blues Suite was an instant success and defined Ailey's style.

Revelations performed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in 2011

For his signature work, Revelations, Ailey drew upon his "blood memories" of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel. These forces resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work. Ailey originally intended the dance to be the second part of a larger, evening-length survey of African-American music which he began with Blues Suite.

Although Ailey created 79 works for his dancers, he maintained that his company was not merely a showcase for his own work. Today, the company continues Ailey's vision by performing important works from the past and commissioning new additions to the repertoire. In all, more than 200 works by over 70 choreographers have been performed by the company.

Ailey was proud that his company was multi-racial. While he wanted to give opportunities to black dancers, who were frequently excluded from performances by racist attitudes at the time, he also wanted to rise above issues of negritude. His company always employed artists based solely on artistic talent and integrity regardless of their race.

Ailey continued to create work for his own company and also choreographed for other companies.

In 1962 the U.S. State Departmentsponsored the Alvin Ailey Dance Company's first overseas tour. Ailey was suspicious of his government benefactors' motives. He suspected they were propagandistic, seeking to advertise a false tolerance by showcasing a modern Negro dance group.

In 1970, Ailey was honored by a commission to create The River for ABT (ABT). Ailey viewed The River, which he based on the music of composer Duke Ellington, as a chance to work with some of the finest ballet dancers in the world, particularly with the great dramatic ballerina Sallie Wilson. ABT, however, insisted that the leading male role be danced by the only black man, despite misgivings by Ailey and others about the dancer's talent.

Cry (1971) was one of Ailey's greatest successes. He dedicated it to his mother and black women everywhere. It became a signature piece for Judith Jamison.

The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater was constructed by Tishman Realty and Construction Corporation of New York, Manhattan's largest builder.

Technique[link]

Ailey made use of any combination of dance techniques that best suited the theatrical moment.^[5] Valuing eclecticism, he created more a dance style than a technique. He said that what he wanted from a dancer was a long, unbroken leg line and deftly articulated legs and feet ("a ballet bottom") combined with a dramatically expressive upper torso ("a modern top"). "What I like is the line and technical range that classical ballet gives to the body. But I still want to project to the audience the expressiveness that only modern dance offers, especially for the inner kinds of things."^[5]

Ailey's dancers came to his company with training from a variety of other schools, from ballet to modern and jazz and later hip-hop. He was unique in that he did not train his dancers in a specific technique before they performed his choreography. He approached his dancers more in the manner of a jazz conductor, requiring them to infuse his choreography with a personal style that best suited their individual talents. This openness to input from dancers heralded a paradigm shift that brought concert dance into harmony with other forms of African-American expression, including big band jazz.^[5]

In 1992 Alvin Ailey was inducted into the C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Personal life[link]

Ailey kept his life as a dancer a secret from his mother for the first two years.^[6]

For a time during the 1950s, Ailey was romantically linked with political activist David McReynolds.^[7][8]

Ailey died on December 1, 1989 at the age of 58.^[9] To spare his mother the social stigma of his death from AIDS, he asked his doctor to announce that he had died of terminal blood dyscrasia.^[6]

Choreography[link]

• Cinco Latinos, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City, 1958.
• Blues Suite (also see below), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre,Kaufmann Concert Hall, 1958.
• Revelations, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Kaufmann ConcertHall, 1960.
• Three for Now, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Clark Center, New York City, 1960.
• Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Clark Center, 1960.
• (With Carmen De Lavallade) Roots of the Blues, Lewisohn Stadium, New York City, 1961.
• Hermit Songs, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 1963.
• Ariadne, Harkness Ballet, Opera Comique, Paris, 1965.
• Macumba, Harkness Ballet, Gran Teatro del Liceo, Barcelona, Spain,1966, then produced as Yemanja, Chicago Opera House, 1967.
• Quintet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, Scotland, 1968, then Billy Rose Theatre, New York City, 1969.
• Masekela Language, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, American Dance Festival, New London, Connecticut, 1969, then Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, 1969.
• Streams (also see below), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1970.
• Gymnopedies, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1970.
• The River, American Ballet Theatre, New York State Theatre, 1970.
• Flowers, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, ANTA Theatre, 1971.
• Myth, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1971.
• Choral Dances, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1971.
• Cry, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1971.
• Mingus Dances, Robert Joffrey Company, New York City Center, 1971.
• Mary Lou's Mass, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1971.
• Song for You, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1972.
• The Lark Ascending, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1972.
• Love Songs, Alvin Ailey City Center Dance Theater, New York City Center, 1972.
• Shaken Angels, 10th New York Dance Festival, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, 1972.
• Sea Change, American Ballet Theatre, Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington, D.C., 1972, then New York City Center, 1973.
• Hidden Rites, Alvin Ailey City Center Dance Theater, New York City Center, 1973.
• Archipelago, 1971,
• The Mooche, 1975,
• Night Creature, 1975,
• Pas de "Duke", 1976,
• Memoria, 1979,
• Phases, 1980
• Landscape, 1981.

