Judith Jamison, an internationally acclaimed dancer who later served as artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for two decades, has died. She was 81.
Jamison died at a New York hospital surrounded by family and friends following a brief illness, Christopher Zunner, a spokesperson for Ailey, confirmed in a statement to CBS News.
"We remember and are grateful for her artistry, humanity and incredible light, which inspired us all," Zunner said.
Jamison grew up in Philadelphia and trained there in ballet from a young age. At a time when Black dancers were rare in ballet, she began with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965.