{"id":17823,"date":"2023-02-19T18:15:01","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T18:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=17823"},"modified":"2025-11-19T15:00:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T15:00:47","slug":"about-this-orbit-billy-wilson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2023\/02\/19\/about-this-orbit-billy-wilson\/","title":{"rendered":"About this Orbit: Billy Wilson"},"content":{"rendered":"

About This Orbit: Billy Wilson<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Return Back to Billy Wilson’s orbit in The Constellation Project<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sonja van Beers and Wilson in the 2nd Movement of Balanchine\u2019s Symphony in C. Early 1960s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Billy Wilson was an American director, choreographer, dancer, and artist.\u00a0 Growing up in Philadelphia, Wilson found a love for ballet early in life.\u00a0 At age 19, he made his Broadway debut before traveling to Europe, where he performed as a soloist for the Dutch National Ballet. Returning to the United States, Wilson continued his career choreographing ballets, television shows, and Broadway shows, as well as teaching students at Carnegie Mellon University.\u00a0 He received numerous awards for his work, including but not limited to an Emmy Award, a Charlie Award, and three Tony nominations.\u00a0 Described by his family and friends as the embodiment of excellence and elegance,\u00a0 Wilson was one of the greatest directors and artists of his time, revolutionizing black musical theater and ballet.\u00a0 His ability to straddle the ballet, academia, and musical theater worlds was unparalleled.\u00a0 Wilson\u2019s legacy lives on in his incredible choreography, still performed by top ballet companies today, and the minds of those who had the pleasure of knowing or watching him.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

ROLL CALL PAGES: Billy Wilson, MobBallet<\/a><\/strong>
\nA Celebration of the Life of Billy Wilson, dancer, choreographer, director, educator, Facebook<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and The Sydney Marion School of Dance<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

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The Sydney-Marion School of Dance was founded in 1946 by Sydney King and Marion Cuyjet<\/a> <\/strong>in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Despite the company lasting less than two years, ending in 1948, King and Cuyjet marked the start of a lineage of Black ballet dancers in Philadelphia, one of whom, receiving national and international recognition, was Billy Wilson. When the pair split in 1948, Wilson left with King to continue training.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Source:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

About This Orbit: Sydney King, MOBBallet<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Sydney King<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Sydney King immigrated to Philadelphia from Jamaica with her family when she was six years old. After beginning her training with dance pioneer Essie Marie Dorsey<\/a><\/strong>, King danced until she married in 1936 at age 19. In 1946 she opened the Sydney Marion School of Dance with Marion Cuyjet, training hundreds of Black dancers in the art of ballet. Billy Wilson studied under both King and Cuyjet, and stayed with King after the pair split in 1948.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Source:<\/b><\/p>\n

About This Orbit: Sydney King, MOBBallet<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Marion Cuyjet<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

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Marion Cuyjet was born in Delaware and began her dance career in Philadelphia under the training of Essie Marie Dorsey<\/a><\/strong> in the 1930s. In 1946 she opened the Sydney-Marion School of Dance with Sydney King. There, she taught Billy Wilson until the pair separated in 1948. Upon the split, she formed a new school on her own the same year called The Judimar School of Dance<\/a><\/strong> named after herself and her daughter, Judy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Source:<\/b><\/p>\n

About This Orbit: Marion Cuyjet, MOBBallet<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Joan Myers Brown<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Billy Wilson\u2019s lifelong friend and colleague Joan Myers Brown was trained first by Essie Marie Dorsey<\/a><\/strong>, and later was a student at the Sydney Marion School of Dance of\u00a0 Sydney King and Marion Cuyjet. After the separation and disbanding of the dance company, Myers Brown remained with King alongside a few peers, one of whom was Billy Wilson. Brown and Wilson, meeting when Wilson was 14 or 15 and separating when Wilson made his Broadway debut at 19, danced together for around 5 years. Wilson was able to get classes with Anthony Tudor despite the school only allowing one Black dancer, who was Joan Myers Brown at the time. Myers Brown went on to found Philadanco in 1970, a Philadelphia based dance school that is the United States\u2019 largest predominantly African American modern dance company. After returning from Europe, Wilson choreographed many ballets specifically for Philadanco, and remained Brown\u2019s close friend. She describes him as an old soul with a magnetic smile. He became \u201ceveryone\u2019s little brother\u2026 everyone\u2019s date for the prom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Joan Myers Brown, MOBBallet<\/a>
\nBrown, MOBBallet<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Philadelphia Guild Ballet School\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Dancers of the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in 1967, photo via The Philadelphia Inquirer (source: MobBallet)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Billy Wilson was 15, he was offered a scholarship to study at the School under Tudor, and stayed with the company for two years before leaving to make his debut on Broadway.\u00a0 Established in the mid 1950s by Antony Tudor, the Philadelphia Ballet Guild offered a place for few black students to learn ballet amid the bustling artistry of Philadelphia.\u00a0 The company was considered a \u201cforerunner\u201d to the Pennsylvania Ballet (now called Philadelphia Ballet) and \u201cexperimental,\u201d performing pieces with political themes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Great Performances: Free To Dance – Biographies – William Adolphus Wilson, Thirteen: Media with Impact<\/a><\/strong>
\nMarion Cuyjet & Betty Nichols\u2019 Orbit: Antony Tudor,\u00a0 MOBBallet<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Antony Tudor\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

