About
Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist. He founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) in 1958, and the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in 1959. He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (later Ailey School) as havens for nurturing Black artists and expressing the universality of the African-American experience through dance.