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Judith's Open Road

JUDITH JAMISON

Choreographer/Artistic Director
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

“It's okay to have doubts and to be scared, but get to your core...What truth are you trying to say in your life?”

INTERESTS:

Acting & Theatre

THEMES DISCUSSED:

Beliefs & Faith Dedication Doubt Fear Determination Perseverance Goals Planning Struggle Focus Hard Work Family Inspiration Self-Reflection Experience Desire Instincts Support & Encouragement Confidence Failure Negativity

TAGS:

anchor, auditions, ballet, being human, center, church, dance, dancing, destiny, fate, journey, Met, predestined, prodigy, protege, religion, spiritual, spontaneous, survival, theater

BIOGRAPHY:

Dance seems to have always been a part of Judith Jamison's Road in life. Growing up, she trained early in dance and music and attended the Philadelphia Dance Academy. In1964, she started performing with the American Ballet Theatre. One year later, Judith moved to New York City to join the Alvin Ailey company, a performing arts organization that celebrates the uniqueness of African-American culture. She soon became one of the company's principal dancers and stayed with them until 1980. Her reason for leaving the company was to perform on the Broadway Musical "Sophisticated Ladies." Soon after, she began choreographing her own works and founded the Jamison Project, a modern dance company, in 1988. In 1989, however, Judith returned to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as its artistic director. Since then, Judith has brought the company unprecedented success and has received numerous awards for her work—including the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999 and the National Medal of Arts in 2001. She was also the first African-American artist to appear on Dance Magazine.