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Antony Tudor was a prominent influence in Billy Wilson\u2019s early life, when Wilson studied under him for 2 years before making his Broadway debut. Joan Myers Brown, Wilson\u2019s lifelong friend, was taking classes with Tudor at a white school and at that point, the school would only teach one Black student. Wilson was able to gain admittance and work with Tudor for two years. Furthermore, Tudor told Wilson that if he were serious about his career as a dancer, he should go to NYC.\u00a0 It was his words that inspired Wilson to audition for Broadway and jumpstart the rest of his career.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Antony Tudor Ballet Trust, About Antony Tudor<\/a><\/strong>
\nAntony Tudor, The Sarasota Ballet<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Delores Browne<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"\"Delores Browne was one of Philadelphia\u2019s first professional Black ballerinas. Billy Wilson and Browne were casted in the first performance of Antony Tudor\u2019s Offenback in the Underworld<\/i> in 1954.\u00a0 The ballet was described as a \u201chumorous story about the flirtatious interactions among celebrities at a 1870s French cafe, [and] is filled with colorful characters and costumes.\u00a0 It culminates with a sultry and exhilarating chorus line of high kicking known as the \u2018can-can\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 Since its opening night, Tudor\u2019s ballet has been performed by American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West, and National Ballet of Canada.
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Sources:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Arthur Mitchell: Harlem’s Ballet Trailblazer, Columbia University Libraries Online Exhibitions<\/a><\/strong>
\nDelores Browne, MOBBallet<\/a><\/strong>
\nDelores Browne, John Jones, and Billy Wilson perform in Antony Tudor\u2019s Offenbach in the Underworld, MOBBallet<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Jamaica<\/i><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"Jamaica<\/em> is a Broadway original which was performed by Billy Wilson alongside Alvin Ailey as an Islander. It was performed at the Imperial Theater in New York City. Set on tropical paradise Pigeon\u2019s Island, Jamaica<\/em> centers around Savannah, a young woman who dreams of leading a life of modernity in New York City. Two suitors vie for her attention: Koli, a handsome but poor fisherman, and Joe Nashua, a Big Apple businessman who has come to the remote island to dive for pearls. Although Savannah is enticed by Joe\u2019s promises that the pair could exchange life on the island for that in the city, she ultimately decides to remain with Koli, after he saves her younger brother during a hurricane.
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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

From Broadway to Ballet and Back, MOBBallet<\/strong><\/a>
\nRicardo Montalban, Lena Horne, Adelaide Hall, Augustine “Augie” Rios, Ossie Davis and ensemble in the 1957 stage production Jamaica<\/em>, NYPL Digital Collections<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Bells Are Ringing\u00a0<\/i><\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"\"Billy Wilson performed Bells Are Ringing<\/i> after his debut performance in Carmen Jones<\/i>. Bells Are Ringing<\/i> was a Broadway musical opened at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre on November 29, 1956. Billy was the only Black dancer in the entire cast.
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Sources<\/b>:\u00a0<\/span>
\nBells Are Ringing (Broadway, Sam S. Shubert Theatre, 1956), Playbill<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>
\nBilly Wilson, ALEXIS WILSON<\/a><\/strong>
\nBilly Wilson, MOBBallet.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Karel Shook\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

