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How To Write A Research Paper On Alvin Ailey

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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. …show more content…

After a trip to the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Ailey got great interests in concert dance. Inspired by watching the performances of Katherine Dunham Company and having classes with Lester Horton, Alvin Ailey then started his dance training formally with Lester Horton, the founder of the first racially integrated Dance Company in this country, and began his professional dance career at age of 18. During this period, Ailey learned many different styles of dances and adopted many of Horton’s dancing techniques. After Horton died in 1953, Ailey took charge of the company, but his nontraditional education influenced him to choreograph his own works with his own dance style.

At first, Ailey was not sure about being a dancer so he went to attend UCLA and San Francisco State College to study languages after graduation from high school. But then, in 1954, Ailey dropped out and went to New York, where he made his Broadway debut in House of Flowers, a Truman Capote's short-lived musical show. After then, he stayed on to dance in many other Broadway shows. While in New York, Ailey also got chances to study dance with Martha Graham and act with many famous dancers like Stella …show more content…

The emergence of this theater provides valuable opportunities to dancers all over the world, especially those great African-American dancers. The dancers created by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have performed for more than 20 million people all around the world, and through numbers of television broadcasts, countless others are able to enjoy those great pieces of dance. Just as what Ailey said in the 25th anniversary of his company, in 1983---"I wanted to explore black culture, and I wanted that culture to be a revelation.” Definitely, Alvin Ailey had achieved his ambition, and undoubtedly we are all the better for

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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.

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