January 5
Born Today:
Alvin Ailey
Texas-born modern dance choreographer Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) created his signature piece, Revelations, in 1960, a masterpiece celebrating the black experience using dance and popular spirituals. The piece is performed at every concert and it inspires to this day. Little-known fact: Ailey and author/poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014) used to dance in a duo called "Al and Rita"? What a small and crazy world.
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Broadway Premiere: The Wiz in 1975