The Passing of a Legendary Legacy

As a kid, I wanted to be a dancer like Lola Falana. If you don’t know Lola Falana, then you don’t know Sassy, and you don’t know Cutsey, and you don’t know Demure because she was all of that and then some. Now, if I was going to be a dancer, there was only one place for black dancers: The Alvin Ailey School of Dance. I knew about the Alvin Ailey School of Dance because sometimes, PBS would show them dancing. It was so beautiful. I was mesmerized by the grace and agility with which they moved. I would try to emulate their movement in my play, but I never quite captured it. I lost interest in dance because I quickly discovered that my dexterity and grace were displayed more on the page than on the stage.

Even after I lost interest in dance, I didn’t lose interest in the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. Over the years, I watched them from time to time. I was aware of Judith Jamison. I knew her to be the quintessential, statuesque beauty—the brilliant and passionate student who became the teacher. I, like many of us, was saddened by her passing. Even though I never met her, her importance to the culture is immeasurable. Her contributions to the world of dance will live on in the lives of the students whose lives she touched. One such student is Olivia Jackson. Olivia posted a heartfelt tribute to Ms. Jamison on social media. I will share it with you here:

What a legacy! I am so honored to say that not only did I meet one of my dance idols, but I also had the opportunity to be nurtured by her. I studied at the @theaileyschool Summer Intensive in the summer of 2009. Fresh out of High School, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my gift of dance or where it was going to lead me.

However, my mom spent her last to make sure I went to this Summer Intensive. It changed my life forever. On day one of the Ailey intensive, I met Judith Jamison. She expressed to all of the dancers that summer how important we were. She reminded us how talented we were to be accepted into the summer intensive program. What a privileged position we were in to learn amongst the professional dancers that summer.
I was so nervous to meet such an icon. Ms. Jamison made it her business to educate us on how important black dancers are to the industry and how important our history is to America.

She is the Epitome of a phenomenal black woman. I wish I could tell her that I am a professional dance teacher and that her photo lives in my classroom right beside Alvin Ailey.

Heaven gained another one.