Alvin Ailey's choreographic masterpiece Revelations is recognized as one of the most popular and most performed ballets in the world. In 1969, Alvin Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the most successful dance companies in the world, with the famed Martha Graham Dance Company principal and choreographer Pearl Lang as his co-director of the school.
| Born | January 5, 1931 Rogers, Texas, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died | December 1, 1989 (aged 58) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Dancer, choreographer, activist |
| Awards | Presidential Medal of Freedom Kennedy Center Honors |
First Performance of Alvin Ailey American Theater
On March 30, Alvin Ailey and a group of young, black modern dancers perform for the first time as members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York’s 92nd Street YM-YWHA.
The Company travels on what Alvin Ailey calls “the station wagon tours” in a vehicle driven by a longtime friend of the Company, Mickey Board.
Alvin Ailey
On July 15, 2008, the United States Congress passed a resolution designating AAADT a “vital American Cultural Ambassador to the World. That same year, in recognition of AAADT's 50th year anniversary, then Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared December 4 "Alvin Ailey Day" in New York City while then Governor David Paterson honoured the organization on behalf of New York State.
In August 2019, Ailey was one of the honorees inducted in the Rainbow Honor Walk, a walk of fame in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood noting LGBTQ people who have "made significant contributions in their fields.
In 1968 Ailey was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada. In 1977 he received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1988, was inducted into the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame in 1992, inducted into the Legacy Walk in 2012, and posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2014.
Ailey died from an AIDS related illness on December 1, 1989, at the age of 58. He asked his doctor to announce that his death was caused by terminal blood dyscrasia in order to shield his mother from the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
