Dudley Williams (dancer)

Dudley Williams (August 18, 1938 - May, 2015)[1] was an American modern dancer who performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1964 to 2005. He was the longest active member of the Ailey company.[2][3] Williams was praised for his "flowing, musical style, magnetism and stage presence."[4]

For other people named Dudley Williams, see Dudley Williams (disambiguation).

Early life

Dudley Williams was born in New York City and attended New York High School for the Performing Arts, graduating in 1958.[5] He then attended Juilliard. He performed in the companies of Talley Beatty, Donald McKayle, and May O'Donnell, and joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1961.[6]

With Alvin Ailey

Williams joined the Alvin Ailey Company in 1963.[7] He became best known for the solo "I Wanna Be Ready" in the Ailey masterwork "Revelations", and for the dance "Love Songs," a 16-minute solo created for him by Ailey in 1972.[8] His final performance with the Ailey Company took place on May 8, 2005.[9]

Later life

After retiring from the Ailey Company, Williams continued to teach at the Ailey School. In 1996,[10] with Carmen de Lavallade and Gus Solomons Jr., he co-founded and performed with Paradigm, a dance company devoted to showcasing mature dancers.[11] Williams was featured in the 2016 Rohan Spong documentary Winter at Westbeth.[12] He died in his Westbeth apartment at age 76.

References
  1. Roberts, Sam (June 4, 2015). "Dudley Williams, Eloquent Dancer Who Defied Age, Dies at 76 (Published 2015)" – via NYTimes.com.
  2. Pogrebin, Robin (December 22, 2003). "Can't Stop Dancing To the Music Of Life; At 65, Dudley Williams Is Still a Revelation in Alvin Ailey Troupe (Published 2003)" – via NYTimes.com.
  3. The New Amsterdam News: Tribute held for iconic dancer Dudley Williams
  4. Philp, R., & Whitney, M. (1977). Danseur: The male in ballet. New York: McGraw-Hill. Page 182.
  5. "Great Performances: Free To Dance - Biographies - Dudley Williams". www.thirteen.org.
  6. "Dudley Williams Dances into Sunset". June 11, 2015.
  7. "Artforum.com". www.artforum.com.
  8. The Dance Enthusiast "Remembrances of Dudley Williams and "A Song For You"" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  9. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater History 2005 Retrieved March 11, 2021
  10. Jacob's Pillow.org Retrieved March 11, 2021
  11. Paradigm: Dance Legends in Concert "About" Retrieved March 11, 2021
  12. "Winter at Westbeth (2016) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
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