Yesterday was certainly a proud one for Judith Jamison, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
An international jury, comprised of names like Saffron Burrows, Alan Gilbert, and Jorge Pardo, recognized her as the honoree of the prestigious Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award at the Joan Weill Center for Dance in New York.
For those who don’t know, Montblanc established the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award back in 1992 to demonstrate its support for the arts. Its long-standing commitment to advancing cultural appreciation has been repeatedly recognized throughout the years.
Each year, winners are rewarded for their efforts with a donation of $20,000 to their favored arts project. But that’s not all. It wouldn’t be a true Montblanc reward if a fine writing instrument wasn’t involved. This year, Jamison received the limited edition Patron of the Arts 2010 fountain pen, which was created as a dedication to Queen Elizabeth I.
For more images from this upscale event, visit the Haute Living events page.
Check out what the official word from Montblanc is on Jamison’s career, and what vetted her talents for this award:
“Originally from Philadelphia, she danced with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 15 years to great acclaim. Recognizing her extraordinary talent, Mr. Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, enabling her to break down racial barriers and become internationally recognized in the dance world. After leaving the company in 1980, Ms. Jamison appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies around the world and founded her own company, The Jamison Project. Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey invited Judith Jamison back to lead the Company, making her one of only a handful of women in the world to direct a major dance company. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s current 20-city U.S. tour celebrates Jamison on her 20 years as Artistic Director and culminates at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in June. An Emmy Award-winning choregrapher, she has created 10 ballets, commissioned 20 Company premieres, 32 new productions and 38 world premieres.”
