Alvin Ailey

African-American dancer, choreographer and activist (1931-1989)
Person human Q449037
Alvin Ailey
Carl Van Vechten · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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Alvin Ailey

Summary

Alvin Ailey is a human[1]. His place of birth was Rogers[2]. He was born on January 5, 1931[3]. He died in Manhattan[4]. He died on December 1, 1989[5]. He worked as a ballet dancer[6], choreographer[7], and artistic director[8]. He ranks in the top 0.66% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (977 views/month, #6,585 of 1,000,298).[9]

Key Facts

  • Born in Rogers[2], Alvin Ailey…
  • Alvin Ailey passed away in Manhattan[4].
  • Alvin Ailey was born on January 5, 1931[3].
  • Alvin Ailey died on December 1, 1989[5].
  • Alvin Ailey is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park[10].
  • Alvin Ailey held citizenship in United States[11].
  • Alvin Ailey is identified as part of the African Americans ethnic group[12].
  • Alvin Ailey's professions included ballet dancer[6].
  • Alvin Ailey's professions included choreographer[7].
  • Alvin Ailey's professions included artistic director[8].
  • Alvin Ailey was educated at San Francisco State University[13].
  • Alvin Ailey was educated at Jefferson High School (Los Angeles)[14].
  • Alvin Ailey's education included a stint at Los Angeles City College[15].
  • Alvin Ailey's education included a stint at University of California, Los Angeles[16].
  • A notable work attributed to Alvin Ailey is Revelations[17].
  • A notable work attributed to Alvin Ailey is Jerico-Jim Crow[18].
  • Alvin Ailey received the Guggenheim Fellowship[19].
  • Alvin Ailey received the Spingarn Medal[20].
  • Alvin Ailey received the Kennedy Center Honors[21].
  • Alvin Ailey received the Presidential Medal of Freedom[22].
  • Alvin Ailey received the Capezio Dance Award[23].
  • Alvin Ailey received the honorary doctorate from Princeton University[24].
  • Alvin Ailey was a member of Legacy Walk[25].
  • Alvin Ailey was a member of National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame[26].
  • Alvin Ailey was a member of Rainbow Honor Walk[27].

Product Details

The following facts are restated verbatim from public-domain and CC0 open-data sources — every line is independently verifiable against the named source's catalog.

MusicBrainz — CC0 open music encyclopedia

  • Type: Person[28]

  • Country: US[29]

  • MusicBrainz ID: a7eb7bcd-090f-4ae0-8547-dab1e0318e1b[30]

Body

Origins and Family

Alvin Ailey was born in Rogers[2]. He was born on January 5, 1931[3]. He is identified as part of the African Americans ethnic group[12].

Education

Educated at San Francisco State University[13], a university[31], in United States[32], founded in 1899[33]; Jefferson High School (Los Angeles)[14], a high school[34], in United States[35], founded in 1916[36]; Los Angeles City College[15], a community college[37], in United States[38], founded in 1929[39]; and University of California, Los Angeles[16], a public research university[40], in United States[41], founded in 1919[42], headquartered in Los Angeles[43]. Studied under Lester Horton[44], a choreographer[45], 1906–1953[46], of United States[47]; New Dance Group[48], a dance troupe[49], in United States[50], founded in 1932[51]; Hanya Holm[52]; Anna Sokolow[53]; Charles Weidman[54]; and Karel Shook[55].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include ballet dancer[6], choreographer[7], and artistic director[8].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include Revelations[17], a choreographic work[56] and Jerico-Jim Crow[18], a dramatico-musical work[57]. Things named for Alvin Ailey include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater[58], a dance troupe[59], in United States[60], founded in 1958[61] and Ailey[62], an impact crater[63].

Recognition

Awards received include Guggenheim Fellowship[19], a fellowship grant[64], in United States[65], founded in 1925[66]; Spingarn Medal[20], a medallion[67], in United States[68], founded in 1914[69]; Kennedy Center Honors[21], an award[70], in United States[71], founded in 1978[72]; Presidential Medal of Freedom[22], an award[73], in United States[74], founded in 1963[75]; Capezio Dance Award[23], an award[76], founded in 1952[77]; and honorary doctorate from Princeton University[24], an honorary degree[78], in United States[79].

Death and Burial

Alvin Ailey died on December 1, 1989[5]. He died in Manhattan[4]. The cause of death was death from AIDS-related complications[80]. He is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park[10].

Why It Matters

Alvin Ailey ranks in the top 0.66% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (977 views/month, #6,585 of 1,000,298).[9] He has Wikipedia articles in 20 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[81] He is known by 14 alternative names across languages and contexts.[82]

Entities named for him include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater[58], a dance troupe[59], in United States[60], founded in 1958[61] and Ailey[62], an impact crater[63].

FAQs

Where was Alvin Ailey born?

Alvin Ailey was born in Rogers[2].

Where did Alvin Ailey die?

Alvin Ailey died in Manhattan[4].

What did Alvin Ailey do for work?

Alvin Ailey worked as ballet dancer[6], choreographer[7], and artistic director[8].

Where did Alvin Ailey go to school?

Alvin Ailey was educated at San Francisco State University[13], Jefferson High School (Los Angeles)[14], Los Angeles City College[15], and University of California, Los Angeles[16].

What awards did Alvin Ailey receive?

Honors received include Guggenheim Fellowship[19], Spingarn Medal[20], Kennedy Center Honors[21], and Presidential Medal of Freedom[22].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . wikidata.org.
  3. [11] . LIBRIS. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  4. [13] . hdl.handle.net. hdl.handle.net. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  5. [14] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  6. [15] . hdl.handle.net. hdl.handle.net. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  7. [16] . hdl.handle.net. hdl.handle.net. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  8. [6] . wikidata.org.
  9. [7] . wikidata.org.
  10. [8] . alvinailey.org. alvinailey.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  11. [10] . wikidata.org.
  12. [19] . Guggenheim Fellows database. wikidata.org.
  13. [20] . Encyclopædia Britannica Online. britannica.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  14. [21] . wikidata.org.
  15. [22] . crsreports.congress.gov. crsreports.congress.gov. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  16. [23] . pbs.org. pbs.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  17. [24] . pbs.org. pbs.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  18. [12] . BlackPast.org. wikidata.org.
  19. [25] . wikidata.org.
  20. [26] . wikidata.org.
  21. [27] . wikidata.org.
  22. [80] . wikidata.org.
  23. [3] . SNAC. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  24. [5] . SNAC. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  25. [17] . wikidata.org.
  26. [18] . wikidata.org.
  27. [44] . wikidata.org.
  28. [48] . wikidata.org.
  29. [52] . wikidata.org.
  30. [53] . wikidata.org.
  31. [54] . wikidata.org.
  32. [55] . wikidata.org.

Product details (FDA / USDA / NHTSA public-domain catalog data)

  1. [28] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  2. [29] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  3. [30] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [58] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [62] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [68] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [69] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [70] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [71] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [72] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [73] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [74] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [75] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [76] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [77] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [78] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [79] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [56] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  37. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  38. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  39. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  40. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  41. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [9] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [81] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [82] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Alvin Ailey. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/alvin-ailey
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BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_alvin-ailey_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Alvin Ailey}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/alvin-ailey}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-10}}
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