Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1931 January 5 | Alvin Ailey Jr. born to Lula (née Cliff) and Alvin Ailey Sr. near Rogers, Texas |
| circa 1935 | Moved to Wharton, Texas, with Lula after she divorced his father |
| 1942 | Moved with Lula to Los Angeles, California |
| 1945 | Ailey saw the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo perform and started attending dance performances and concerts around downtown Los Angeles Lula married Fred Cooper |
| 1947 | Began observing classes at the Lester Horton Dance Theater at encouragement of high school friends Carmen de Lavallade and Ted Crumb; started taking classes several months later |
| 1948 | Graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Los Angeles |
| 1950 | Enrolled at Los Angeles City College |
| 1951 | Moved to San Francisco |
| 1952 | Co-wrote nightclub act with Marguerite Angelos (Maya Angelou) Enrolled at San Francisco Community College for one semester as a language major |
| 1953 | Moved back to Los Angeles; returned to Horton's studio Calvin, Alvin's stepbrother, was born Death of Lester Horton |
| 1954 | Choreographed According to St. Francis, La Création du Monde, and Morning Mourning for Lester Horton Dance Theater; began teaching at Horton studio Auditioned in New York with Carmen de Lavallade for House of Flowers on Broadway; both were cast |
| 1955 | Cast in The Carefree Tree on Broadway |
| mid-1950s | Studied ballet with Karel Shook and modern dance with the New Dance Group |
| 1957 | Cast as lead dancer in Jamaica on Broadway |
| 1958 | Ailey founded the company, originally called Alvin Ailey and Company (hereafter referred to with its current name, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, abbreviated AAADT) |
| 1958 March 30 | First company performance at the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA) on 92nd St. and Lexington Ave. (now 92nd Street Y), New York City, New York Cinco Latinos, Blues Suite premiered |
| 1960 | AAADT began residency at 51st Street Young Women’s Christian Association’s (YWCA) Clark Center for the Performing Arts Ailey's Revelations premiered to widespread acclaim James Truitte joined company Premieres of Ailey's Knoxville Summer of 1915, Three for Now, and reworked Creation of the World |
| 1961 | Premiere of Ailey's Roots of the Blues at Boston Arts Festival featuring himself, Carmen de Lavallade, and Brother John Sellers Ailey co-starred in the off-Broadway play Call Me by My Rightful Name with Joan Hackett and Robert Duvall |
| 1962 February-1962 May | AAADT toured Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, southeast Asia, and east Asia as part of John F. Kennedy's “President's Special International Program for Cultural Presentations;" Ailey choreographed Been Here and Gone for tour |
| 1962 | Ailey cast in play Tiger Tiger Burning Bright on Broadway |
| 1963 | AAADT performed in My People for the Black Centennial Exposition in Chicago in collaboration with Duke Ellington, Talley Beatty, and Beatty dancers AAADT performed at Rio de Janeiro International Arts Festival Premieres of Ailey's Labyrinth, Reflections in D, and Rivers, Streams and Doors |
| 1964 | AAADT toured Europe Joyce Trisler, a former Horton dancer, joined AAADT Company premiere of Talley Beatty's The Road of the Phoebe Snow |
| 1965 | AAADT toured Australia Judith Jamison, Clive Thompson, and Miguel Godreau joined AAADT |
| 1966 | AAADT performed in inaugural Negro Arts Festival in Dakar, Senegal Ailey choreographed Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra for the Metropolitan Opera |
| 1967 | AAADT toured Africa for ten weeks on behalf of the United States Department of State |
| 1968 | AAADT performed at the White House in celebration of the National Council for the Arts AAADT received grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts Revelations set on Ballet Folklorico for Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies, Mexico City Ailey awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship |
| 1969 | The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (later the Ailey School) opened, co-directed by Alvin Ailey and Pearl Lang Premiere of Ailey's Masekela Langage The musical La Strada co-choreographed with Joyce Trisler closed after one performance |
| 1970 | AAADT toured the USSR for six weeks AAADT and Pearl Lang Dance Company moved to shared rehearsal space in Manhattan Ailey stated that the company may close due to finances; Dance Theater Foundation, Inc. created for development Ailey's The River premiered by the American Ballet Theatre Premiere of Ailey's tribute to Charles Mingus, Mingus Dances, by the Joffrey Ballet |
| 1971 | AAADT's first performance in residence at City Center, New York Premiere of Cry featuring Judith Jamison, choreographed by Ailey for his mother's birthday AAADT danced in premiere of Leonard Bernstein's Mass at Kennedy Center Board of Directors formed Premiere of Mary Lou's Mass celebrating jazz musician Mary Lou Williams |
