In celebration of Black History Month, Shondaland partnered with theSkimm on a video series to honor pivotal moments in our nation’s history. Told through the lens of personal stories from Chandra Wilson, Michael Strahan, Leslie Odom Jr., Tika Sumpter, William Jackson Harper, Jason George, and Cynthia Erivo, the weekly series will enlighten viewers on moments in current history and how they are often connected to cultural events that preceded them.


Dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey excelled at evoking the everyday black experience on stage. He broke barriers in the world of modern dance by taking our normal and making it extraordinary. When he founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958 the world was presented with his vision: a fully theatrical conceived set of performances that melded ballet, modern dance, jazz, and African dance. His seminal work, Revelations, drew upon his memories of growing up in Rogers, Texas, a segregated town 50 miles south of Waco, and incorporated blues, gospel, and spirituals into the performance. It debuted to acclaim on Jan. 31, 1960. It's estimated that the number has been performed for 23 million people around the world to date, and along with the more than 70 other works Ailey choreographed for his company, Revelations remains in its repertoire to this day.

In the video above Leslie Odom Jr. mentions that Ailey's path to greatness was paved by people like Bert Williams, the Bahamian-American actor who became a major player in the development of black American entertainment in the vaudeville era. Ailey friend and mentor Katherine Dunham was a social anthropologist and activist in addition to being a celebrated dancer and choreographer. In 1992 at age 82 she staged a 47 day hunger strike to protest America's treatment of Haitian refugee seekers. You can also hear both Dunham and Ailey together in their own words here.

Seeking out more on Alvin Ailey's genius? Well there’s no shortage of footage that shows how strongly the dance company has lived on throughout the years. Be sure to Check out selections from the famed Revelations, and consider being audience member 23,000,001 by copping tickets when the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to a city near you.

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