Alvin Ailey Dance Company
I know no other entity, for profit, nonprofit, governmental, or religious, that better personifies the combination of great business, great art, sustainability, strong values and good spirit than the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. I was privileged to be part of the team of great dancers, artistic directors, staff and fellow board members who together created a lasting legacy to Mr. Ailey.
And what is that legacy? I believe that great arts organizations are defined as those that change the world. Arts organizations must be accessible, relevant and sustainable; the best also create and present great art; but only the greatest have at their core the purpose of changing how we view the world and thus, change the world. No company has done more to break color barriers; to demonstrate that gracefulness can be heroic, that athleticism can exist alongside the highest ethical standards; that strong business principles facilitate, not inhibit, creativity; that philanthropy is essential to a civil society; that revelation and redemption can emerge from the darkest history.
