Judith Jamison

Judith Jamison was appointed Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in December 1989 at the request of her mentor, Alvin Ailey, who personally chose her to succeed him before his untimely death. A native of Philadelphia, she studied with Marion Cuyjet, was discovered by Agnes de Mille and made her New York debut with American Ballet Theatre in 1964. She became a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and danced with the company for 15 years to great acclaim. Recognizing her extraordinary talent, Mr. Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, most notably the tour de force solo, Cry.

After leaving the Company in 1980, Ms. Jamison appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies all over the world and starred in the hit Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies. In 1988, she formed her own company, The Jamison Project.

As a highly regarded choreographer, Ms. Jamison has created works for many companies. Her most recent ballet, Reminiscin’, was inspired by great female jazz artists and Edward Hopper’s famous painting Nighthawks. Love Stories, with additional choreography by Robert Battle and Rennie Harris, was created in 2004. In 2002, HERE . . .NOW. was commissioned for the Cultural Olympiad in Salt Lake City. She choreographed Double Exposure for the Lincoln Center Festival in July 2000. Divining (1984), Rift (1991), Riverside (1995), Sweet Release (1996), Echo: Far From Home (1998) and Hymn (1993), her stirring tribute to Mr. Ailey, are other major works she has choreographed for the Company.

In December 1999, Ms. Jamison was presented with the Kennedy Center Honor, recognizing her lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. In 2001 she was presented with a National Medal of Arts, the most prestigious award presented to artists in the United States. She received the “Making a Difference” Award by the NAACP ACT-SO, the Paul Robeson award from the Actors’ Equity Association in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the performing arts and commitment to the right of all people to live in dignity and peace, and a Bessie Award for her lifetime commitment to the preservation and development of dance and the arts. This year, Ms. Jamison was honored at "The BET Honors," an event that recognizes the lives and achievements of leading African-American luminaries.

Today, Judith Jamison presides over the artistically and fiscally vibrant Ailey organization. Her presence has been a catalyst, propelling the organization in new directions – including the development of the Women's Choreography Initiative; performances at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and two unprecedented engagements in South Africa. She has continued Mr. Ailey's practice of showcasing the talents of emerging choreographers from within the ranks of the Company. As Artistic Director of The Ailey School, official school of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ms. Jamison has helped to implement a multicultural curriculum including the dances of West Africa and South India. She is an advocate for education in the arts and was a guiding force in establishing the B.F.A. program between The Ailey School and Fordham University, which offers a unique combination of world-class dance training and a superior liberal arts education.

Following the tradition of Alvin Ailey, Ms. Jamison is dedicated to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture, spearheading initiatives to bring dance into the community and programs that introduce children to the arts. She remains committed to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy--dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future.

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Meet the Masters: Judith Jamison

Meet the Masters: Judith Jamison

During this in-depth interview filmed in 2008, Judith Jamison discusses the role of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as cultural ambassadors, the importance of modern dance repertory, and the legacy of Alvin Ailey and his body of work.

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