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How Did Alvin Ailey Contribute To Dance

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“Power is at the center of dance's position in culture.” (14). Often times, dance is overlooked as a powerful form of expression. Choreographer, Alvin Ailey, has been greatly influential in both the dance world and society. He surpassed what he had hoped to accomplish by creating a unique style of movement, having a resounding impact on the world of modern dance, founding his dance company and accomplishing praiseworthy works that has inspired many to carry on his legacy. When Alvin Ailey Jr. was about six months old, his father had left the family. This was the start of a very rough childhood for him. He was born in a time unlike today, where racial segregation was unquestionably prevalent in America. (1) In 1942, when Alvin was eleven years …show more content…

His praise was earned through his activism which managed to uplift modern dance to a popular stance, transforming the world of ballet. (6) Ailey said “The cultural heritage of the American Negro is one of America’s richest treasures. From his roots as a slave, the American Negro- sometimes sorrowing, sometimes jubilant but always hopeful- has touched, illuminated, and influenced the most remote preserves of world civilisation. I and my dance theatre celebrate this trembling beauty.” (10) The experience of growing up as an African American seemed to have both hurt and helped him. No other choreographer of African-American decent in his time could be even slightly comparable to Ailey’s success. The style of ballet and modern dance were predominately domain to white choreographers and performers. Even today, to some extent, they still are. Ailey was one of the first to modify the norm by inspiring multiethnic dance opportunities.(11) Ailey’s goal as a choreographer was not only to place emphasis on black culture, but moreover to completely remove the idea of colour itself. …show more content…

In 2014, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, being recognized as America’s most honourable citizen for his contributions to civil rights as well as dance. (12) He changed the world of dance, not only through technique, but through spirit. His main focus was to engage his audience, and connect with them both emotionally and physically. (4) Ailey was able to merge popular dance technique with the stories and experiences of black people, all while encouraging other choreographers to collaborate with him. He invented new opportunities for multiethnic dances through founding his company and school, giving others the chance to create. Some of his best works, for instance “Revelations”, is showcased to this very day, and seems to be a contribution itself that has lasted through time. After the death of Alvin Ailey on December 1, 1989, The New York Times remarked “you didn’t need to have known Alvin personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm, and exuberance and his courageous stand for multi-racial brotherhood.” (new york

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Research Paper for Alvin Ailey Biography Born in Texas, on January 5, 1931, Alvin Ailey was one of the greatest black modern dancer-choreographer in the United States whose works continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. His mother was only 17 years old when he was born, and his father left the family soon after his birth, so Alvin grew up poor in Navasota, the small Texas town with his mother. Despite the racism and poor economic conditions, Ailey enjoyed the abundance of entertainment available to blacks, and inspired by the black church services he attended as well as the music he heard at the local dance hall. At the age of twelve, after finishing the school year in Texas, Ailey moved to Los Angeles, California, with his mother.

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Alvin Ailey was one of the greatest choreographers of his time and his legacy still lives on through his techniques and his preeminent dance company. Despite racial issues of his time, he was able to overcome them, learn from one of the greatest modern choreographers who came before him, land a job on Broadway, and later create his own long living dances through his own dance company which began with all black dancers. His legacy lives in his ability to rise above racial issues and create a new community of African American dancers in modern dance. Born in Texas during the Great Depression, Ailey grew up in hardship while also facing racial issues in the South. Around age 11 was where Ailey’s life began to gain purpose.

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As an African-American from the south, Ailey strived to preserve his culture and enrich the modern dance community. In his lifetime, he created more than 80 dances for his company spanning from 1958 to his death. One of his first pieces debuted in his company's first year called Blues Suite, a piece that drew from his southern roots (Welchman.) According to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater website, Revelations came from Ailey's “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist Church, which is often cited as his masterpiece work in the dance world. Ailey is responsible for introducing many diverse dance techniques which altered Modern Dance.

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In 1971, Alvin Ailey choreographed Cry, a three part work solo dance set to gospel music that describes an emotional journey filled with struggle, hardships, defeat, survival and joy. It was intended as a birthday present to Alvin’s mother and a dedication to all black women everywhere. The first part of the dance is the struggle of trying to maintain pride irrespective of the opposition faced from outside. The second part reveals the sorrow within after the woman’s pride has been shattered into pieces and finally the third part is a spirited celebration of finding strength and joy in God. Even though cry was dedicated to only black women, i argue the notion that all women both black and white of the nineteenth century could relate

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Alvin Ailey was a prevalent modern dance choreographer in the 20th century known for breaking down the racial barriers within dance. Born in Rodgers, Texas and growing up around the era of social rebellion and the fight for reconstruction of cultural stereotypes, Alvin Ailey’s company played an important role in the civil rights movement. Founding the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in December 1958, Ailey brought the vision of greater racial equality and used his modern dance as a platform for both his personal and cultural expression. Through the medium of dance, Alvin Ailey emerged African American aesthetic, fostered awareness for the need of multi-racial modern dance, and pioneered dance as a political and social movement. Ailey made a point of producing the works of black choreographers and musicians, focusing his productions on black American themes.

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