Dudley Williams (dancer)

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For other people named Dudley Williams, see Dudley Williams (disambiguation).

Dudley Williams (August 18, 1938 - May, 2015)[1] was an American modern dancer who performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1964 to 2005. He was the longest active member of the Ailey company.[2] [3] Williams was praised for his "flowing, musical style, magnetism and stage presence."[4]

Early life[]

Dudley Williams was born in New York City and attended New York High School for the Performing Arts, graduating in 1958.[5] He then attended Juilliard. He performed in the companies of Talley Beatty, Donald McKayle, and May O'Donnell, and joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1961.[6]

With Alvin Ailey[]

Williams joined the Alvin Ailey Company in 1963.[7] He became best known for the solo "I Wanna Be Ready" in the Ailey masterwork "Revelations", and for the dance "Love Songs," a 16-minute solo created for him by Ailey in 1972.[8] His final performance with the Ailey Company took place on May 8, 2005.[9]

Later life[]

After retiring from the Ailey Company, Williams continued to teach at the Ailey School. In 1996,[10] with Carmen de Lavallade and Gus Solomons Jr., he co-founded and performed with Paradigm, a dance company devoted to showcasing mature dancers.[11] Williams was featured in the 2016 Rohan Spong documentary Winter at Westbeth.[12] He died in his Westbeth apartment at age 76.

References[]

  1. ^ Roberts, Sam (June 4, 2015). "Dudley Williams, Eloquent Dancer Who Defied Age, Dies at 76 (Published 2015)" – via NYTimes.com.
  2. ^ Pogrebin, Robin (December 22, 2003). "Can't Stop Dancing To the Music Of Life; At 65, Dudley Williams Is Still a Revelation in Alvin Ailey Troupe (Published 2003)" – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ The New Amsterdam News: Tribute held for iconic dancer Dudley Williams
  4. ^ Philp, R., & Whitney, M. (1977). Danseur: The male in ballet. New York: McGraw-Hill. Page 182.
  5. ^ "Great Performances: Free To Dance - Biographies - Dudley Williams". www.thirteen.org.
  6. ^ "Dudley Williams Dances into Sunset". June 11, 2015.
  7. ^ "Artforum.com". www.artforum.com.
  8. ^ The Dance Enthusiast "Remembrances of Dudley Williams and "A Song For You"" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  9. ^ Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater History 2005 Retrieved March 11, 2021
  10. ^ Jacob's Pillow.org Retrieved March 11, 2021
  11. ^ Paradigm: Dance Legends in Concert "About" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  12. ^ "Winter at Westbeth (2016) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.

External links[]

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