Company formed by Alvin Ailey in 1958 o Ailey grew up in Texas and moved to New York to study with Horton

in 1953, at the age of 22.When Horton died and no one else stepped forward, Ailey assumed the role of artistic director. st 1 performance = March 1958 at the 92nd St Y in New York City, they performed Blue Suit Company started with 7 Black Modern Dancers By 1960 the company had traveled on tour, become a permanent resident company of New York, and Ailey began work with his most famous ensemble Revelations In 1962 the company was made a multi-racial group In that same year they went on tour to the Far East, Southeast Asia and Australia as part of President John F. Kennedy's "President's Special International Program for Cultural Presentations." (they were recognized on a national scale).

1969: The Alvin Ailey School is established (Now in association with Fordham University) 1970: He created The River for ABT 1971: He created Cry and dedicated it to black women everywhere. (twenty minute solo created for Judith Jamison) In 1988 Ailey received the Kennedy Center Honors Ailey died on December 1, 1989 from AIDS. (He asked his doctor to announce that he had died from terminal blood dyscrasia). He created over 79 ballets in his lifetime Judith Jamison took over the company in 1989 o Joined AA in 1965, became a principal, and started her own company The Jamison Project o She came back in 1989 when Mr. Ailey asked her to take over as Artistic Director. o "People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them" --Judith Jamison o Awards: Emmy Award, an American Choreography Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, a National Medal of Arts, a Bessie Award, the Phoenix Award, and the Handel Medallion. She was also listed in The TIME 100: The Worlds Most

Influential People and honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first White House Dance Series event. In July 2011, Robert Battle took over the company. o He has been a frequent choreographer for the company and the school since 1999. o He studied at Miamis New World School of the Arts, and then at Julliard. o He was honored as one of the Masters of African American Choreography by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, and he received the prestigious Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2007. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and has addressed a number of high profile organizations including the United Nations Leaders Programme and the UNICEF Senior Leadership Development Programme. There is also a secondary company, Ailey II, that works in association with the original company. o Founded in 1974 o Known for merging the spirit and energy of the countrys best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of todays most outstanding emerging choreographers. o Artistic Director: Sylvia Waters Today, the company consists of 32 dancers. The company still strives towards Mr. Aileys vision of preserving the culture of African American modern dance.

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