Alvin Ailey was a pioneering modern dancer and choreographer born in 1931 who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City in 1958. He is considered one of the major innovators and icons of modern dance who brought African American themes and music such as blues, spirituals and jazz into mainstream dance. Ailey used dance to promote racial unity and cultural understanding through his works celebrating black heritage and the African American experience.

1. ALVIN AILEY
(Modern Dance Pioneer)
(1931 – 1989)