The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is performing its annual visit to Fox Theatre, featuring a special salute to former Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison, who passed away last year.
From Feb. 12 to 16, the company will pirouette across the stage with a performance celebrating the 25th anniversary of Choreographer Roland K. Brown’s “Grace.”
A fan favorite, the piece features music from Duke Ellington, Kevin Everett, and Fela Kuti. Silvia Waters, the Ailey II’s Artistic Director Emerita, said Jamison introduced the piece to the repertory.
Jamison started with the theatre as a dancer in the mid-1960s before becoming the Artistic Director for over 20 years. She was honored at the Kennedy Center for her contributions to the arts.
She was considered a muse for Alvin Ailey, the choreographer and founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, until his death in 1989.
“Special is not special enough a word [to explain Jamison],” Waters said. “She was absolutely unique. As a curator, she was brilliant in choosing works for the company. And when Mr. Ailey passed away, she was ready to take over.”
The tribute will feature a performance from Ailey’s piece “Cry,” which was a dedication to his mother.
“She was someone who had tremendous energy and poise simultaneously,” Waters said. “She was very generous, very intuitive, very smart, and very focused on the abilities of the dancer. She always believed that she was given a special gift and that she was using it to the best of her ability. The stage for her was like a temple or an altar in that spiritual way.”
New pieces produced by choreographers Jamar Roberts, Hope Boykin, Lar Lubovitch, and Elizabeth Rojas will be performed at different shows happening in Atlanta.
Waters hopes that the theatergoers will see a reflection of themselves on stage and see the human spirit that pervades the work.
“I think when you see the Ailey company, it’s really a celebration of life,” Waters said. “And I think that is what the audience will take away with such diverse music and dance styles.”
Click here to purchase tickets.
The article is truly a profound tribute to Judith Jamison – who left an indelible mark on the history of modern dance.