FILE - Judith Jamison, choreographer and artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, observes young dancers during a workshop at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010. FILE - Judith Jamison attends the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 65th anniversary season gala on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in New York. FILE - Choreographer Judith Jamison attends the BET Honors at the Warner Theatre on Jan. 17, 2009, in Washington.
Jamison died after a brief illness in New York on Saturday, surrounded by close friends, Christopher Zunner, an Ailey spokesperson, confirmed to The Associated Press. “We remember and are grateful for her artistry, humanity and incredible light, which inspired us all,” Zunner said. Jamison, who was originally from Philadelphia and trained in ballet, began dancing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965.
She became one of the company’s most famous performers and danced there for 15 years before leaving to perform as a guest artist with other ballet companies and on Broadway, according to the Ailey website.