A creative union was forged in 1961 between dynamic choreographer Alvin Ailey and Jack Mitchell, who was already known as the preeminent photographer of dance. Ailey thought in photographic terms of "moving stills" and entrusted Mitchell to photograph his uncompleted works, helping Ailey shape his vision. In the words of Judith Jamison, "In Jack Mitchell, Alvin found what he looked for so often in his career: a true collaborator. Jack's photographs are not simply reproductions of choreography; they represent a fusion of choreographic and photographic techniques yielding artworks of enduring value." This volume is a photographic chronicle by Mitchell of the Ailey troupe from its early years to its flourishing present under the artistic direction of Judith Jamison. Here are the classic photographs of Ailey's signature dance works, "Blues Suite" and "Revelations, " as well as striking images of revered Ailey dancers Carmen de Lavallade and Dudley Williams and memorable photos of Ailey and Jamison in action. Introducing the book, Richard Philp, editor-in-chief of Dance Magazine, says, "This volume of photographs, in addition to being a collection of magnificent bodies, is also rich in historical connotations, the liveliest kind of permanent record of the works of important creators and creations that formed the nucleus of Ailey's remarkable vision of American dance and what it could be."
- ISBN10 0836245091
- ISBN13 9780836245097
- Publish Date 1 October 1993
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Andrews McMeel Publishing
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 129
- Language English