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Jamison died Saturday after a brief illness in New York,
surrounded by close friends, Ailey company spokesperson
Christopher Zunner confirmed to The Associated Press.
“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 there in ballet from
a young age. At a time when Black dancers were rare in ballet,
she began with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965.
Tall, graceful and expressive, she became one of the company's
most famous performers and a muse for 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 its artistic
director for 20 years. She is widely credited with helping to
make it one of the most successful dance companies in the U.S.
As a dancer, choreographer, director and speaker, her
distinguished career leaped over barriers of race and gender.
“She was a unique, spectacular dancer who was majestic and
queenly. She danced with eloquence and integrity,” Sylvia
Waters, Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita, said Saturday
following the new of Jamison's death.
“To dance with her and to be in her sphere of energy was
mesmerizing,” Waters said. “I was fortunate 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 to grow. She was an eloquent speaker,
strong leader and ran a tight ship," Waters said.
Striking images of Jamison including photos, video and a
sculpture are currently displayed at an exhibition about the
work of the Ailey company at New York's Whitney Museum of
American Art in New York.
Jamison was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. Other
honors included the National Medal of Arts and the Handel
Medallion, the highest cultural award from New York City.
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AP journalist Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California, contributed to
this story.
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