The Whitney Museum of American Art is celebrating the enduring legacy and influence of iconic dancer, choreographer, and artist Alvin Ailey with the powerful new project “Alvin Ailey and Me.”
The project — officially launching today at whitney.org/AlvinAileyandMe — invites members of the public to share personal stories of how Alvin Ailey’s life and work has impacted, inspired, or changed them. When taken together, the stories showcase the lasting, far-reaching impact that this influential artist continues to have: a key theme of the Whitney’s renowned exhibition Edges of Ailey, the first museum exhibition to explore the life and legacy of one of the most important artists in American history. The show is on view until February 9 as part of a season of Ailey in New York City that includes the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s annual engagement at City Center from December 4 to January 5.
Hundreds of people from celebrities and artists to young aspiring dancers and visitors—including entertainers Vanessa Williams and Debbie Allen, actors Lorraine Toussaint and Ryan Jamaal Swain, actress and Whitney Trustee Stephanie March, artists Kara Walker and Mickalene Thomas, designer Tremaine Emory, philanthropist Darren Walker—have already shared their stories. Countless dancers from the Company’s history who are playing important roles in carrying on the Ailey legacy have also contributed their stories, including: Sylvia Waters, Nasha Thomas, and Matthew Rushing, choreographer of Sacred Songs, which was seen as a work in process during Edges of Ailey and will have its world premiere at Ailey’s upcoming season this December.
These poignant letters, drawings, videos and portraits by photographer Mark Mann can be viewed through whitney.org/AlvinAileyandMe and create a beautiful tapestry of gratitude, appreciation and love for Alvin Ailey and what he stood for. The emotional tributes touch on many themes, including how Ailey’s work fosters intergenerational tradition and connections, how Alvin Ailey’s legacy uplifts and amplifies the voices of Black dancers and artists, particularly Black women, and how it continues to inspire generations of artists, creatives, and dreamers.
Members of the public can participate in the project by submitting digital letters online through whitney.org/AlvinAileyandMe.
They are also invited to write letters in person at the Whitney Museum of American Art during Free Friday Nights from 5 to 10 p.m. every Friday, and at City Center during Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s engagement. Accepted submissions will be shared on the site until early 2025.
A small sample of excerpts from tributes below:
“Alvin – you were my dance inspiration,” wrote Vanessa Williams in a letter to Alvin Ailey. “Revelations is in my blood. You live on in my heart forever.”
“Alvin Ailey, your incredible choreography, your company, your legacy has created a cultural fusion that has resounded around the world,” said Debbie Allen in a video submission. “You gave us a sense of our identity and a sense of purpose and our power in your work and it made us all understand and rethink what we were doing and why we should be doing it. I was so, so blessed to meet you, to be trained by you and your incredible company . . . It changed my whole life and I’m now dedicating my life to passing that baton how I can to the younger generation of millions of young people that need this kind of inspiration and guidance. Thank you for the path.”
Artist Kara Walker, who has a piece in Edges of Ailey, remembered how watching a performance of Revelations on cable at age 12 “turned my fledging love for dance into a full on passion. No unoccupied living room was safe from my long, flailing legs kicking and swooping around. I made a habit of modern dance. I moved to NYC in 2002 with my 4-year-old and IMMEDIATELY tried to place her in the Ailey school for children. She wasn’t having it – she complained vociferously. I didn’t force her to live out my truncated dreams . . . Even though she never took classes, I took my daughter to City Center every December or so to see Ailey performances, a present for my birthday.” Walker also recalled when she met legendary Ailey performer Judith Jamison—who just passed away: “Judith Jamison came to visit my public art work ‘A Subtlety’ at the Domino Sugar Plant in 2014 and I became a tongue-tied fan girl. It’s rare you get to meet your pre-teen idol and rare still to have her bless your work with her understanding.”