Judith Jamison - Performance Career

Performance Career

In 1964, after seeing Jamison in a master class, Agnes de Mille invited her to come to New York to perform in a new work that she was choreographing for American Ballet Theatre, ‘’The Four Marys’’. Jamison immediately accepted the offer and spent the next few months working with the company. When the performances ended and she found herself in New York without a job, Jamison attended an audition held by Donald McKayle. She felt that she performed very poorly in the audition and claimed, “I felt as if I had two left feet.” However, a few days later, a friend of McKayle’s, Alvin Ailey, called Jamison to offer her a place in his company – Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. Jamison made her premiere with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at Chicago’s Harper Theater Dance Festival in 1965 in ‘’Congo Tango Palace’’, and in 1966, she toured Europe and Africa with the company. Jamison had always had a strong interest in African identity; therefore, traveling to Africa with the company and having the opportunity to observe the culture first-hand was an exciting and valuable experience for her. Unfortunately, soon afterward, financial complications forced Ailey to put his company on a temporary hiatus. During this time, Jamison danced with Harkness Ballet and served as an assistant to the artistic director. However, she immediately returned to Alvin Ailey Dance Theater when the company re-formed in 1967.Jamison spent the next thirteen years dancing with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and learned over seventy ballets. Throughout her performance career with the company she danced in many of Ailey’s most renowned works, including ‘’Blues Suite’’ and ‘’Revelations’’. On May 4, 1979, Jamison premiered her famous solo, ‘’Cry’’. Alvin Ailey choreographed this sixteen minute dance as a birthday present for his mother, Lula Cooper, and later dedicated it to “all-black women everywhere, especially our mothers.” The solo is intensely physical and emotionally draining to perform. It celebrates the journey of a woman coming out of a troubled and painful world and finding the strength to overcome and conquer. She never ran the full piece from start to finish until the premiere, the piece received standing ovations and overwhelming critical acclaim, rewarding Jamison with great fame and recognition throughout the dance world. Today, ‘’Cry’’ remains a crowd favorite and is still featured in the company’s repertoire. Throughout her years with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Jamison continued to perform all over the world. Along with her work with Ailey’s company, she also appeared as a guest artist with the Cullberg Ballet, Swedish Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and numerous other companies. She danced alongside many renowned dancers, including the ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov, in a duet entitled ‘’Pas de Duke’’, choreographed by Alvin Ailey in 1976. Finally, in 1980, she left Ailey’s company to perform in the Broadway musical, ‘’’Sophisticated Ladies’’’. It was Jamison’s first stage experience outside the realm of concert dance, and she admits it was initially very challenging for her. It was a completely different performance atmosphere and required a variety of new skills.