\"\"Billy Wilson was a student of Karel Shook before he went to Europe. In 1959, he started teaching at the Dutch National Ballet; he later became ballet master for the company where he invited Wilson as a soloist. The two remained lifelong friends, and Shook was the godfather of Wilson’s daughter, Alexis.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b>
\nBILLY WILSON, A CAPITOL ASSET, The Washington Post<\/a><\/strong>
\nAcclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem founded during racial strife, Charleston Scene<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Alvin Ailey\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Photo credit: Harvard (John Lindquist rights)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Billy Wilson and Alvin Ailey first met on the set of <\/span>Jamaica<\/i>, where Ailey was a featured dancer.\u00a0 Born in Texas in 1931, Alvin Ailey, like Wilson, was a prominent black dancer and choreographer.\u00a0 In addition to his career on Broadway, Ailey created his own dance company in 1958 called the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Later in his life, Wilson and Ailey remained close friends, and Wilson choreographed many ballets for the company, including <\/span>The Winter in Lisbon<\/span><\/i>, the last ballet he choreographed before his death.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Alvin Ailey – Dance, Revelations & Facts, Biography.com<\/a><\/strong>
\nAlvin Ailey. A Film Gives Voice to the Choreographer, Thirteen: Media with Impact<\/a><\/strong>
\nBILLY WILSON, A CAPITOL ASSET,\u00a0 The Washington Post<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and West Side Story <\/i>(London)<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n

After studying under Antony Tudor and then making his Broadway debut, Billy Wilson was in the original London cast of <\/span>West Side Story <\/span><\/i>cast as Juano.\u00a0 During one of his performances, Wilson was scouted by the Dutch National Ballet director, Sonia Gaskill, who then invited him to join the Dutch National Ballet as a soloist. Wilson remained in Europe for 10 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources<\/b>:<\/span>
\nBilly Wilson, 59, Director and Choreographer, The New York Times<\/a><\/strong>
\nWest Side Story Original West End Musical Cast 1958, Broadway World<\/a><\/strong>
\nA Celebration of the Life of Billy Wilson, dancer, choreographer, director, educator, Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Dutch National Ballet<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Sonia Gaskell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sonia Gaskell hired Black American dancers Billy Wilson and Sylvester Campbell<\/a><\/strong> in 1960 at the inception of the Dutch National Ballet, a noteworthy act in an era when directors were more hesitant to hire Black dancers. Along with Benjamin Feliksdal<\/a><\/strong>, they were the only Black men in the company of 30 at the time and struggled with competing for roles from each other. Billy Wilson left the company in 1965.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Sonia Gaskell, Wikipedia<\/a><\/strong>
\nDutch National Ballet, Wikipedia<\/a><\/strong>
\nDutch National Ballet Has Come of Age Fast, New York Times<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Serge Lifar<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Serge Lifar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Serge Lifar, legendary ballet choreographer, sought out Wilson while at the Dutch National Ballet and created Othello for him, a ballet that skyrocketed him to stardom. Wilson was able to perform in major ballets frequently, an opportunity he says would not have been available to him in the US.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

