With so many talented dancers to choose from, selecting the Top 10 African American Dancers can be a challenging task. However, with much dedication and practice, these dancers have pushed the boundaries of contemporary dance and are now recognized as legends in their craft. Dancers are often judged based on how well they execute a number of difficult steps at one time. This article will explore some of the most famous African-American Contemporary Dance Dancers. They may have different techniques, but they all have something in common – they all excel at dancing!
Bill T. Jones
He is an accomplished artist in addition to being a choreographer, dancer, theatre director, and writer. He has received several honors including the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award, the 2013 National Medal of Arts, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010, among others. Mr. Jones was honored with the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, which has been given to artists who have made an enormous impact on American culture in 2010, as well as being named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government. In 2000, he was named one of the Dance Heritage Coalition’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures. He co-conceived, co-wrote, co-directed, and choreographed Fela!, which opened on Broadway in 2010 and won a Tony Award for Best Choreography. His choreography in Spring Awakening earned him an Obie award in 2006. In 2010, Mr. Jones won a Tony Award for Best Choreography in FELA! and a 2007 Tony Award for Best Choreography in Spring Awakening, both of which were critically acclaimed Broadway shows.
After living in Amsterdam, Mr. Jones returned to the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he studied classical ballet and modern dance. He co-founded the American Dance Asylum in 1973 after studying at the institution. He has been recognized with the 2010 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award for his work in dance. Mr. Jones has collaborated with the team of Paul Kaiser, Shelley Eshkar, and Marc Downie to create new media and digital technology. He has been given honorary doctorates from Yale University, the Art Institute of Chicago, Bard College, Columbia College, Skidmore College, the Juilliard School, Swarthmore College, and the State University of New York at Binghamton Distinguished Alumni Award, where he received his dance training. He began his studies in classical ballet and modern dance at the institution.
Judith Jamison
In 1965, Judith Jamison joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and she quickly became a worldwide superstar. In the following 15 years, Mr. Ailey created several of his most enduring roles for her, including Cry, which he choreographed for her. She has danced with ballet companies all over the world in the past three decades, starring in the successful Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, and she has also founded her own company, The Jamison Project. She joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 as Mr. Ailey’s successor as Artistic Director. In the 21 years since then, she has brought the Company to new heights, including two historic performances in South Africa and a 50-city worldwide tour to celebrate the Company’s 50th anniversary. She has been awarded numerous honors and awards, including an Emmy Award, an American Choreography Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, a National Medal of Arts, a Bessie Award, the Phoenix Award, and the Handel Medallion.
In Ms. Jamison’s artistic direction, she created and named the Ailey Company Center after Joan Weill, the company’s former chairman emerita. To demonstrate the significance of the arts in our society, Ms. Jamison continues to champion the Ailey legacy—using dance as a medium for commemorating the past, celebrating the present and looking toward the future.
Savion Glover
A living legend and a tap master, Savion Glover is a legend in every sense of the term. Famous for his choreography, dancing, and acting abilities, he has been entertaining audiences since he was a child. Before he was a teenager, he played the title role in the hit Broadway show The Tap Dance Kid. Glover won a scholarship to the Newark Community School of the Arts at the age of nine and later worked with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr. He has appeared in several motion pictures, including Jelly’s Last Jam, which earned him a National Endowment for the Arts grant at the age of thirteen. In addition to acting, Glover also works as a choreographer and dancer.
Because of his work as a choreographer, Glover has preserved tap dancing as a contemporary dance art in the world. Glover starred in the Broadway play Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk, which he also choreographed. This play chronicles African-American history and gave him a Tony for best choreographer. It also introduced Savion to the public. Glover has appeared on Sesame Street numerous times and has also collaborated on Happy Feet with Savion as a choreographer.
Conclusion
African-American dancers are some of the most famous in the world, and their reputation has helped to shape the dance industry. These famous Dancers have not only pushed the boundaries of modern dance but have also been trailblazers for other African-American artists. Dancers are often judged based on how well they execute a number of difficult steps at one time. These are just a few examples of African American dancers who have made a name for themselves in dance. These dancers are only a small sample of the many talented African American dancers who have pushed the boundaries of the art form. With much dedication and practice, these dancers have pushed the boundaries of contemporary dance and are now recognized as legends in their craft.
Dance is an art form that continues to inspire billions on a daily basis. Every day people either dance or watch someone else dance. Think about it for a moment, the millions of users on Youtube watching their favorite music artists. The little two-step someone does while making breakfast or brushing their teeth. There are many ways in which the movement of the body can influence us. The ancient Africans understood this, and their descendants continued this memory of movem