Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum 2024

A true legend of dance in America, and the world, has joined the Ancestors.  For me, this is a sad but powerful time. The iconic Judith Jamison has always been such an inspiration to me…. throughout my own life as a dancer and choreographer, from the earliest days when I first met her in New York at Alvin Ailey’s studios.  Her extraordinary artistry in the Ailey masterpiece, “Cry”, from his work “Revelations”, made such an impact on me and spoke to me deeply when I was creating the women’s trio “Mary Don’t You Weep” as part of my own “Spiritual Suite”.

It was such an honor for me as my own company grew, to have her friendship and guidance. We both loved Hawaii as one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and it was there in the 1980s, as we danced together on the volcano, that I spoke of her to the Hawaiians, who have a deep understanding of the spiritual traditions of royalty, that for dancers, she was our Queen!

When she shared that she’d been chosen to carry the legacy of Alvin’s company, it was the beginning of a new phase of artistic brilliance. Throughout her career, she celebrated the struggle, the strength and beauty of Black women, and became a universal symbol and voice for the freedom of women everywhere.

Let us look to the Heavens in the days to come, and see her dancing there, blessing us all, now and always.