Judith Jamison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Judith Jamison
Jamison in 2012
Born	(1943-05-10)May 10, 1943 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	November 9, 2024(2024-11-09) (aged 81) New York City, U.S.
Education	Fisk University University of the Arts
Occupation	Dancer (1964–1988) Artistic director (1989–2011)
Years active	1964–2011
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Current group	Alvin Ailey Dance Theater
Former groups	The Jamison Project Harkness Ballet American Ballet Theatre
Dances	Cry, Revelations

Judith Ann Jamison (pronounced JAM-ih-son) (May 10, 1943 – November 9, 2024) was a famous American dancer and choreographer. She led the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as its artistic director from 1989 to 2011. After that, she became its artistic director emerita, which means she held an honored position after retiring.

Early Dance Training

Judith Jamison was born in 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She grew up with her parents and older brother. Her father taught her to play the piano and violin. From a young age, she was surrounded by art in Philadelphia.

At six years old, Judith started dance lessons at Judimar School of Dance. Her teacher, Marion Cuyjet, became an important mentor. Under Cuyjet, Judith learned classical ballet and modern dance. The dance studios felt like a "holy place" where performance was always important. By age eight, Judith began dancing en pointe (on the tips of her toes). She also took classes in tap, acrobatics, and Dunham technique.

Later, her teacher sent Judith to other instructors to help her improve. She learned the Cecchetti method from Antony Tudor. This is a specific way of teaching ballet. She also studied with Delores Brown Abelson. During high school, Judith was active in sports and music groups. She also studied Dalcroze Eurhythmics, which teaches rhythm through movement.

When she was 17, Judith graduated from Judimar. She then went to Fisk University. After three semesters, she moved to the Philadelphia Dance Academy (now the University of the Arts). There, she studied dance with new teachers. She learned about Labanotation (a way to write down dance moves) and kinesiology (the study of body movement). She also learned the Horton technique, which needs great strength and focus.

In 1992, Judith Jamison became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

A Career in Performance

In 1964, a famous choreographer named Agnes de Mille saw Judith dance. She invited Judith to New York City to perform in a new ballet. This ballet was called The Four Marys for American Ballet Theatre. Judith quickly said yes.

After the performances ended, Judith was in New York without a job. She went to an audition for Donald McKayle. She felt she did very poorly. But a few days later, Alvin Ailey called her. He offered her a spot in his company, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.

Judith first performed with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in 1965. Her first piece was Congo Tango Palace. In 1966, she toured Europe and Africa with the company. Judith was very interested in African culture. Traveling to Africa was an exciting experience for her.

The company faced money problems and had to pause for a while. During this time, Judith danced with Harkness Ballet. But she quickly returned to Alvin Ailey Dance Theater when it started up again in 1967. Judith danced with the company for 13 years. She learned over 70 ballets. She toured many countries, including Germany, which she called her "second home." She danced in many of Ailey's famous works, like Blues Suite and Revelations.

The Solo Cry

On May 4, 1971, Judith Jamison performed the famous solo dance called Cry. Alvin Ailey created this 16-minute dance as a birthday gift for his mother. He later dedicated it to "all-black women everywhere, especially our mothers." The dance is very physical and emotional. It shows a woman's journey from a difficult past to finding strength. Judith never practiced the full dance from start to finish until the first performance.

Cry became her most famous dance. It received huge applause and praise from critics. This made Judith very well-known in the dance world. Today, Cry is still a favorite and is performed by the company.

Judith continued to perform around the world with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. She also appeared as a guest dancer with other companies. She danced with many famous dancers, including Mikhail Baryshnikov. In 1976, they performed a duet called Pas de Duke.

In 1980, Judith left Ailey's company to perform in the Broadway musical, Sophisticated Ladies. This was her first time performing outside of traditional concert dance. She found it challenging at first because it needed new skills.

The Jamison Project

Judith wanted to work with her own group of dancers. In 1981, she started teaching classes and creating her own dances. She then formed The Jamison Project. This group included dancers who were eager to learn and work. The Project performed for the first time on November 15, 1988, in New York City. They performed dances like Divining and Time Out. Judith also invited other choreographers, like Garth Fagan, to create dances for her company.

Leading the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

In 1988, Judith Jamison returned to Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. She became an artistic associate. When Alvin Ailey passed away on December 1, 1989, Judith became the artistic director. She spent the next 21 years helping the company succeed.

Under her leadership, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater continued to do very well. Judith helped the company perform classic dances again. She also asked other talented choreographers to create new works for the dancers. Judith also continued to choreograph her own dances for the company. These included Forgotten Time, Hymn, and Love Stories. In July 2011, Judith became the artistic director emerita. She chose Robert Battle to take over as the new artistic director.

Personal Life

Judith Jamison was briefly married to Miguel Godreau, who was also a dancer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, from 1972 to 1974.

Judith Jamison passed away on November 9, 2024, in New York City, after a short illness. She was 81 years old.

Choreography by Jamison

Judith Jamison's dances often showed women as strong and independent.

• Divining (1984)
• Forgotten Time (1989)
• Rift (1991)
• Hymn (a tribute to Alvin Ailey) (1993)
• Riverside (1995)
• Sweet Release (1996)
• Echo: Far From Home (1998)
• Double Exposure (2000)
• Here...Now (2001)
• Love Stories (with Robert Battle and Rennie Harris) (2004)
• Reminiscin' (2005)
• Among Us (Private Spaces: Public Places) (2009)

Writing

• Dancing Spirit, Judith Jamison's autobiography (her life story), was published in 1993.

Awards and Honors

Judith Jamison received many awards for her amazing contributions to dance and culture:

• Candace Award, Arts, National Coalition of 100 Black Women (1990)
• Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1992)
• The youngest person to receive The Dance USA Award (1998)
• New York State Governor's Arts Award (1998)
• Kennedy Center Honors for her impact on American culture through dance (1999)
• A Primetime Emmy Award and an American Choreography Award for her work on the PBS Documentary "A Hymn for Alvin Ailey" (1999)
• National Medal of Arts (2001)
• Honored by the National Theater of Ghana (2002)
• The Paul Robeson Award from the Actors' Equity Association (2004)
• Bessie Award for her dedication to dance and the arts (2007)
• Honorary degree from Brown University in Fine Arts (2008)
• The BET Honors – celebrating achievements of leading African Americans (2009)
• Listed in the TIME 100: The World's Most Influential People (2009)
• Congressional Black Caucus' Phoenix Award (2010)
• The Handel Medallion (2010)
• BET Black Girls Rock – Living Legend Award (2018)