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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Willie Aames to Steven Anderson
Alvin Ailey Biography (1931-1989)
Born Alvin Ailey, Jr., January 5, 1931, in Rogers, TX; son of Alvin, Sr., andLula E. (Cliff) Ailey; died of dyscrasia, December 1, 1989, in New York, NY.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- choreographer, dancer
- Birth Details
- January 5, 1931
- Rogers, Texas, United States
- Death Details
- December 1, 1989
- New York, New York, United States
Famous Works
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Credits; Stage Appearances
- (Broadway debut) Alvin, House of Flowers, Alvin Theatre, New YorkCity, 1954.
- Actor and dancer, Show Boat, Marine Theatre, Jones Beach, New York, 1957.
- Actor and lead dancer, Jamaica, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1957.
- Paul, Call Me By My Rightful Name, One Sheridan Square Theatre, 1961.
- Negro Political Leader, Ding Dong Bell, Westport Country Playhouse, 1961.
- Blackstone Boulevard, Talking to You, produced as double-bill in 2 by Saroyan, East End Theatre, New York City, 1961-62.
- Clarence Morris, Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright, Booth Theatre, 1962.
- Also appeared as an actor and dancer in Broadway productions of The Carefree Tree, 1955, and Sing, Man, Sing, 1956.
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Credits; Stage Work; Creator And Choreographer
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Cinco Latinos, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Kaufmann Concert Hall, New York City, 1958.
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Blues Suite (also see below), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre,Kaufmann Concert Hall, 1958.
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Revelations, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Kaufmann ConcertHall, 1960.
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Three for Now, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Clark Center, New York City, 1960.
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Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Clark Center, 1960.
- (With Carmen De Lavallade) Roots of the Blues, Lewisohn Stadium, New York City, 1961.
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Hermit Songs, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 1963.
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Ariadne, Harkness Ballet, Opera Comique, Paris, 1965.
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Macumba, Harkness Ballet, Gran Teatro del Liceo, Barcelona, Spain,1966, then produced as Yemanja, Chicago Opera House, 1967.
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Quintet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Church Hill Theatre,Edinburgh Festival, Scotland, 1968, then Billy Rose Theatre, New York City, 1969.
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Masekela Language (also see below), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, American Dance Festival, New London, CT, 1969, then Brooklyn Academy ofMusic, New York City, 1969.
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Streams (also see below), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1970.
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Gymnopedies, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Brooklyn Academyof Music, 1970.
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The River, American Ballet Theatre, New York State Theatre, 1970.
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Flowers, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, ANTA Theatre, 1971.
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Myth, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1971.
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Choral Dances, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1971.
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Cry, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1971.
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Mingus Dances, Robert Joffrey Company, New York City Center, 1971.
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Mary Lou's Mass, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York CityCenter, 1971.
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Song for You, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1972.
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The Lark Ascending, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York City Center, 1972.
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Love Songs, Alvin Ailey City Center Dance Theater, New York City Center, 1972.
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Shaken Angels, Tenth New York Dance Festival, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, 1972.
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Sea Change, American Ballet Theatre, Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington, DC, 1972, then New York City Center, 1973.
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Hidden Rites, Alvin Ailey City Center Dance Theater, New York CityCenter, 1973.
- Also created and choreographed Archipelago, 1971, The Mooche, 1975, Night Creature, 1975, Pas de "Duke," 1976, Memoria, 1979, Phases, 1980, and Landscape, 1981.
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Credits; Stage Work; Choreographer
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Carmen Jones, Theatre in the Park, 1959.
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Jamaica, Music Circus, Lambertville, New Jersey, 1959.
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Dark of the Moon, Lenox Hill Playhouse, 1960.
- (And director) African Holiday (musical), Apollo Theatre, New YorkCity, 1960, then produced at Howard Theatre, Washington, DC, 1960.
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Feast of Ashes (ballet), Robert Joffrey Company, Teatro San Carlos, Lisbon, Portugal, 1962, then produced at New York City Center, 1971.
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Anthony and Cleopatra, Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, New York City, 1966.
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La Strada, first produced at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 1969.
- (With others) Mass, Metropolitan Opera House, 1972, then John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia Academy of Music, both 1972.
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Carmen, Metropolitan Opera, 1972.
- Choreographed ballet, Lord Byron (opera; also see below), Juilliard School of Music, New York City, 1972.
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Four Saints in Three Acts, Piccolo Met, New York City, 1973.
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Credits; Stage Work; Director
- (With William Hairston) Jerico-Jim Crow, The Sanctuary, New York City, 1964, then Greenwich Mews Theatre, 1968.
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Credits; Film Appearances
- (Film debut) Dancer, Lydia Bailey, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1952.
- Dancer, Carmen Jones, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1954.
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Credits; Film Work
- Choreographer (with others), The Turning Point, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977.
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Credits; Television Appearances
- Dancer (with Horton Company), Party at Ciro's (also see below), 1954.
- Dancer (with Horton Company), Red Skelton Show (also see below), CBS, 1954.
- (With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) Dave Garroway Today Show, NBC, 1959.
- (With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) Look Up and Live, CBS, 1962.
- (With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) Camera Three, CBS, 1962-63.
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America's Tribute to Bob Hope, NBC, 1988.
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A Duke Named Ellington (also known as American Masters), PBS, 1988.
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The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (also see below), CBS, 1988.
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16th Annual Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, syndicated, 1989.
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Bill Cosby Salutes Alvin Ailey (also see below), NBC, 1989.
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Credits; Television Work; Choreographer
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The Jack Benny Show, CBS, 1954.
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Red Skelton Show, CBS, 1954.
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Parade, CBC, 1964.
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Alvin Ailey: Memories and Visions, PBS, 1974.
- "Blues Suite," Three by Three, PBS, 1985.
- "Revelations," The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1988.
- "Revelations," Bill Cosby Salutes Alvin Ailey, NBC, 1989.
- "For Bird--With Love," Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Steps Ahead, PBS, 1991.
- Also contributed choreography for Party at Ciro's, 1954. Choreographed Ailey Celebrates Ellington, 1974 and 1976, Solo for Mingus, 1979, and Memoria, 1979.
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Credits: Adaptations
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Blues Suite,
Masekela Language,
Streams, and the ballet of Lord Byron have been filmed.
Further Reference
Periodicals
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Dance, February, 1990, p. 138.
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Essence, November, 1988, p. 64.
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Jet, December 18, 1989, p. 18.
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New York Times, December 2, 1989, p. 1.
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People, May 19, 1980, p. 51; December 18, 1989, p. 166.
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Time, December 11, 1989, p. 89.
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U.S. News and World Report, February 18, 1980, p. 75; December 11,1989, p. 18.
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Variety, December 6, 1989, p. 149.
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