As a choreographer, dancer, director, and founder of the 1958 theater company named after him, Alvin Ailey was an instrumental figure in showcasing the African American experience through dance.
The new film, “Ailey” — documenting the icon’s life — is now in theaters. Director Jamila Wignot feels lucky that the film found her.
She was approached by Insignia Films, whose executives were familiar with her work and asked her to direct the documentary. “I was like — What?” she recalled. “It was amazing.
I said yes immediately, and we set off our own journey.” The first time she saw a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, she was in college.
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