ipl-logo

How Did Alvin Ailey Contribute To Dance

420 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How did alvin ailey influence change in dance

The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater was created after a famous performance, led by Alvin Ailey and a group of African-American dancers in March 1958, dramatically changed how individuals viewed American dance. The theater’s goal was to celebrate the African-American culture and preserve the legacy of modern dance, which has since, been achieved through performances, “for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 28 states and 71 countries on six continents[...] (by) more than 235 works by over 90 choreographers,” (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater).
Alvin Ailey, born in Texas, grew up knowing that his experiences living in the South would have some influence on his works later on his life. In Los Angeles, Ailey began to dance when he discovered the beauty of dance by the performances of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Katherine Dunham Dance Company. Soon after, his friend persuaded Ailey to join a class in one of the first racially-integrated dance studios which existed in the United States, led by Leston Horton. When Horton passed away, he left the studio to Ailey and he began to perform multiple Broadway shows. In continuing to carry out Horton’s mission, and his vision of a company …show more content…

Jaminson established a 50-city global tour in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the studio, won countless awards, honors and created many unique works which include Divining (1984), Forgotten Time (1989) and Hymn (1993). However, recently, Jaminson decided to select Robert Battle to succeed her in the studio. A choreographer and artist at the Ailey theater, Battle has managed to create many respected ballets and collaborate with many diverse artists since he began to head the Company which has won him the “Masters of African-American Choreography” in 2005, “Visiting Fellow for the Art of Change” in 2015, and

Show More
Related
1092 Words | 5 Pages

With a new wife supporting him and also performing in some of his works, the musical came out to be a great success. Broadway, movies, and now musicals could not stop Bob Fosse, whose last name would soon become the term/award describing someone who’s strong of will, creative, and impacting the dance industry. But before this award could start begin handed out, Bob had to direct and choreograph a performance alone. A show simply titled, Redhead, yet another musical with the “Fosse touch” that now could be called his own unique style of story telling, dance, and singing

Read More
619 Words | 3 Pages

His choreography was like nothing the world has seen as it has popularized multicultural modern dance for the world. His most famous piece is called revelations and is being performed to this day by his school of young students and it has been performed for people globally. Since his theatre was founded his students has performed for more than 20 million people not counting tv viewers. Last, ailey’s achievements has earn him the number 4 spot on the list for best choreographers in

Read More
774 Words | 4 Pages

One of his male friends introduced him to the dance world at Horton’s Dance School. This school had a dance company that was actually the first company that accepted dancers of all races. At the age of 22, Alvin began complete training at Horton’s school. At the end of 1953, Horton passed away leaving the company without a choreographer. Though Alvin had little training and was only 22 years old, he was well known and respected in the Horton School.

Read More
1499 Words | 6 Pages

Nichele Rascoe Jazz Dance Midterm (Bob Fosse Contribution to Broadway) Robert Louis Fosse, better known as Bob Fosse, became Broadway’s leading choreographer and director during the late 1960’s into the 1970’s. Fosse grew up surrounded by theatre and dance. At a young age, he toured throughout Chicago theaters and naval bases as a dancer. In later, years Bob Fosse went into acting. Yet, his acting career was cut short due to his premature balding, causing him to turn to choreography.

Read More
1112 Words | 5 Pages

The preservation of all his many accomplishments is definitely important especially because of all the various opportunities and ground breaking experiences that have arised from the very beginning of Limon's career. Apart from being this country’s first modern dance repertory company, Jose Limon and Company was also the first dance company to travel abroad (South America) to go on a cultural mission under the auspices of the United States State Department. In 1962, the company got to open the first dance performance at the New York Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Central Park as well as being given the opportunity to showcase first dance performance at New York's Lincoln Center in the year 1963. (Jose

Read More
1439 Words | 6 Pages

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.

Read More
1279 Words | 6 Pages

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.

Read More
46 Words | 1 Pages

Meli’sa’ thesis provided supportive research regarding the history and successful dance therapy interventions for working with African American male youth. As an African American, I think it is important to provide other dance therapist information for working with African American and educate them about our culture.

