NEW YORK — Judith Jamison, an internationally acclaimed dancer who later served as artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for twenty yearshas died. She was 81.
Jamison died at a New York hospital surrounded by family and friends after a brief illness, Christopher Zunner, a spokesman for Ailey, confirmed in a statement to CBS News.
“We remember and are grateful for her artistry, humanity and incredible light, which inspired us all,” Zunner said.
Jamison grew up in Philadelphia and trained in ballet there from an early age. At a time when black dancers were rare in ballet, she joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965.
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Tall, graceful and expressive, she became one of the company’s most famous performers and a muse to Ailey. Jamison had star turns in two of Ailey’s signature dances, “Revelations” and “Cry.” She danced with the Ailey company for 15 years before leaving to perform on Broadway and as a guest artist with other ballet companies.
Jamison later returned to the Ailey company as artistic director for twenty years. She is widely credited with helping develop one of the most successful dance companies in the U.S.
As a dancer, choreographer, director and speaker, her impressive career transcended barriers of race and gender.
“She was a unique, spectacular dancer who was majestic and regal. She danced with eloquence and integrity,” Sylvia Waters, artistic director emerita of Ailey II, said Saturday after news of Jamison’s death.
“To dance with her and be in her energy sphere was fascinating,” Waters said. “I was lucky enough to perform with her and she set the bar very, very high.”
Jamison’s directorship of the Ailey Theater “sustained the company and helped it grow. She was an eloquent speaker, a strong leader and ran a tight ship,” Waters said.
Striking images by Jamison, including photographs, video and a sculpture, are currently on view in an exhibition of the Ailey company’s work at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
Jamison received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. Other awards included the National Medal of Arts and the Handel Medallion, New York City’s highest cultural award.
