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Rest In Poise: Alvin Ailey Dancer, Dudley Williams, Deceased At 76

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Alvin Ailey featured dancer of more than 40 years, Dudley Williams, died over the weekend at his home in Manhattan. He was 76.

A spokesperson for the company told the New York Times “Mr. Williams was found dead in his apartment on Sunday. No cause was given, but the medical examiner’s office said the death was not considered suspicious.”

Dudley Eugene Williams was born in East Harlem to Iban Leroy Williams and Austa Beckles, on Aug. 18, 1938. His brother, Iban Jr., is his only immediate survivor.

At the age of 12 Dudley took his first dance classes at Sheldon B. Hoskins’s theater school, which he paid for by selling copies of The Amsterdam News.

As the budding dancer began to make his dream a reality a knee injury he suffered in the 1960s lead doctors to tell the dancer he would never walk again. Williams’ resilience defied the odds and was back onstage two weeks after.

It was in 1963 that Alvin Ailey himself recruited Williams as a last-minute replacement for an Ailey troupe member.

During that time Williams had several memorizing leading performances in Ailey’s “Reflections in D” , Louis Falco’s “Caravan” , which solidified Williams as central member of the company.

He became known for his virtuosity in performances such as Ailey’s 16-minute solo “Love Songs”, his comedic “backwoods huckster” role in Ailey’s “Blues Suite” and his riveting solo “I Want to Be Ready” in Ailey’s renowned “Revelations”.

Williams performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater until 2005.

After that he danced with Paradigm, a trio of older dancers he formed with Carmen de Lavallade and Gus Solomons Jr., and taught at The Ailey School in Manhattan, until he died.

In 2013, at age 75, Williams, made a triumphant return to the stage for an Ailey company New Year’s Eve performance of “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham,” the finale of the troupe’s classic “Revelations,” which was choreographed by Ailey.

In 2003 Williams described his passion for dance to the New York Times.

“It’s a hunger — doing it until you do it right,” he added. “It’s a nervousness that puts me on the stage, it’s palms sweating, feet sweating, wondering, ‘Am I going to hit this position?’ ”

Dudley Williams you will be missed but your passion and dedication to the art of dance will live in through the many people you have impacted.

Dudley Dances from Chris Thompson on Vimeo.

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Events and Happenings

Iconic Entertainer Gregory Hines Honored With a Black Heritage Series Stamp

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Savion Glover; Maurice Hines, Gregory’s brother; and Daria Hines, Gregory’s daughter Photo courtesy of USPS

The U.S. Postal Service honored iconic entertainer Gregory Hines with a Black Heritage Series stamp in a ceremony on January 28th. As the 42nd entry in the series, the stamp featuring a 1988 photo of a smiling Hines is now available at Post Offices and usps.com. 

At the ceremony Tony Award winner Savion Glover talked about the role Hines played in elevating tap into an art form and the value of his work. Joining him in the celebration were Maurice Hines, actor, dancer, choreographer, and Hines’ brother; Daria Hines, actress, costume designer, and Hines’ daughter; dancers Chloe and Maud Arnold; Tony Waag, the American Tap Dance Foundation’s artistic director, and tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith.

“I don’t exist without this man,” said Glover, “These young people that you see, they aren’t born without this. We are not here today without this.”

The Chief Postal Inspector, Gary Barksdale, who led the ceremony, said “Gregory Hines was an extraordinary artist in every sense of the word. This Forever stamp pays tribute to his life and career as an actor, singer and most importantly, as a performer whose unique style of tap dancing injected new artistry and excitement into a traditional American form.”

Gregory Hines’ Broadway credits include Eubie!, Sophisticated Ladies, & Comin’ Uptown,  all of which garnered him Tony Award nominations. He became a Tony Award winner for his starring role in “Jelly’s Last Jam” in 1992. In 2003 he passed away at 57 years old from cancer.

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Events and Happenings

Casts of Disney’s The Lion King, Frozen, & Aladdin Broadway Celebrate Black History Month

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Noah Ricketts, Aisha Jackson, Donald Jones Jr. Photo by Darnell Bennett

It’s a beautiful time to be Black on Broadway. For Black History Month, the casts of The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen on Broadway came together in a celebratory photo shoot with photographer Darnell Bennett involving 35+ company cast members.

Take a look at the behind-the-scenes video above and the accompanying photos below.

Cast members included The Lion King‘s Tryphena WadeLawrence Keith Alexander, Brian C. Binion, Lidiwe DlaminiDonna Michelle VaughnLaMar Baylor, Kyle Lamar MitchellBradley GibsonJamal Lee Harris, Elisha BowmansRay MercerL. Steven TaylorBongi DumaKimberly MarableSyndee WintersCameron AmandusPearl KhweziJaysin McCollumAngelica EdwardsIndia Bolds, Bonita HamiltonTshidi Manye, & Bravita Threatt.

Also, Noah RickettsAisha JacksonDonald Jones Jr. of Frozen, and Aladdin‘s Tyler RobertsPaige Williams, Deonte L WarrenTiffany EvaristeMajor AttawayAmber OwensJamie Kasey PattersonApril HollowayKathryn AllisonAriel ReidJuwan CrawleyTrent SaundersDennis Stowe, and Stanley Martin.

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Twitter: @BroadwayBlack

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