Ailey, << AY lee, >> Alvin (1931-1989), was an American choreographer (creator of dances) and director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Ailey’s modern dances strongly reflected his Southern background. He composed many of them to black folk music and jazz. His works include Revelations (1960), Mary Lou’s Mass (1971), and Cry (1971). He based Survivors (1986) on the antiapartheid movement in South Africa.
Ailey was born on Jan. 5, 1931, in Rogers, Texas. He studied and performed with the American choreographer Lester Horton. In 1958, Ailey formed his own dance company and in 1965, he retired from performing to devote himself to choreography. In addition to works created for his own company, Ailey composed dances for ballet, television, and opera. In 1977, Ailey was awarded the Spingarn Medal for his achievement in modern dance. He died on Dec. 1, 1989. Revelations, an autobiography, was published in 1995, after his death. Ailey received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, in 2014, after his death.
