Alvin Ailey was born in 1931 in the Brazos Valley of Texas, during a time when poverty, racial segregation and lynchings were common. His father left the family soon after. Ailey and his mother moved to Los Angeles in 1942 for work and educational opportunities.
Ailey began to study at Horton's Dance School, which was the first multiracial dance school in the United States. He joined the dance company in 1953. During this period he performed in several Hollywood films. Ailey also studied other art forms, including painting, acting, music, set design, and costuming, as well as ballet and other forms of modern and ethnic dance.
Horton's death in November 1953 left the company without an artistic director. Despite being only 22 and inexperienced, Ailey began choreographing, directing scenic and costume designs, and managing rehearsals.
In 1954, Ailey moved to New York and performed with stars, such as Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne. Not satisfied with contemporary modern dance schools there, he founded his own, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, in 1958. Ailey's choreography was a fusion of ballet, modern dance, jazz, and African dance techniques. Ailey created 79 works for his dancers, included a signature piece called "Revelations" that is still performed today.
Alvin Ailey died of AIDS in 1989. More than 200 works by over 70 choreographers have been performed by the company. Ailey was proud that his company is multiracial. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on six continents.