Judith Jamison, a revered dancer who later served as the artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for two decades, has passed away at the age of 81. Jamison, known for her “power and radiance” on stage, died at a New York hospital after a brief illness, according to a spokesperson for the Ailey company.
James was a towering figure in the dance world, both literally and figuratively. Jamison stood at an unusually tall 5’10”, her physical presence only matched by her incredible artistry and expressive power. As a member of the Alvin Ailey company from 1965 to 1980, Jamison became an international star, captivating audiences with her performances in Ailey’s signature works like “Revelations” and the iconic solo piece “Cry.”
“She was a unique, spectacular dancer who was majestic and queenly. She danced with eloquence and integrity,” said Sylvia Waters, the Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita. “To dance with her and to be in her sphere of energy was mesmerizing.”
After leaving the Ailey company for a stint on Broadway, Jamison returned in 1989 as the artistic director following Alvin Ailey’s death. Under her leadership, the company not only emerged from financial troubles but grew in both size and popularity, cementing its status as one of the most successful modern dance companies in the United States.
“What is most touching and most revelatory of Jamison’s genius as a director is how deep the quality goes,” dance critic Joan Acocella wrote in The New Yorker in 1999. “New dancers, regular dancers, people who receive little attention, are performing at eight hundred kilowatts,” Acocella wrote in The New Yorker in 1999. They are spontaneous, relaxed, and human, and they are wholly inside the dance. They have been given to themselves, and that person must be Jamison.
James’s impact extended far beyond the stage. In 1999, she received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the Handel Medallion, New York City’s highest cultural award. Her life and career served as an inspiration to generations of dancers, especially Black women, who saw in her a reflection of their own power and potential.
In her 1993 autobiography, “Dancing Spirit,” Jamison wrote, “If told that I was to represent every Black woman in the world, I would have dropped the cloth and left the stage immediately.” But that is precisely what she did, embodying the “African American experience” in her electrifying performances and serving as a trailblazer for dancers of color.
Jamison’s legacy will continue to reverberate through the dance world, inspiring artists and audiences alike with the memory of her unparalleled artistry and the indelible mark she left on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As the company said in their tribute, we will always remember and be grateful for her “artistry, humanity, and incredible light, which inspired us all.”