Alvin Ailey And The American Dance Theater - 1480 Words

Alvin Ailey is known for his huge impact in the dance world. His insight on life in the rural South is what inspired him to create some of his best choreographies. Alvin Ailey’s first encounter to dance was recitals of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Katherine Dunham Dance Company. He promoted modern dance and introduced African-American in participating in modern dance. Ailey often felt that African-Americans had limited opportunities—he wanted to change that. One of Ailey’s goals was creating his own modern dance theater. Which is famously known as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater or AAADT. The American Dance Theater (or AAADT) was founded by Alvin Ailey in 1958. It consists of thirty dancers led by Robert Battle. It was also the first professional company to welcome dancers of different ethnical backgrounds. The purpose of this theater was to show other choreographers the exquisiteness of African-Americans as well as show their sophisticated style in dancing. By founding his own theater, Ailey wanted to show others the many talents African-American dancers could display. He also wanted to express the struggles that African-Americans faced. While, his performances were based on African-Americans’ struggle for freedom and achieving a sustain life they were also about expressing their cultural heritage. Throughout his choreography Ailey’s performances created raw emotions that the audience could relate to. His dancing style was based on his memories of growing upShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Modern And Expressionist Dance Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesIn America, Martha Graham (The Queen of Modern Dance), Rudolph von Laban (Time Energy and Space), and Alvin Ailey (Gospel or Lyrical Spiritual Dance) developed and are developing for human movement methods of instruction that led to the development of modern and expressionist dance. The reason that modern dance is so popular is because it allows for the ability to mov e your body in a way that is comfortable to you. Also people in the 20th century were trying to get out of the strictness of balletRead MoreAlvin Ailey : First Generation American Choreographer And Activist1348 Words   |  6 PagesAlvin Ailey, a well known second generation American choreographer and activist was born in Rogers, Texas on January 5, 1931. Ailey grew up poor in the small Texas town of Navasota. Although he did not have much growing up, it did not stop his drive to succeed. He became inspired by attending black church services and by the music he heard at the local dance hall. Because of this, Ailey left Texas at the young age of 12 and moved to Los Angeles. 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