Renowned dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison, who led the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for more than two decades, passed away on Nov. 9 at 81. Jamison’s death followed a brief illness, said Christopher Zunner, managing director of public relations at the dance company.
“We remember and are grateful for her artistry, humanity, and incredible light, which inspired us all,” Zunner stated.
Born in Philadelphia on May 10, 1943, Jamison discovered her love for dance early on, beginning lessons at age 6. She later trained under African American dance pioneer Katherine Dunham.
Jamison joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965, quickly becoming a celebrated figure in modern dance when few Black women held prominence in the field. Her defining moment came in 1971 with the premiere of “Cry,” a 17-minute solo created by Alvin Ailey as a tribute “to all Black women everywhere — especially our mothers.”
This piece became a hallmark of the Ailey troupe and earned Jamison international acclaim. Alvin Ailey later wrote of Jamison’s performance, “With ‘Cry,’ she became herself. Once she found this contact, this release, she poured her being into everybody who came to see her perform.”
Jamison also performed with global ballet companies, including the San Francisco Ballet, Swedish Royal Ballet, and Vienna State Ballet. She graced the Broadway stage in “Sophisticated Ladies” alongside Gregory Hines.
Her first ballet, “Divining,” debuted with the Ailey company in 1984. She launched her dance group, the Jamison Project Dance Company, in 1988.
Following Ailey’s death in 1989, Jamison took over as the artistic director of his company, steering it through a period of profound growth. She also founded a partnership with Fordham University, creating a joint Bachelor of Fine Arts program to support a multicultural dance curriculum.
Jamison received numerous honors, including the National Medal of Arts and a Kennedy Center Honor, recognizing her contribution to the arts and her role in broadening the visibility of Black dancers and choreographers. Her legacy is preserved in her autobiography, “Dancing Spirit,” and her choreography, which remains foundational to the company’s repertoire.
After stepping down as artistic director in 2011, Jamison continued to inspire and guide the Ailey troupe as artistic director emerita.
Reflecting on her role as Ailey’s successor, Jamison said, “I felt prepared to carry forward. Alvin and I were like parts of the same tree. He, the roots and the trunk, and we were the branches.”
Stacy M. Brown is a senior writer for The Washington Informer and the senior national correspondent for the Black Press of America.