Dudley Williams (dancer)
{{Short description|American modern dancer}}
{{other people|Dudley Williams}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
Dudley Eugene Williams (August 18, 1938 - May, 2015) was an American modern dancer who performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1964 to 2005.
Early life and education
Dudley Eugene Williams was born in East Harlem, New York City, on August 18, 1938. His father was carpenter Ivan Leroy Williams and his mother Austa (nee Beckles). After his initial application for admission to the music division to study piano was submitted past the deadline date, he enrolled for dance at the High School of Performing Arts in New York, graduating in 1958.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/arts/dance/dudley-williams-eloquent-dancer-who-defied-age-dies-at-76.html|title=Dudley Williams, eloquent dancer who defied age, dies at 76 |first=Sam|last=Roberts|date=June 4, 2015|work=The New York Times| url-access= subscription}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thirteen.org/freetodance/biographies/dwilliams.html|title=Great Performances: Free To Dance - Biographies - Dudley Williams|website=www.thirteen.org}}
Early career
Straight after graduation, Williams established The Corybantes, a dance troupe which toured union halls and army bases. He performed in the companies of Talley Beatty, Donald McKayle, and May O'Donnell, attended Juilliard for a short time, and joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1961{{Cite web|url=https://lasentinel.net/dudley-williams-dances-into-sunset.html|title=Dudley Williams Dances into Sunset|date=June 11, 2015}} on a scholarship.
With Alvin Ailey
Williams joined the Alvin Ailey Company in 1963,{{Cite web|url=https://www.artforum.com/news/dudley-williams-1938-2015-52604|title=Artforum.com|website=www.artforum.com|date=June 4, 2015 }} after being asked to replace a dancer who quit just before a tour, and danced with both Ailey and Graham for some years.
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.[https://www.dance-enthusiast.com/features/social-distance-video-series/view/Remembrances-of-Dudley-Williams-and-A-Song-For-You-republished-from-Walter-Rutledges-Out-and-About-NYC-MAG-2020-05-31 The Dance Enthusiast "Remembrances of Dudley Williams and "A Song For You""] Retrieved March 11, 2021 His final performance with the Ailey Company took place on May 8, 2005.[https://www.alvinailey.org/history-2005 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater History 2005] Retrieved March 11, 2021
He was the longest active member of the Ailey company.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/22/arts/can-t-stop-dancing-music-life-65-dudley-williams-still-revelation-alvin-ailey.html|title=Can't Stop Dancing To the Music Of Life; At 65, Dudley Williams Is Still a Revelation in Alvin Ailey Troupe (Published 2003)|first=Robin|last=Pogrebin|work=The New York Times |date=December 22, 2003|via=NYTimes.com}}[http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2016/feb/12/tribute-held-iconic-dancer-dudley-williams/ The New Amsterdam News: Tribute held for iconic dancer Dudley Williams] Ailey tried to persuade him to become his assistant, but Williams preferred to dance.
Williams was praised for his "flowing, musical style, magnetism and stage presence."Philp, R., & Whitney, M. (1977). [https://books.google.com/books?id=rRhPAAAAMAAJ Danseur: The male in ballet]. New York: McGraw-Hill. Page 182.
Other work
Williams performed as a featured dancer for the Eleo Pomare Dance Company, having met Pomare when both were students at the High School of Performing Arts.{{cite web | title=Eleo Pomare: Biography | website=The HistoryMakers | url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/eleo-pomare-41 | access-date=26 August 2022|quote=Eleo Pomare was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on April 18, 2007.|others=Includes link to extensive notes summarising the videoed interview.}}
Later life and death
After retiring from the Ailey Company, Williams continued to teach at the Ailey School.
In 1996,[https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/paradigm-dance/it-all/ Jacob's Pillow.org] Retrieved March 11, 2021 with Carmen de Lavallade and Gus Solomons Jr., he co-founded and performed with Paradigm, a dance company devoted to showcasing mature dancers.[https://www.paradigmdancenyc.org/ Paradigm: Dance Legends in Concert "About"] Retrieved March 11, 2021 Williams was featured in the 2016 Rohan Spong documentary Winter at Westbeth.{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3213866/|title=Winter at Westbeth (2016) - IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}
He died in May 2015 in his Manhattan apartment at age 76.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{youTube|vdLaeLGjM1M| A Clark Center Conversation with Dudley Williams}} (1:20:18)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20210928170300/https://westbeth.org/wordpress/profiles-in-art/dudley-williams-dancer/ Dudley Williams: Dancer] (Interview, August 2013. Westbeth Home to the Arts)
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Category:American male dancers
Category:African-American male dancers
Category:American modern dancers
Category:Juilliard School alumni