Gay History Month: Alvin Ailey
Born on January 5, 1931 in Rogers, Texas, Alvin Ailey Jr. became one of the staple figures and innovators of 20th century dance with the founding of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1957.
Ailey kept his life as a dancer a secret from his mother for the first two years, as a member of the Lester Horton Company in California. However, Ailey continued to train in the art form, and in 1954 he moved to New York to dance on Broadway.
Ailvin Ailey struggled as an African American and as a gay man. He was ashamed of his sexuality and initially refused to write an autobiography because of what his mother would think. Ailey put his pain into his artwork instead.
The founding of his company in 1957, was only the beginning of the journey. For the third season of his company, in 1960, Ailey created the masterpiece titled Revelation, which is still a signature work for the company, drawing audiences worldwide.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater popularized modern dance and transformed African American concert dance.
His company gave opportunities to black dancers who were otherwise discriminated, but the company transcends the issue of race. Today, his company represents all ethnicities and embodies American society.
Ailey died of AIDS in 1989, but because of the social stigma attached to the disease, he made sure that his doctors did not reveal it to his family, as his cause of death.