| 1972 | AAADT became first resident modern dance company at New York's City Center Ailey choreographed Georges Bizet's Carmen for Metropolitan Opera Jamison named presidential appointee to National Endowment for the Arts Masazumi Chaya joined AAADT |
| 1973 | Ailey choreographed Virgil Thompson's Four Saints in Three Acts for Metropolitan Opera |
| 1974 | The Ailey Repertory Ensemble (later Ailey II) launches; Sylvia Waters appointed Artistic Director Alvin Ailey: Memories and Visions and Ailey Celebrates Ellington aired on television Premiere of Ailey's Night Creature Death of Alvin Ailey Sr. |
| 1975 | Board of New York Friends of Alvin Ailey formed |
| 1976 | Ailey II performed Ailey Celebrates Ellington at the Duke Ellington Festival, Lincoln Center |
| 1977 | AAADT performed at President Jimmy Carter's inaugural ball |
| 1978 | AAADT performed at White House for President Jimmy Carter Gave "midnight performance" for King of Morocco on New Year's Eve |
| 1979 | AAADT moved to 1515 Broadway Ave., New York City, New York Death of Joyce Trisler Premieres of Inside (Ulysses Dove); Memoria (Ailey) Ailey received the Capezio Dance Award |
| 1980 | AAADT moved to new studio space Ailey diagnosed with bipolar disorder |
| 1982 | Ailey awarded the United Nations Peace Medal |
| 1984 | Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey formed Premiere of Ailey's For Bird - with Love in Kansas City Premiere of Jamison's first choreographic work, Divining |
| 1985 | AAADT gave ten performances in China on a tour sponsored by the United States Department of State Ailey became the first choreographer to be named a Distinguished Professor at City University of New York |
| 1986 | Premiere of Ailey's Survivors with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln in Kansas City, Missouri Masazumi Chaya appointed assistant rehearsal director |
| 1987 | Premiere of The Magic of Katherine Dunham in St. Louis |
| 1988 | Ailey received Kennedy Center Honor |
| 1989 December 1 | Ailey died in New York City due to complications from AIDS |
| 1989 | AAADT performed at Paris Centennial with mezzo-soprano Jessye Norman First AileyCamp launched by Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey Jamison became Artistic Director of AAADT following Ailey's death |
| 1990 | AAADT toured Russia |
| 1991 | Masazumi Chaya appointed associate artistic director |
| 1993 | AAADT performed at President Bill Clinton's inaugural gala Premiere of Jamison's Hymn, choreographed in honor of Ailey Jamison's autobiography Dancing Spirit published "Ailey in the Park" staged in Central Park for 30,000 spectators |
| 1996 | Jamison's Sweet Release premiered at Lincoln Center with Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra AAADT performed at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta |
| 1997 | AAADT began residency in South Africa after cultural boycott is lifted |
| 1998 | The Ailey/Fordham BFA program launched, one of the first collaborations between an accredited university degree program and dance company Ailey II toured Cuba |
| 1999 | AAADC changed its name to the Ailey School; Ailey Repertory Ensemble renamed Ailey II A Hymn for Alvin Ailey broadcast on PBS's Great Performances Jamison awarded Kennedy Center Honor |
| 2001 | Members of AAADT and Ailey School performed on Sesame Street Jamison received the Vermeil Medal, the City of Paris's highest award |
| 2002 | Jamison and the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation awarded the distinguished National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush |
| 2004 | The United States Postal Service issued a first-class postage stamp honoring Alvin Ailey AAADT toured China and Singapore for first time in 19 years The Joan Weill Center for Dance, the Company's first permanent home, opened in Manhattan |
| 2005 | The Ailey Extension, a dance and fitness program for the general public, launched AAADT performed in Russia for first time in 15 years for Stars of the White Nights Festival |
| 2011 | Jamison became artistic director emerita; choreographer Robert Battle succeeded her as artistic director |
| 2012 | Sylvia Waters retired from Ailey II; Troy Powell appointed Artistic Director upon her retirement |
| 2014 | Ailey posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama |
| 2016 | Ten more AileyCamps opened around the country |
| 2018 | AAADT celebrated its 60th anniversary by releasing video performance of "I Wanna Be Ready" from Revelations filmed in Ailey's hometown of Rogers, Texas |
| 2019 | Masazumi Chaya began role as director of the Alvin Ailey Choreographic Legacy Project Jamar Roberts named company's first resident choreographer |
| 2020 | Former AAADT dancer Matthew Rushing appointed associate artistic director AAADT created Ailey All Access for streaming dances during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Francesca Harper appointed artistic director of Ailey II |