Edges of Ailey | Art & Artists

Sept 25, 2024–Feb 9, 2025

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Alvin Ailey envisioned his dances as an embodiment of the fortitude of Black art and culture when he proclaimed: “Look how beautiful we are, look how wonderful we are as Black people. Look what’s happened to us in all these years despite our problems, despite our being brought here as slaves, look what has grown in us.” As a gay Black man, Ailey’s presence in the dance field and his choreography tested the very notion of freedom. The question of who could be free in times of lynchings, apartheid, homophobia, and the height of the AIDS crisis was paramount during his lifetime, as were the corresponding acts of collective resilience, including the civil rights and Black power movements and gay liberation advances.

Ailey’s dances channeled that momentum in a range of ways. His writings demonstrate a deep exploration of queerness in the texts he read, in the sources for his dances, and in his personal reflections. He sought to make Black dance, in his words, “universal” by having a multiracial dance company beginning in 1962. He espoused the model of a “total dancer,” trained to be well-versed in various techniques from jazz to ballet to modern, as a means of transcending disciplinary limits. He also insisted upon creative experimentation, never confining himself to one narrative, style, or aesthetic—from his abstract plotless dances to his politically informed works Masekela Langage (1969) and Survivors (1986). He established a dance school in 1969 and used his company as a vehicle to support the advancement of Black choreographers, providing resources for the creation and presentation of new dances. Ailey maintained an equal presence at public schools, community centers, and historically Black colleges and universities as he did on performing arts stages and in international venues.

A vibrant, abstract artwork featuring Angela Davis composed of colorful, overlapping text and letters, with a mix of reds, yellows, and blues.

A geometric pattern of black and dark gray diagonal stripes forming triangles and intersecting lines, creating a symmetrical design.

Abstract painting with a dark background, featuring splashes of vibrant colors like red, yellow, green, and blue, creating a cosmic effect.

Abstract painting with chaotic black and white lines and splatters, forming a rough, face-like shape on a white background.

A pastoral scene with people in the foreground, trees on either side, and a distant view of a town under a partly cloudy sky.

Circular stone relief featuring three figures and the text "Guardians for Freedom: Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth."

A large, iridescent, abstract fabric installation is suspended by strings against a white background.

A vibrant, colorful triptych with intricate patterns and abstract figures, featuring halos and a rooster at the top center.

A large crowd of people, mostly wearing hats, gathered on a city street with buildings and American flags in the background.

The Spingarn Medal pamphlet, awarded annually for the highest achievement of an American Negro by the NAACP. Dated 1/9/77.

Yellow program cover for the National Council on the Arts event at the White House, featuring the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, dated 11/21/68.

Poster for The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre featuring a brown silhouette of a dancer on a white and brown background. Text in English and French.

A map of the united states in green and red with violent historic events written across each state.

Edges of Ailey | Art & Artists

Edges of Ailey | Art & Artists

Black Liberation

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