Robert Battle to Succeed Judith Jamison as Head of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Robert Battle has been named the new artistic director for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, according to The New York Times. He will succeed current artistic director Judith Jamison, who will retire in June 2011.

Battle, who has previously choreographed for Ailey and its junior troupe Ailey II, will begin working with Jamison and the company a year before he officially takes the reins of artistic director. The choreographer currently has his own company, Battleworks, which he founded in 2001, and which he will need to dissolve when he takes up his new position with Ailey.

In addition to works with Battleworks and Ailey, Battle has choreographed for such companies as The Hubbard Street Repertory Ensemble, River North Dance Company, Koresh Dance Company, Introdans, and PARADIGM. His awards include a medal from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts proclaiming him one of the “Masters of African-American Choreography” and a Princess Grace Statue Award for achievements in choreography.