BILLY WILSON, A CAPITOL ASSET<\/a>
\nSerge Lifar (1905-1986), Opera de Paris)<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Sylvester Campbell<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Sylvester Campbell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sylvester Campbell joined the Dutch National Ballet in 1960 and Billy Wilson joined a year later in 1961. Between the two of them and <\/span>Benjamin Feliksdal<\/a><\/strong>, they were the only Black men of 120 dancers in the entire company. Campbell and Wilson both toured Europe together with the Dutch National Ballet and endured a lot of racism and maltreatment within the company. Campbell especially recounts being pushed out of many roles when Wilson married a ballerina in the company, Sonja van Beers. Wilson danced with the company for four years until 1965, and Campbell stayed with the company until 1970.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Sylvester Campbell, MoBBallet<\/a>
\nA Conversation with Sylvester Campbell Ballet Review Fall 2014<\/a>
\nSylvester Campbell – LINESConnected<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Sonja van Beers<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Billy Wilson and Sonja van Beers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While dancing with the Dutch National Ballet, Wilson met and went on to marry Sonja van Beers.\u00a0 Upon returning to the United States, Sonja and Billy created their own dance company in Boston, which was short-lived.\u00a0 They had two children, Alexis and Parker.\u00a0 Their relationship did not last, and Billy took on a new lover, Chip Garnett, with whom he would raise his children.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Arthur Mitchell & Sydney King\u2019s Orbits: Billy Wilson, MOBBallet<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>
\nFamily, ALEXIS WILSON<\/a>
\nDe geschiedenis van Het Nationale Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Zoom!<\/i>\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Zoom! promotional flyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After his return from Europe Billy worked as a choreographer for Zoom for PBS which aired 1976-1981. Zoom is a twice Emmy Award-winning television show that Billy Wilson choreographed. Zoom is a half-hour educational television program aired on PBS focused on children’s voices without adults. Each show would end with a choreographed song performed by the cast and choreographed by Billy Wilson during the first four seasons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:<\/b>
\nZoom (1972 TV series), Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Bubbling Brown Sugar<\/i><\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Bubbling Brown Sugar Playbill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bubbling Brown Sugar <\/span><\/i>is widely regarded to be one of Billy Wilson\u2019s most successful Broadway shows, providing him with his first of three Tony nominations.\u00a0 The show premiered in 1976, and was a timeline from the present to the past, celebrating the history of the Harlem Renaissance. <\/span>On his return from Europe, Wilson came up with the idea of wanting to \u201ccelebrate the positive aspects of being a Black American,\u201d which inspired the production of Bubbling Brown Sugar.\u00a0 <\/span>Vivian Reed, the star of the original cast, said about Billy Wilson, \u201c[He was] talented, fun to be around, giving. I miss you, Billy. The world needs a Billy Wilson.\u201d\u00a0 The show influenced Wilson\u2019s life in more ways than one. It was at auditions for <\/span>Bubbling Brown Sugar<\/span><\/i> that Wilson met Chip Garnett, who would become his partner and lover, an 18 year love story that would end only with death.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b>
\nBubbling Brown Sugar (Broadway, August Wilson Theatre, 1976), Playbill<\/a>
\nA Celebration of the Life of Billy Wilson, dancer, choreographer, director, educator, Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Chip Garnett<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Chip Garnett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Billy Wilson and Chip Garnett met when Billy was conducting auditions for <\/span>Bubbling Brown Sugar<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 Garnett had a \u201cvoice to make everyone swoon,\u201d and was then cast as Jim \/ Nightclub singer.\u00a0 From here, Garnett and Wilson had an 18 year relationship, ending only when they died 6 months apart, both from AIDS.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Bubbling Brown Sugar, Wikipedia<\/a>
\nA Celebration of the Life of Billy Wilson, dancer, choreographer, director, educator, Facebook<\/a>
\n5\/8: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHIP GARNETT… – Theatre World Awards, Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and the All-Black Revival of Guys and Dolls<\/i><\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Ken Page, Christophe Pierre, and Sterling McQueen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After choreographing <\/span>Bubbling Brown Sugar<\/span><\/i>, Wilson\u2019s next Broadway show was an all-black revival of <\/span>Guys and Dolls<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 Wilson both directed and choreographed the show, which premiered in 1976.\u00a0 This show gave Wilson his second Tony nomination, and the show as a whole was also given the Tony nomination of the Most Innovative Production of a Revival.\u00a0 When talking about his revival, Wilson said, \u201cIt\u2019s not so much the changing of words that makes the difference. It\u2019s the delivery. We have such rich attitudes among blacks. It\u2019s something that\u2019s intrinsic with us. It isn\u2019t what you say, it\u2019s how you say it, which is beautiful to me.\u201d\u00a0 Ken Page, who starred in the revival as Nicely, Nicely Johnson, said about Wilson, \u201cI had never met anyone who was African American and had that level of control and power in a work situation\u2026 [he] was mesmerizing and absolutely instructional.\u201d Furthermore, the show brought many black dancers and performers to prominence, further cementing Wilson\u2019s contribution to black musical theater.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Celebration of the Life of Billy Wilson, dancer, choreographer, director, educator, Facebook<\/a>
\nLook Back at the All-Black 1976 Revival of Guys and Dolls On Broadway, Playbill<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Dance Theater of Harlem<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Creole Giselle performed by the Dance Theater of Harlem<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Upon returning from Europe and dancing with the Dutch National Ballet, Billy Wilson was hired by Arthur Mitchell<\/a><\/strong>, a proponent of Black choreographers, to create pieces for the Dance Theatre of Harlem. He eventually choreographed several ballets for DTH, including Mirage<\/em> (1979); Concerto in F<\/em> (1986), which was first set on Alvin Ailey; and Ginastera<\/em> (1991) as well as collaborating with Mitchell on Phoenix Rising<\/em> (Work in Progress)<\/em> in 1987.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

