Judith Jamison
Judith Jamison
Judith Ann Jamisonis an American dancer and choreographer, best known as the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDancer
Date of Birth10 May 1943
CityPhiladelphia, PA
CountryUnited States of America
dancer high indelible legs people though touched
People don't remember me for how high my legs went, even though they went up very high, and how many pirouettes I did. They don't remember me for that. They remember me and any other dancer because something touched them inside. It's an indelible memory on the heart and in the mind.
blood continues dancers felt human jobs knew presence together worked
Alvin knew what I would do with it because we worked together for such a long time. It's part of my blood and part of who I am as a human being. Alvin's presence is felt by us all, even the new dancers who never worked with him. And if we do our jobs well, that continues the vision.
alive dance dancer dancers hit love miss soon
As long as there are dancers around who love to dance, there will be an Alvin Ailey American Dance Company. We miss him so much, but he's alive as soon as you see a dancer hit the stage.
anyone companies dancers leeway pickup possible project rather taste
My idea for the Jamison Project was rather like a pickup company. The idea was to give the dancers a taste of the menu. Today, dancers need to try as many companies as possible without having a drop-dead loyalty to me or anyone else. They like to have the leeway to go their own way.
dance dancer threshold
Every dancer lives on the threshold of chucking it.
dancer black world
Maybe its a generational thing, but I never wanted to be the best black dancer in the world. I just wanted to be the best.
dance thinking white
I can't really hear the audience applause when I'm on stage. I'm totally immersed in the piece. But sometimes I get a lot of it and wonder, "Now, why did they applaud here?" If it's a white crowd, they usually applaud because they think it's a pretty movement. If it's a black crowd, it's usually because they identify with the message.
sacrifice thinking dancer
I haven't had a family, but I don't think of that as a sacrifice: my dancers are my family.
dance giving people
People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them.
dance
One you have danced, you always dance.
inspirational dance dancing
Dance is bigger than the physical body. When you extend your arm, it doesn't stop at the end of your fingers, because you're dancing bigger than that; you're dancing spirit.
dancer silence looks
If you look at a dancer in silence, his or her body will be the music. If you turn the music on, that body will become an extension of what you're hearing.
dance aspiration never-ending
Dance is about never-ending aspiration.
basement brought craft father growing house kid saw shine smelled smells steel tear wood
I smelled the same smells as a kid growing up in my little house in Philadelphia. My father used the basement as his craft shop. And when I smelled the wood and saw the shine of the stainless steel set, it brought a tear to my eye.