Why alvin ailey is famous

Privacy Terms of Use. Skip to main content. Alvin Ailey Portrait of Alvin Ailey by Jack Mitchell, Alvin Ailey performing "Hermit Songs," Horton, the founder of one of the first racially-integrated dance companies in the United States, became a mentor for Mr.

Ailey as he embarked on his professional career. Ailey became director of the Lester Horton Dance Theater and began to choreograph his own works.

In the s and 60s, Mr. Ailey performed in four Broadway shows, including House of Flowers and Jamaica. As his company embraced greater diversity and invited interracial perspectives into its performances, Ailey never lost his commitment to the African American community.

In , he established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, which became the Ailey School; formed the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble; and pioneered programs promoting arts in education, particularly those that benefited underserved communities. His artistic range included ballets, modern dances, and productions for television and musical theater.

Ailey made an immeasurable impact around the world of dance. By weaving African American themes into his dances, he ushered in a new era of concert dance. Today, his influence prevails in a body of work that continues to be performed more than 50 years later and a dance theater company that continues to flourish.

The collection is comprised of approximately 10, black and white negatives, contact sheets, 1, color slides and transparencies, and black and white prints that tell the story of Alvin Ailey and his lasting impact on American dance culture. View the Collection. Privacy Terms of Use.