Read More
701 Words | 3 Pages

However, throughout the school’s prosperous years, The Juilliard School of Music has had 6 presidents, created additional divisions with superb instructors and the school altered its name and relocated to a lively center in New York. An article published by The Juilliard School’s dance division, “History,” states, “The Juilliard School’s Dance Division was established in 1951 during William Schuman’s tenure as the School’s president. Its first director was Martha Hill” (Par. 1). Martha Hill was an inspiring dance instructor who taught at The Juilliard School of Music when the dance division was established in 1945. Hill and Schuman transformed The Juilliard School of Music’s identity from a school solely for musicians to one of the greatest teaching institutions to offer education in multiple dance genres.

Read More
767 Words | 4 Pages

The U.S State Department backing was backing the troupe Ailey's company was the first modern dance group to visit the former Soviet Union since the 1920s. The company was asked to return to New York after a piece performed by Judith Jamison she made it one of their best known pieces. The piece was called "Cry" this was the piece that was featured on the episode "Mammy Dearest" on the show A different Word and Kim performed it after feeling offended about the image of Mammy and black women. The piece was dedicated to all black women everywhere especially our mothers, it depicts the struggles of different generations of black American Women. It begins with the unwrapping of a long white scarf during the course of the dance the dancer becomes a queen, mother, daughter, and other things.

Read More
499 Words | 2 Pages

Andrew Lloyd Webber has become a household name throughout the entire world. Not only do people flock to see his shows, but the pure fact that people outside of the theatre world know the composer of certain musicals is an accomplishment in itself. He has changed the musical theatre world. Some call him a “Broadway master” because his musical Phantom of the Opera surpassed his own record for the musical Cats to now hold the record for the longest running musical on Broadway as well as London’s West End ( Snelson 1).

Read More
756 Words | 4 Pages

This led to “sexually licentious stereotypes that the Europeanist perspective attributed to Africanist dance.” However, Alvin Ailey aimed to diverge the social limitations that were imposed on black dancers to simply perform “black dances” and incorporate them within the white dances such as ballet and modern. Within his choreographies, Ailey used polycentricism, movement that emanates from any part of the body, such that two or more centers may operate simultaneously. His dances incorporated both striking and soft movements using both the modern dance classic techniques and incorporating percussive attacks of jazz and social dance movements. In one of his first productions Blue Suites (1958), the representation of real people was displayed in the choreography while using the polyrhythmic technique and Ephebism of African

Read More
212 Words | 1 Pages

The 24th Annual Sacramento/Black Art of Dance occurred on February 18th-28th, 2016 at the California State University of Sacramento at Solano Hall 1010, home to many of Sacramento State 's Department of Theatre & Dance performances. Sacramento/Black Art of Dance is a modern dance company that follows the footsteps of Katherine Dunham. S/BAD not only carries on the tradition of Black Concert dance in America, but also explores the movement culture of the African and African-American diaspora in the concepts of modern dance. Ancestral Voices, which directed mainly by Linda Goodrich, presented by S/BAD in its 24th year of presenting dance to pay homage to ancestors who have come before us through the language of dance. The concert had two acts

Read More
903 Words | 4 Pages

He was a key component in some of Broadways most famous productions that have embodied a golden age. The “lights on Broadway’s theaters would be dimmed for a moment and the flags at Lincoln Center lowered to half-mast” (Vaill). The world will always remember the man who provided an “indelible stamp” (Vaill) on musical theater and

Read More
1333 Words | 6 Pages

Overview and Analysis of Three Personality Assessments Defining and assessing an individual’s personality is a difficult task. According to Cohen, Swerdlik, and Struman (2013) personality is “an individual’s unique constellation of psychological traits that is relatively stable over time.” An individual’s personality contains several components including: attitudes, values, interests, acculturation, and several other factors. A personality test may be recommended for a wide range of reason from assessing competency to determining if an individual has the necessary attributes for a job. The purpose of this paper is to describe the construct, validity, and reliability of three unique personality assessments: the Eyesnck Personality Questionnaire-Revised,

Read More

More about How Did Alvin Ailey Contribute To Dance

Related Topics

Open Document