Alvin Ailey
Dancer, Musical Artist
1931 – 1989
Who was Alvin Ailey?
Alvin Ailey was an African-American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. 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. In 1977, Ailey was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1988, just one year before his death.
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- Born
- Jan 5, 1931
Rogers - Also known as
- Alvin Ailey Jr.
- Ailey, Alvin
- Ethnicity
- African American
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Education
- San Francisco State University
(1952 - ) - University of California, Los Angeles
Romance languages
(1948 - 1949) - Los Angeles City College
(1950 - )
- San Francisco State University
- Lived in
- New York City
(1954 - 1989/12/01)
- New York City
- Died
- Dec 1, 1989
Manhattan
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Alvin Ailey." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/alvin_ailey>.
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