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AlvinAileywasatthepeakofhiscreativepowerwhenhedied,onDec.1,attheageof

58.Yethe,morethanmostofhisgenerationindance,hadaccomplishedwhathesetout

todo.Andthoseaccomplishmentshadaresoundingimpactonmoderndance.

''Hewasafriend,andhehadabigheartandatremendousloveofthedance,''Mikhail

Baryshnikovsaid,respondingtonewsofMr.Ailey'sdeath.''HisworkmadeanimportantcontributiontoAmericanculture.''

ItishardtoseparatethatcontributionfromMr.Ailey'spersonality.Initiallyshyand

waryinconversation,Mr.Aileywouldsoonrevealhimselfasamanofextraordinary

warmth,anoftenwildlyexuberantsenseofhumorandadesolatelonelinessnotalways

successfullyhiddenbeneaththesurface.Buthiswarmthandgustowerereflectedin

muchofthedancehecreatedandchosefortheAlvinAileyAmericanDanceTheater.

DancewastosomeextentanelitistartwhenMr.Aileycreatedhisfirstmasterworks-

''BluesSuite,''in1959,and''Revelations,''in1960,aroundwhichhiscompanywouldbe

built.Balletwaslargelyanartforaficionados.MarthaGrahamcreated''Clytemnestra''

in1958,andMerceCunningham,ErickHawkinsandPaulTaylorwerewellintoestablishingtheirimportanceastheformalistsofAmericanmoderndance.Butit

requiredaconsiderableleapoffaithtoaccompanyMissGrahamonherheroic,mythic

voyagesintothehumanheartortotravelwithMr.Cunningham,Mr.HawkinsandMr.

Taylorthroughthelightandshadowsofthedistantlandscapesoftheirimagination.

Indanceslike''BluesSuite''and''Revelations,''Mr.Aileyofferedaudiencesan

immediateexperienceoflifeatitsbestandworst.Thatlifemightbehisown,filledwith

theparticularitiesobservedbyanimpressionablechildgrowingupneartheDewDrop

InnortheTrueVineBaptistChurchinNavasota,Tex.Itmightnotbetheexperienceof

anAtlantahospitalorderlyoraWallStreetbroker,ofaFrenchseamstressoraJapanese

industrialist,butasdepictedbyMr.Aileyinsimplytoldstoriesandpowerfullyenacteddance,itwasapotenttheatricalexperience.ItisnotincidentalthatMr.Aileycalledhis

companyan''Americandancetheater.''

Hischoiceofdancerswasapartofthatpotencyandtheatricality.TheAileydanceris

manythings.OnethinksofthedelicatecontrolandfluentgraceofDudleyWilliamsor

thevelvetypurrofDonnaWoodandthepoignantsweetnessofaSylviaWatersor

ConsueloAtlas.ThereistheformaldignityofaKelvinRotardieroranAprilBerryand

thebitingattackofdancerslikeMarilynBanksandJohnParks.Mostofall,however,the

AileydancerispersonifiedbyJudithJamison,apowerhousestarperformerwhose

joyousabandonseemedverymuchhisown.

Mr.Aileybelievedintenselyinthepowerofdance.Hebelievedthatdancecouldand

shouldreacheveryone.Hestoodhisground,sometimesexasperatedly,inthefaceof

criticismofhiscompany'stheatricality.EverythinginMr.Ailey'sprofessionaltraining

wasgristforthemillofhisdance.Whyshoulditnotallbevalidforhisaudiences?

Hisearliestinvolvementwithmoderndanceasaperformer,choreographerand,briefly,

anadministrator,camewhenhejoinedtheLesterHortoncompanyinLosAngelesin

1950andwasexposedtothevividlydramaticworkHortoncreatednotonlyforthe

concertstagebutforpopularforumslikeoutdoorpageants,nightclubsandmovie

musicals.

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Mr.AileybecameasuccessfulBroadwayperformersoonafterandstayedinNewYork

tostudyballetandactingaswellasmoderndance.ForMr.Ailey,alldanceforms-and

theater-weresimplypartofagloriouslyexpressivewhole.

Thatoutlookisconfirmed,infact,bytherepertorybeingperformedbytheAlvinAiley

AmericanDanceTheaterinathree-weekseasonthatopenedonWednesdayatCityCenter.Itisarepertorythatincludesareworkingofalittle-knownworkbyHorton,the

revivalofaclassicbyaHortoncolleague,JoyceTrisler,andprogramsdevotedtotheart

ofKatherineDunham.Thoughnoneofthepost-modernistdancesintherepertorywill

beofferedthisseason,importantworksbyleadingblackmodern-dancechoreographers

likeDonaldMcKayleandTalleyBeattywillbeperformed,aswellasdancesbyUlysses

DoveandBarryMartin,twonewlyemergingblackchoreographers.

Mr.Aileywillberepresentedby''BluesSuite''and''Revelations,''inadditionto

''MasekelaLangage''and''NightCreatures,''twolaterAileysignatureworksthatdeal,

respectively,withthesearingpainofbeingblackinSouthAfricaandwithMr.Ailey's

lovefortheshimmering,wrybeautyofmusicbyDukeEllington.

ThefactthatMr.Aileywasblackbothhurtandhelpedhim.Noneoftheblackmodern-

dancechoreographersofhisgenerationhaveequaledhispopularsuccess.Thestruggle

tookitstollonhim.Balletandmoderndancewere,andtoanextentstillare,the

provinceofwhitechoreographersandperformers.ButtheAileycompany'sfirstnotable

successes,onStateDepartmentsponsoredtoursabroadstartinginthemid-1960's,came

aboutatatimeofnewawarenessofblackparticipationinAmericanlife.

ItmayhavebeenthatMr.Aileywastherightmanintherightplaceattherighttime.But

heneverstoppedbeinganeloquentspokesmanfortheuniversalityoftheblack

experienceinAmericaandfortheimportantroleblackperformerscanandmustplayintheAmericanarts.Today,theAileycompanyisconsideredaprimarilyblackcompany.It

wastherethatthefirstblackdancestarsbecameestablished.ButMr.Aileyandhis

dancershavewelcomedusallintotheirworldandmadeitourown.

Andthecompanyhebuilttodayhasanannualbudgetof$7million,employs28dancers

andperformsanactiverepertoryof23pieces.Thereisevenajunior,touringcompany

andabustlingschoolwith3,000studentsthathasbecomeamajordancetraining

institution.Still,inaworldwhereeverydanceandtheatercompanyis''family,''Mr.

Ailey'stroupehasremainedjustthat.Andthefactthatanumberofveteranformer

dancershavecontinuedtoworkwithMr.Ailey,chiefamongthemMissJamison,

suggeststhoseinstitutionshaveagoodchanceofcarryingonthelegacyofAlvinAiley.

CopyrightNewYorkTimesCompanyDec10,1989