Donna Ward
Dance Icon and Artistic Director Emerita, Judith Jamison spoke on The Tamron Hall Show on Jan. 14, to discuss the upcoming PBS documentary, American Masters: Ailey, which is based on the life of famed choreographer Alvin Ailey.
Jamison, a cultural icon and one of the most respected figures in contemporary dance was Ailey’s inspiration, for whom he created the masterwork “Cry,” a tribute to all Black women everywhere in 1971.
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“Oh, Jamila [Wright] did such a fantastic job of directing this” Jamison praised the Ailey documentary. “We were talking about it the other day. This is his life in an intimate way that some of us didn’t get a chance to really get into because he didn’t want us to know certain things about him. He wanted us to only come unencumbered to the stage without any trauma that he happened to be going through, so we were free to dance.”
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Ailey was a pioneer of arts-in-education initiatives, particularly those that benefited marginalized populations and underserved communities. He received various honors during his life, including the Kennedy Center Honor in 1988, in appreciation of his outstanding contribution to American culture. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, for his achievements to civil rights and dance in the United States in 2014.
Jamison shared:
He loved dancers but with this documentary, you get a chance to see what made his wheels turn into this genius of a choreographer and to be able to make ‘Revelations,’ a classic that’s been done since 1960. We’ve been doing that piece and of course, you know, we’re doing the 50th anniversary of the dance that I did called ‘Cry.’ They’re masterpieces what he made, masterpieces! And it was always the joy and the love of the craft that he wanted us to be involved in, you know, and bring our entire selves to the stage and we can connect with you.
As a birthday present for his dignified mother, Alvin Ailey choreographed his signature solo “Cry,” which he constructed on his lovely muse, Jamison at the New York City Center in 1971. Jamison went on to say, “The only reason I’m here with you on the show today, I have to say this, is because it’s still being performed by some of the most divine dancers in the company. That tradition has been going on since 1971. We pass it on and pass it on and pass it on and they get better – that’s Constance Stamatiou.”
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