Alvin Ailey
He transformed modern dance by weaving the Black American spiritual and blues experience into breathtaking, globally celebrated movement.
1931–1989 (age 58)·American dancer and activist·Birthday: January 5·The Silent Generation
Biography
Born into the racial segregation of Texas during the Great Depression, Alvin Ailey found his calling in the kinetic storytelling of dance after a chance visit to a Hollywood theater. Moving to Los Angeles as a teenager, he trained under the pioneering Lester Horton, whose multi-racial company offered a radical vision of inclusion. After Horton's death, Ailey took the helm, but his true breakthrough came in New York, where in 1958 he founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The company became a powerhouse, not just for its technical brilliance but for its soul. Ailey mined his Southern roots and the music of spirituals, blues, and jazz to create works like 'Revelations,' a masterpiece that channels collective grief and transcendent joy. More than a choreographer, he was a curator and activist, ensuring his company became a repository for the works of Black choreographers and a platform for dancers of all backgrounds, fundamentally reshaping who could be on stage and what stories they could tell.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Alvin was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alvin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Alvin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Died at 58
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
Key Achievements
- Founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958, which grew into one of the world's most popular and influential dance companies.
- Created the enduring masterpiece 'Revelations' in 1960, a suite set to spirituals that has been performed for millions globally.
- Established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in 1969, a major institution for dance training and education.
- Was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 for his contributions to American culture and dance.
Did You Know?
His most famous work, 'Revelations', was created when he was just 29 years old.
He performed as a dancer in several Broadway musicals, including 'House of Flowers' with Pearl Bailey.
In 1988, he became the first recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors for contributions to American culture through dance.
The Alvin Ailey company has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries across six continents.
“I am trying to show the world that we are all human beings and that color is not important. What is important is the quality of our work.”
