Few images in American dance history are as unforgettable as Judith Jamison, regal and fervent in her white leotard and long ruffled skirt, punching the air in Alvin Ailey’s “Cry”—a powerful solo about Black womanhood. That intense 1971 piece catapulted her to international fame, but it was merely the beginning of her decades-spanning journey at the pinnacle of modern dance, both onstage and behind the scenes.
Handpicked by Ailey himself to succeed him in 1989, Jamison led the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for over two decades, transforming it into the most successful modern dance company in the nation. “It’s amazing,” Jamison remarked in a 2018 interview with The Associated Press, celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary. “I find it remarkable that we still exist today. And I think Mr. Ailey would be absolutely beside-himself happy, that something he started 60 years ago could blossom into everything he imagined.” And likely much more.
Jamison not only continued the company’s global exposure and cultural appeal but also ensured its economic stability and growth, elevating it to unprecedented heights. Wendy Perron, author and former longtime editor of Dance Magazine, attributed Jamison’s success to her unique personality and ability to form relationships. “There was a warmth and magnetism about her—everyone wanted to be with her,” Perron said. “There was a light shining around her.”
Upon Ailey’s death at 58, Jamison took over as artistic director, introducing new works and choreography while keeping his magnum opus, “Revelations,” at the forefront. This 1960 classic, which narrates Black history through spirituals and blues, has been pivotal to the company’s success. In “Revelations,” Jamison herself made a significant impact, performing a baptismal scene with a white parasol, earning the epithet “the umbrella woman.”
To this day, “Revelations” remains a staple in the company’s repertoire, performed both in New York and on tour. It’s referred to as the most-seen work of modern dance, even performed at the White House during a 2010 dance event hosted by Michelle Obama. The First Lady praised Jamison as “an amazing, phenomenal, ‘fly’ woman,” and revealed that a photo of Jamison in “Cry” had been “the only piece of art” in the Obamas’ home before the White House.
Retiring as artistic director in 2011, Jamison was celebrated at New York City Center, where she joyfully proclaimed, “I have come a long way from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!” Born in 1943 and raised in Philadelphia, Jamison trained extensively in ballet, modern, and tap dance. In a 2023 podcast interview, she reminisced, “I knew I had so much energy back then—just too much for everybody. But my parents went, ‘OK, let’s direct her this way.’” She credited her mother’s dedication, who crafted her costumes and massaged her legs after classes.
In 1964, famed choreographer Agnes de Mille noticed Jamison in a class and brought her to New York for an American Ballet Theatre production. Soon after, she auditioned for a TV special but failed, only to catch Ailey’s attention, who quickly invited her to join his budding company. Initially unsure of what he saw in her, she later realized her unique appearance: “Small head, broad shoulders, long arms and long legs.”
Jamison traveled with the young company across Europe and Africa, gradually recognizing her passion for dance despite the meager pay. The Ailey troupe was rare in its inclusiveness of Black talent, providing an outlet for their artistry and culture.
In 1971, Ailey created “Cry” for Jamison, a piece dedicated to Black women, particularly mothers. Recalling the opening night, Jamison told the Hollywood Reporter, “When the curtain went down, I was on the floor.” She rose to take countless bows as the audience roared with approval.
Over the next two decades, Jamison appeared as a guest artist globally, left the Ailey troupe in 1980 for a Broadway stint in “Sophisticated Ladies,” and formed her own company, The Jamison Project. When Ailey fell ill, he entrusted her with his company’s future. Present at his passing, Jamison recalled, “Usually you see in movies that people have their last breath and they breathe out. But Mr. Ailey breathed IN. So I think what we’re living on now is his breath OUT… that air, that vision, that dream.”
Jamison received numerous accolades, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999 and a National Medal of the Arts in 2001. Perron, the former Dance Magazine editor, felt Jamison was somewhat overlooked as a choreographer, citing “A Case of You” as a standout piece brimming with emotion.
Passing the baton to choreographer Robert Battle in 2011, Jamison looked back on her proudest achievement—the creation of the Joan Weill Center for Dance in 2005, the company’s midtown Manhattan home. Waters, now Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita, remembered her as “majestic” and “queenly,” adding, “To dance with her and to be in her sphere of energy was mesmerizing.”
Judith Jamison, who died Saturday at 81 after a brief illness, leaves behind an indelible legacy in the realm of modern dance, forever etched in the annals of American artistic history.
