“With heavy hearts, we share that Judith Jamison (age 81), Artistic Director Emerita of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 9, 2024, after a brief illness surrounded by the love of close friends.
Ms. Jamison was an unparalleled force in American dance, a powerhouse performer, and a visionary. Every person who has met her or seen her dance, even briefly, was affected by her beauty, grace, love, and sincerity. As a dancer, Ms. Jamison embodied Alvin Ailey’s tenet to make the choreography her own more than any other. She left an unforgettable personal stamp on many of his ballets, most powerfully in the solo Cry, which Mr. Ailey choreographed on her in 1971, catapulting her to international stardom.
She became Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Mr. Ailey asked her to succeed him before his untimely death. She went to work furthering everything he began – championing choreographers, nurturing dancers, expanding arts in education programs, and leading the effort to achieve the long-time dream of AILEY’s permanent home – The Joan Weill Center for Dance, and so much more. Under her stewardship, the Company flourished, reaching new heights of success with expanded international touring. Ms. Jamison carried on Mr. Ailey’s legacy by mentoring, and inspiring hundreds of dancers in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, The Ailey School, and Ailey Extension. She did not just teach dance; she embodied Mr. Ailey’s legacy. She taught that dance was about more than just well-executed steps, it was about the ability to bring one’s whole humanity to a performance, to be a human being on the stage.
We remember and are grateful for her artistry, humanity and incredible light, which inspired us all. She will be dearly missed but her legacy will live on at AILEY for generations to come.
– The Alvin Ailey American American Dance Theater honors choreographer and dancer Judith Jamison. The Company will also celebrate her contributions during its upcoming season that will kick-off with an opening gala on Dec. 4, 2024 at Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. CBS Mornings co-host and Editor-at-Large of Oprah Daily Gayle King and two-time Tony Award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad will serve as honorary chairs for the star-studded fete. The one-night-only program features the debut of the 25th anniversary production of Ronald K. Brown’s Grace with live performance by Tony- and Grammy Award-winning artist Leslie Odom Jr. and composer, visual artist, and Grammy Award-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant.
Ailey’s annual holiday engagement at New York City Center will celebrate Jamison’s life, as well as, Legacy in Motion with “new works by choreographers inspired by founder Alvin Ailey’s artistry alongside returning favorites. The season will treat audiences to the world premieres of Sacred Songs by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, Finding Free by Hope Boykin, Many Angels by Lar Lubovitch, and Al-Andalus Blues by Jamar Roberts.” Along with Brown’s “rapturous blockbuster” Grace, the Company will present a new production of Elisa Monte’s Treading. In addition, audiences can look forward to experiencing live music select performances of Finding Free, Sacred Songs, and Alvin Ailey’s soul-stirring masterpiece Revelations. Tickets start at just $42!
Following the New York City Center performances, the Company will embark on its 2025 US tour, which includes a return to Atlanta’s Fox Theatre on February 12–16. Additional stops will be in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC, among others.
