DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Alvin Ailey, born right here in Bell County, Texas. Now, eastern Bell County might seem like an unlikely place to find the roots of one of the most celebrated figures in twentieth century dance — but Rogers, Texas, a small rural community, is exactly where this story begins. Alvin Ailey was born there to Lula Elizabeth Cliff and Alvin Ailey, Sr.
While he was still an infant, his parents separated. And so young Alvin grew up moving — Rogers, other small towns across Texas — shaped all the while by what he heard and saw in the black community around him. Church services.
Music. Movement. Those things worked on him quietly, like seeds waiting for the right season.
In 1942, Lula and Alvin moved to Los Angeles, searching for employment. And Los Angeles had something Rogers didn't — opportunities, wide open ones, for a young man with a gift he hadn't fully named yet. It was in high school that Alvin met a modern dance teacher named Lester Horton.
At Lester Horton Studios, Alvin developed his craft and gained confidence. That's the kind of meeting that changes the whole shape of a life. Then came 1953, and Lester died suddenly.
Just like that, the company needed someone to step up. Alvin took over — and moved the whole operation to New York City. He danced, he acted, Broadway plays and musicals, two motion pictures.
The man was building something, piece by piece, year by year. Then 1958. Ailey created Blues Suite, and it became his first masterpiece.
Two years later, in 1960, he followed it with Revelations. Both works drew upon his childhood — African American traditions, struggles, values, and joys. Work rooted in those small Texas towns, in those church pews, in that music he'd been absorbing since before he could really remember.
Throughout his career, Ailey earned many awards and garnered significant firsts. His dance company, his educational centers, his scholarships — they helped sustain black concert dance through the twentieth century. His ballets opened doors to appreciation for Black culture in music and literature, reaching audiences who might never have found their way to that door on their own.
Revered as a pioneer in modern dance. Internationally recognized. And it all traces back to a small rural community in eastern Bell County, Texas — a place called Rogers, where a boy was born, and where the world eventually came to take notice.
What the marker says
Revered as a pioneer in modern dance, Alvin Ailey was an internationally-recognized choreographer credited for incorporating African American movements into 20th century concert dance. Ailey was born in Rogers, a small rural community in eastern Bell County, to Lula Elizabeth Cliff (1912-1944) and Alvin Ailey, Sr. (1911-1974). While still an infant, Alvin’s parents separated. Growing up in Rogers and other small towns in Texas, Ailey was influenced by church services, music and movement in the black community. Searching for employment, Lula and Alvin moved to Los Angeles in 1942. There were many opportunities for Alvin to expand and foster his creative gifts. In high school, Alvin met modern dance teacher Lester Horton. At Lester Horton Studios, Alvin developed his craft and gained confidence. After Lester died suddenly in 1953, Alvin took over the company and moved it to New York City. He danced and acted in several Broadway plays and musicals and two motion pictures. In 1958, Ailey created Blues Suite, which became his first masterpiece. He followed with the equally moving ballet, Revelations, in 1960. Both works drew upon his childhood and represented African American traditions, struggles, values and joys. Throughout his career, Ailey earned many awards and garnered significant firsts. Ailey’s dance company, educational centers and scholarships helped sustain black concert dance in the twentieth century while his ballets facilitated an appreciation for Black culture in music and literature. (2013)