(1931–89), US dancer and choreographer. He founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958 and helped to establish modern dance as an American art form; he incorporated ballet, jazz, and Afro-Caribbean idioms in his choreography.
Definition of Ailey, Alvin in US English:
Ailey, Alvin
proper nounˈālē
(1931–89), US dancer and choreographer. He founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958 and helped to establish modern dance as an American art form; he incorporated ballet, jazz, and Afro-Caribbean idioms in his choreography.