Stage[link]

Acting and dancing[link]

• (Broadway debut) House of Flowers, Alvin Theatre, New YorkCity, 1954 - Actor and dancer.
• The Carefree Tree, 1955 - Actor and dancer.
• Sing, Man, Sing, 1956 - Actor and dancer.
• Show Boat, Marine Theatre, Jones Beach, New York, 1957 - Actor and dancer.
• Jamaica, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1957 - Actor and lead dance.
• Call Me By My Rightful Name, One Sheridan Square Theatre, 1961 - Paul.
• Ding Dong Bell, Westport Country Playhouse, 1961 - Negro Political Leader.
• Blackstone Boulevard, Talking to You, produced as double-bill in 2 by Saroyan, East End Theatre, New York City, 1961-62.
• Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright, Booth Theatre, 1962 - Clarence Morris.

Stage choreography[link]

• Carmen Jones, Theatre in the Park, 1959.
• Jamaica, Music Circus, Lambertville, New Jersey, 1959.
• Dark of the Moon, Lenox Hill Playhouse, 1960.
• (And director) African Holiday (musical), Apollo Theatre, New York City, 1960, then produced at Howard Theatre, Washington, D.C., 1960.
• Feast of Ashes (ballet), Robert Joffrey Company, Teatro San Carlos, Lisbon, Portugal, 1962, then produced at New York City Center, 1971.
• Antony and Cleopatra, Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, New York City, 1966.
• La Strada, first produced at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 1969.
• (With others) Mass, Metropolitan Opera House, 1972, then John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia Academy of Music, both 1972.
• Carmen, Metropolitan Opera, 1972.
• Choreographed ballet, Lord Byron (opera; also see below), Juilliard School of Music, New York City, 1972.
• Four Saints in Three Acts, Piccolo Met, New York City, 1973.

Director[link]

• (With William Hairston) Jerico-Jim Crow, The Sanctuary, New York City, 1964, then Greenwich Mews Theatre, 1968.

Film[link]

Film appearances[link]

• (Film debut) Dancer, Lydia Bailey, Twentieth-Century Fox, 1952.
• Dancer, Carmen Jones, Twentieth-Century Fox, 1954.

Film choreography[link]

• Choreographer (with others), The Turning Point, Twentieth-Century Fox, 1977.

Television[link]

Television appearances[link]

• Dancer (with Horton Company), Party at Ciro's (also see below), 1954.
• Dancer (with Horton Company), Red Skelton Show (also see below), CBS, 1954.
• (With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) Dave Garroway Today Show, NBC, 1959.
• (With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) Look Up and Live, CBS, 1962.
• (With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) Camera Three, CBS, 1962-63.
• America's Tribute to Bob Hope, NBC, 1988.
• A Duke Named Ellington (also known as American Masters), PBS, 1988.
• The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1988.
• 16th Annual Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, syndicated, 1989.
• Bill Cosby Salutes Alvin Ailey, NBC, 1989.

Television choreography[link]

• The Jack Benny Show, CBS, 1954.
• Red Skelton Show, CBS, 1954.
• Parade, CBC, 1964.
• Alvin Ailey: Memories and Visions, PBS, 1974.
• "Blues Suite", Three by Three, PBS, 1985.
• "Revelations", The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1988.
• "Revelations", Bill Cosby Salutes Alvin Ailey, NBC, 1989.
• "For Bird - With Love", Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Steps Ahead, PBS, 1991.
• Also contributed choreography for Party at Ciro's, 1954.
• Choreographed Ailey Celebrates Ellington, 1974 and 1976, Solo for Mingus, 1979, and Memoria, 1979.

Adaptations[link]

• Blues Suite, Masekela Language, Streams, and the ballet of Lord Byron have been filmed.

