Robert Battle
Encyclopedia
Robert Battle is the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
, assumed the reins on July 1, 2011, as its third director since the company's 1958 inception.When receiving the position Battle says, "I hope to be worthy of this tremendous responsibility that I've been given, and to honor it in the only way Alvin Ailey would have accepted: by keeping it now, alive and moving forward".
Originally from the Liberty City
community of Miami, Florida, Battle studied at the New World School of the Arts
before graduating from The Juilliard School in 1994. Upon graduation, he joined the Parsons Dance Company
. He founded his own Battleworks Dance Company in 2001.
Although Battle was never formally part of the Ailey company prior to his appointment (making him the first Artistic Director with no direct connection to the company or to Ailey himself), he contributed a number of works to the company's repertoire, and had long been recognized as the anointed successor to Judith Jamison
. As Jamison was in an interview she says, "that Battle's choreography has the ability to draw audiences into his work, and it remindes her of Alvin". He served several terms as artist-in-residence with Ailey.
Battle was named one of the Masters of African American Choreography by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey...
, assumed the reins on July 1, 2011, as its third director since the company's 1958 inception.When receiving the position Battle says, "I hope to be worthy of this tremendous responsibility that I've been given, and to honor it in the only way Alvin Ailey would have accepted: by keeping it now, alive and moving forward".
Originally from the Liberty City
Liberty City
Liberty City is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. The area is roughly bound by NW 79th Street to the north, NW 27th Avenue to the west, the Airport Expressway to the south, and Interstate 95 to the east. The Miami neighborhood is home to one of the largest concentrations of black...
community of Miami, Florida, Battle studied at the New World School of the Arts
New World School of the Arts
New World School of the Arts is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida with dual-enrollment programs in visual arts, dance, theatre, musical theatre, instrumental music, and vocal music. Both the college and the high school are accredited by the Southern Association of...
before graduating from The Juilliard School in 1994. Upon graduation, he joined the Parsons Dance Company
Parsons Dance Company
-External links:*** accessed 23 June 2007**...
. He founded his own Battleworks Dance Company in 2001.
Although Battle was never formally part of the Ailey company prior to his appointment (making him the first Artistic Director with no direct connection to the company or to Ailey himself), he contributed a number of works to the company's repertoire, and had long been recognized as the anointed successor to Judith Jamison
Judith Jamison
Judith Anna Jamison is an American dancer and choreographer, best known as the Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater....
. As Jamison was in an interview she says, "that Battle's choreography has the ability to draw audiences into his work, and it remindes her of Alvin". He served several terms as artist-in-residence with Ailey.
Battle was named one of the Masters of African American Choreography by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005.