Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey, a pioneer in modern dance and a famous American choreographer and dancer, founded the racially integrated dance troupe, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. His company was the first multi-ethnic modern dance group to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, to perform in the Soviet Union, and to tour the People’s Republic of China while being sponsored by the United States government. Ailey was an outstanding dancer and found joy in choreography, “creating something where before there was nothing.” He started small but ended up having an enormous influence on modern dance in the United States and around the world.
Ailey was born on January 5, 1931 in Rogers, Texas. He was raised by his mother, Lula E. Cliff Ailey. His father,
