Judith Jamison and members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Revelations from a lifetime of dance
Judith Jamison uses dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future. Full bioAlvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Dance company
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled 1958 performance at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
by Ella Jenkins)
let's give a warm welcome
of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater,
you've just been to church?
Mr. Ailey created in 1960,
when he choreographed this masterpiece.
and understood universally,
the humanity in us all.
of a journey we all take in life,
that connected us all.
at the Judimar School of Dance,
from the Rio Grande."
every minute of it,
when I was six, I said,
a career of your lifetime,
and through college,
that that's what I actually wanted to do.
I've had in my life --
from that audition --
"Thank you very much,"
the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
with the company,
for something like 21 years.
and African American and a dancer,
was not being heard.
as you truly were.
of the Civil Rights Movement,
of American culture.
to educate, to entertain,
came from the people
back to the people.
of who we were and still are,
part of the company.
what it is to be human
that we dance for.
to make sure the community understood
is a part of their heritage.
dance company in the world.
was released from prison,
to go to South Africa.
that were really in dire straits.
as we were there, I'm going like,
these people how to dance?"
that they were interested in,
over the last 400 years.
or South America or Asia
communication really works.
in the '60s and the '70s;
of the time was about,
to reveal it through dance.
he had and we had,
and turned it into powerful dance.
about things so much,
our shared responsibilities.
to take over the company
of the same tree.
from your heart and your spirit.
you can share that with.
to each other through spirit.
technique on top of that
and I brought my Judy to it.
present for his mother,
to get her a tactile gift.
and emotionally draining.
from beginning to end.
who has been to hell and back,
you're going to see she is triumphant.
step that she does,
she digs into the earth
for the next journey.
with one last thought.
of the struggle that continues.
can elevate our human experience
by East Harlem)
Save your child
Save your child
Where will I be tomorrow night?
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Judith Jamison - Dancer, choreographerJudith Jamison uses dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future.
Why you should listen
Judith Jamison joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and quickly became an international star. Over the next 15 years, Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, most notably the tour-de-force solo Cry. During the 1970s and 80s, Jamison appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies all over the world, starred in the hit Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies and formed her own company, The Jamison Project. She returned to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Ailey asked her to succeed him as Artistic Director. In the 21 years that followed, she brought the Company to unprecedented heights, including two historic engagements in South Africa and a 50-city global tour to celebrate the Company’s 50th anniversary.
Jamison is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them an Emmy, 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 TIME's list of The World’s Most Influential People and honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first White House Dance Series event. In 2015, she became the 50th inductee into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance. Jamison continues to dedicate herself to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture.
Judith Jamison | Speaker | TED.com
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Dance company
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled 1958 performance at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance.
Why you should listen
Constance Stamatiou began her dance training at Pat Hall's Dance Unlimited and North Carolina Dance and Theatre. She graduated from NorthWest School of the Arts and studied at SUNY Purchase before becoming a fellowship student at The Ailey School. In 2009, Stamatiou received the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the performing and visual arts. She performed at the White House Dance Series and has been a guest performer on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, Logo's Trailblazer Honors, and The Today Show. Stamatiou has also danced in the films Shake Rattle & Roll and in Dan Pritzker's Bolden. Stamatiou was a member of Ailey ll a guest artist for Darrell Grand Moultrie and Caroline Calouche and Co. She is a certified Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis instructor and a mother of two. Stamatiou first joined the Company in 2007 and rejoined in 2016.
Solomon Dumas was introduced to dance through AileyCamp. He later began his formal training at The Chicago Academy For The Arts and the Russell Talbert Dance Studio, where he received his most influential training. Dumas studied at New World School Of The Arts and was a fellowship Level 1 student at The Ailey School. He has performed with companies including Garth Fagan Dance; Ronald K. Brown/Evidence A Dance Company; and Labyrinth Dance Theater and was a member of Ailey II. Mr. Dumas joined the Company in 2016.
Samantha Figgins began dancing at Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the tutelage of Charles Auggins and Sandra Fortune-Greene and attended summer intensives at Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Arthur Mitchell. She continued her education at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. There, she performed works by George Balanchine, Bill T. Jones, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp. Upon graduating cum laude, Figgins became a member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, performing works by Dwight Rhoden, Jae Man Joo and Camille A. Brown. She also performed at the 2014 DanceOpen Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. Figgins was featured both on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine and in Pointe magazine's "10 Careers to Watch" in 2013. She has worked with Beyoncé and can be seen in the film Enemy Within alongside Tiler Peck and Matthew Rushing. Figgins joined the Company in 2014.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater | Speaker | TED.com