See also[link]

Dance portal

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

References[link]

Citations

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alvin Ailey

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alvin Ailey

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Alvin Ailey at the Internet Broadway Database
• Alvin Ailey at the Internet Movie Database
• Alvin Ailey at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• American Ballet Theater biography
• Kennedy Center biography
• Body and Soul: The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from the Smithsonian Institution
• NPR: Holiday Dance at the Alvin Ailey Theater
• "Alvin Ailey". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1808. Retrieved August 9, 2010. 
• Works by or about Alvin Ailey in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• National Museum of Dance
• Archive footage of Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble dancing Revelations in 1988 at Jacob's Pillow

Judith Ann Jamison (born May 10, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania^[1]) is an American dancer and choreographer, best known as the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Early Training:[link]

Judith Jamison was born on May 10, 1943 and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her mother, father, and older brother.^[2] Her father taught her to play the piano,and violin. She was exposed to the prominent art culture in Philadelphia from a very early age. At the age of six, she began her dance training at Judimar School of Dance. There she studied with Marion Cuyjet who became one of Jamison’s early mentors. Under Cuyjet’s tutelage, Jamison studied classical ballet, and modern dance. The Judimar studios were treated as a “holy place” and there was always a sense of performance and theatricality in Cuyjet’s classes.^[3] By age eight, Jamison began dancing on pointe and started taking classes in tap dancing, acrobatics, and Dunham technique (which was referred to as “primitive”). A few years later, Cuyjet began sending Jamison to other teachers to advance her dance education. She learned the Cechetti method from Anthony Tudor, founder of the Philadelphia Ballet Guild, and studied with Delores Brown Abelson, a graduate of Judimar who pursued a performance career in New York City before returning to Philadelphia to teach. Throughout high school, Jamison was also member of numerous sports organizations, the Glee Club, and the Philadelphia String Ensemble. She studied Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a system that teaches rhythm through movement. At age seventeen, Jamison graduated from Judimar and began her collegiate studies at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she spent three semesters studying psychology before transferring to Philadelphia Dance Academy.^[4] There she studied with James Jamieson, Nadia Chilkovsky, and Yuri Gottschalk. In addition to her technique classes, she took courses in Labanotation, kinesiology, and other dance studies. During this time, she also learned the Horton technique from Joan Kerr, which required great strength, balance, and concentration.^[5]

Performance Career:[link]

In 1964, after seeing Jamison in a master class, Agnes de Mille invited her to come to New York to perform in a new work that she was choreographing for American Ballet Theatre, ‘’The Four Marys’’.^[6] Jamison immediately accepted the offer and spent the next few months working with the company. When the performances ended and she found herself in New York without a job, Jamison attended an audition held by Donald McKayle. She felt that she performed very poorly in the audition and claimed, “I felt as if I had two left feet.”^[7] However, a few days later, a friend of McKayle’s, Alvin Ailey, called Jamison to offer her a place in his company – Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. Jamison made her premiere with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at Chicago’s Harper Theater Dance Festival in 1965 in ‘’Congo Tango Palace’’, and in 1966, she toured Europe and Africa with the company. Jamison had always had a strong interest in African identity; therefore, traveling to Africa with the company and having the opportunity to observe the culture first-hand was an exciting and valuable experience for her.^[8] Unfortunately, soon afterward, financial complications forced Ailey to put his company on a temporary hiatus. During this time, Jamison danced with Harkness Ballet and served as an assistant to the artistic director. However, she immediately returned to Alvin Ailey Dance Theater when the company re-formed in 1967.Jamison spent the next thirteen years dancing with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and learned over seventy ballets. Throughout her performance career with the company she danced in many of Ailey’s most renowned works, including ‘’Blues Suite’’ and ‘’Revelations’’. On May 4, 1979, Jamison premiered her famous solo, ‘’Cry’’. Alvin Ailey choreographed this sixteen minute dance as a birthday present for his mother, Lula Cooper, and later dedicated it to “all-black women everywhere, especially our mothers.”^[9] The solo is intensely physical and emotionally draining to perform. It celebrates the journey of a woman coming out of a troubled and painful world and finding the strength to overcome and conquer. She never ran the full piece from start to finish until the premiere, the piece received standing ovations and overwhelming critical acclaim, rewarding Jamison with great fame and recognition throughout the dance world. Today, ‘’Cry’’ remains a crowd favorite and is still featured in the company’s repertoire. Throughout her years with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Jamison continued to perform all over the world. Along with her work with Ailey’s company, she also appeared as a guest artist with the Cullberg Ballet, Swedish Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and numerous other companies. She danced alongside many renowned dancers, including the ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov, in a duet entitled ‘’Pas de Duke’’, choreographed by Alvin Ailey in 1976.^[10] Finally, in 1980, she left Ailey’s company to perform in the Broadway musical, ‘’’Sophisticated Ladies’’’. It was Jamison’s first stage experience outside the realm of concert dance, and she admits it was initially very challenging for her. It was a completely different performance atmosphere and required a variety of new skills.

