Renowned Dancer And Former Ailey Artistic Director Judith Jamison Passes Away At 81

Judith Jamison, the legendary dancer and choreographer who led the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as its artistic director for twenty years, died Saturday, November 9, in New York after a short illness, the dance company confirmed on Instagram.Jamison began dancing at age six; she was born in Philadelphia.

She began performing with Alvin Ailey’s modern dance company, which in 1965 formed a tiny vanguard of several significant African American women in leading American dance companies. In 1971, she premiered ‘Cry’, a deep 17-minute solo dedicated by Ailey “to all Black women everywhere, especially our mothers.” In his autobiography, Ailey pointed out the significance of this piece for Jamison: “With ‘Cry’, she became herself. Once she found this contact, this release, she poured her being into everybody who came to see her perform.”

Outside of working with Ailey, she danced on Broadway and founded her own dance company. She joined Alvin Ailey in 1989 and was the artistic director for twelve years until 2011, making a very profound impact on the legacy of the company. Throughout her remarkable career, Jamison won many awards: one is the Kennedy Center Honor and the other is the National Medal of Arts, making her an iconic dance trailblazer.