Dudley Williams (dancer) facts for kids

Dudley Eugene Williams (born August 18, 1938 – died May 2015) was an amazing American modern dancer. He danced with the famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for a very long time, from 1964 until 2005.

About Dudley Williams

Dudley Williams was a highly respected dancer. He was known for his smooth, musical style and his strong stage presence. He inspired many people with his performances.

Early Life

Dudley Eugene Williams was born in East Harlem, New York City. This was on August 18, 1938. His father, Ivan Leroy Williams, was a carpenter. His mother was Austa Beckles. Dudley first wanted to study piano. He applied to the music school. However, he missed the deadline. So, he decided to try dance instead. He enrolled at the High School of Performing Arts in New York. He graduated from there in 1958.

Starting His Dance Career

Right after high school, Dudley Williams started his own dance group. It was called The Corybantes. They performed in many places. These included union halls and army bases. He also danced with other important companies. These were led by Talley Beatty, Donald McKayle, and May O'Donnell. He briefly attended Juilliard. In 1961, he joined the Martha Graham Dance Company. He received a scholarship to dance there.

Dancing with Alvin Ailey

Dudley Williams joined the Alvin Ailey Company in 1963. He was asked to join when another dancer left suddenly. He danced with both the Ailey and Graham companies for several years.

He became very famous for a special solo dance. It was called "I Wanna Be Ready." This dance was part of Ailey's masterpiece, "Revelations". He was also known for "Love Songs." This was a 16-minute solo dance. Alvin Ailey created it just for him in 1972. Dudley's last show with the Ailey Company was on May 8, 2005.

He was the dancer who stayed with the Ailey company the longest. Alvin Ailey even wanted him to become his assistant. But Dudley Williams loved dancing more than anything. He preferred to keep performing.

Other Dance Projects

Dudley Williams also performed as a main dancer. He worked with the Eleo Pomare Dance Company. He had met Eleo Pomare when they were both students. They were at the High School of Performing Arts together.

Later Years

After he stopped dancing with the Ailey Company, Dudley Williams kept teaching. He taught at the Ailey School.

In 1996, he helped start a new dance company. It was called Paradigm. He co-founded it with Carmen de Lavallade and Gus Solomons Jr.. This company was special. It was created to show off talented older dancers. Williams was also in a documentary film. It was called Winter at Westbeth (2016). The film was made by Rohan Spong.

Dudley Williams passed away in May 2015. He was 76 years old. He died in his apartment in Manhattan.