The Jamison Project:[link]

In addition performing, Jamison wanted the opportunity to explore working with her own group of dancers. She began teaching master classes at Jacob’s Pillow in 1981 and soon began choreographing her own works. She later formed The Jamison Project with a group of dancers with a strong desire to work and learn. The Project premiered on November 15, 1988 at the Joyce Theater in New York City, performing works such as ‘’Divining’’, ‘’Time Out’’, and ‘’Tease’’. Jamison later invited guest choreographers, including Garth Fagan, to set work for the company.

Return to Alvin Ailey Dance Theater:[link]

In 1988, Jamison returned to Alvin Ailey Dance Theater as an artistic associate. Upon Ailey’s death, on December 1, 1989, she assumed the role of artistic director and dedicated the next 21 years of her life to the company’s success.^[11] Alvin Ailey Dance Theater continued to thrive as Jamison continued to rehearse and restage classics from the company’s repertory, as well as commission distinguished choreographers to create new works for the dancers. Jamison also continued to choreograph, and created dances such as ‘’Forgotten Time’’, ‘’Hymn’’, ‘’Love Stories’’, and ‘’Among Us’’ for the company. In July 2011, Jamison transitioned into the role of Artistic Director Emerita and appointed Robert Battle to the position of Artistic Director Designate.

Choreography By Jamison:[link]

Divining (1984)

Forgotten Time (1989)

Rift (1991)

Hymn (a tribute to Alvin Ailey) (1993)

Riverside (1995)

Sweet Release (1996)

Echo: Far From Home (1998)

Double Exposure (2000)

Here...Now (2001)

Love Stories (in collaboration with Robert Battle and Rennie Harris) (2004)

Reminiscin' (2005)

Among Us (Private Spaces: Public Places) (2009)

==Writing:== Dancing Spirit, Jamison’s autobiography was published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. in 1993.

Awards:[link]

• Youngest person ever to receive The Dance USA Award (1998)

• New York State Governor’s Arts Award (1998)

• Kennedy Center Honors for her contribution to American culture through dance (1999)

• A prime time Emmy Award and an American Choreography Award for her work on the PBS Documentary “A Hymn for Alvin Ailey” (1999)

• National Medal of Arts (2001)

• Honored by the National Theater of Ghana (2002)

• The Paul Robeson Award from the Actors’ Equity Association (2004)

• Bessie Award for her commitment to development in dance and the arts (2007)

• The BET Honors Award – a tribute to the achievement of leading African Americans (2009)

• Listed in the TIME 100: The World’s Most Influential People (2009)

• Congressional Black Caucus’ Phoenix Award (2010)

• The Handel Medallion (2010)

 [12]

References[link]

1. ^ Judith Jamison, Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2011. Web. 26 April 2011.
2. ^ DeFrantz, Thomas. “Great Performances: Judith Jamison.” PBS: Free To Dance. 11 Nov 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/jamison.html>
3. ^ Jamison, Judith. Dancing Spirit. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1993.
4. ^ DeFrantz, Thomas. “Great Performances: Judith Jamison.” PBS: Free To Dance. 11 Nov 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/jamison.html>
5. ^ Jamison, Judith. Dancing Spirit. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1993.
6. ^ Jamison, Judith. Dancing Spirit. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1993.
7. ^ Jamison, Judith. Dancing Spirit. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1993.
8. ^ DeFrantz, Thomas. “Great Performances: Judith Jamison.” PBS: Free To Dance. 11 Nov 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/jamison.html>
9. ^ “Repertory: Cry.” Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation. 8 Nov 2011. < http://www.alvinailey.org/about/people/judith-jamison>
10. ^ Long, Richard A. The Black Tradition in American Dance. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1989.
11. ^ “Judith Jamison.” Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation. 8 Nov 2011. < http://www.alvinailey.org/about/people/judith-jamison>
12. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judith_Jamison&action=submit#

Ailey, Alvin. Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. New York: Birch Lane Press, 1995.

DeFrantz, Thomas. “Great Performances: Judith Jamison.” PBS: Free To Dance. 11 Nov 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/jamison.html>

Jamison, Judith. Dancing Spirit. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1993.

“Judith Jamison.” Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation. 8 Nov 2011. < http://www.alvinailey.org /about/people/judith-jamison>

Long, Richard A. The Black Tradition in American Dance. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1989. Mara, Thalia. To Dance, To Live. New York: Dance Horizons, 1977.

“Repertory: Cry.” Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation. 8 Nov 2011. < http://www.alvinailey.org /about/people/judith-jamison>

Siegel, Marcia B. Watching the Dance Go By. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977.

External links[link]

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater biography
• PBS "Great Performances" biography
• Kennedy Center biography
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Judith Jamison on Charlie Rose
• Judith Jamison collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Judith Jamison in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Archival footage of Judith Jamison performing Scene Seen in 1988 at Jacob's Pillow