REPERTORY LIST WORKS PRODUCED BY THE DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM 1969-2004, Columbia University Libraries Online Exhibition<\/a>
\nBefore Dance Theater of Harlem, Columbia University Libraries Online Exhibitions<\/a>
\nDance Theater of Harlem: Arthur Mitchell\u2019s Dream at 50, New York Times<\/a>
\nDancing, ALEXIS WILSON<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Capitol Ballet<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Capitol Ballet in the 1980s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Billy Wilson was sought out by Doris Jones<\/a><\/strong> as guest artistic director of the Capitol Ballet Company in University of the District of Columbia in 1988. Of five program\u2019s debuted, three of them were created by Billy Wilson. Billy also helped with recruitment and rehearsal and stage the performances. This is where he worked with Claire Haywood<\/a><\/strong>. After Billy\u2019s trip to Canada he returned to Capitol Ballet and remained in the DC area. <\/span>See More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Capitol Ballet Capital Night, The Washington Post<\/a>
\nCAPITOL BALLET CAPITAL NIGHT – The Washington Post<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and A Night at the Cotton Club<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Billy Wilson at A Night at the Cotton Club performance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Billy Wilson was a director for a musical titled A Night at the Cotton Club<\/em>, a hit show in Amsterdam with three of his dancers. He later hired his daughter, Alexis Wilson as a featured dancer in that show and she later took over as dance captain.\u201d A Night At The Cotton Club<\/em> tells the story of these black artists who are not forgotten in the memory and who will be resurrected on stage tonight. The music of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller to name a few, the showgirls and the ‘Harlem Orchestra’ welcome you tonight at the Cotton Club, once Harlem’s most exciting address and now its hottest new musical show [ …].”- (Summary from the program booklet of the German premiere)<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

Dancing, ALEXIS WILSON<\/a>
\nBilly Wilson, ALEXIS WILSON<\/a>
\nA Night At The Cotton Club (1989, CD), Discogs<\/a>
\nProduction of The Cotton Club, Theatricalia<\/a>
\nStardust Productions, Theatricalia<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and The Winter in Lisbon\u00a0<\/i><\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Photo by Paul Kolnik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Winter in Lisbon<\/span><\/i> was Billy Wilson\u2019s last choreographed ballet.\u00a0 Created in 1992, the ballet pays tribute to four decades worth of music created by Dizzy Gillespie, an American jazz musician and composer.\u00a0 Notably, Billy Wilson\u2019s personal life was incredibly turbulent at the time.\u00a0 The success and talent showcased in the ballet demonstrates his strength and commitment to excellence despite life\u2019s challenges. Judith Jamison named the ballet to be included in her favorite ballets when she was honored at the New York City Center.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The Winter in Lisbon, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater<\/a>
\nThe Winter in Lisbon (1922 \/ New Production – 2016)<\/a><\/p>\n

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Billy Wilson and Judith Jamison<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
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Judith Jamison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like Billy Wilson, Judith Jamison grew up in Philadelphia and, also like Wilson, was taught to dance by Marion Cuyjet and Antony Tudor.\u00a0 Wilson and Jamison\u2019s paths first met when Wilson was a choreographer at the Philadelphia Cotillion, where Jamison danced when she was 11. Their paths crossed again when Jamison was 34, and the star of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.\u00a0 At this time, Billy Wilson invited Jamison to make her Broadway debut in his <\/span>The Only World in Town<\/span><\/i>, an all-Black show.\u00a0 Robert Colby, one of the songwriters for the performance, said about Jamison, \u201cThere is no one in dance like Judy, and she will have a chance to showcase her other talents.\u201d\u00a0 On her end, Jamison said about Wilson, \u201cBilly said all the right things to me. He said sing, he said dance, he said comedy, he said acting. He said the things [I] wanted to hear, and so far I still like hearing them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sources<\/b>:<\/span>
\nBroadway, The New York Times<\/a>
\nJudith Jamison Takes Us Through 60 Years of Alvin Ailey’s Brilliance, Shondaland<\/a>
\n“Revelations”: Judith Jamison, National Museum of African American History and Culture<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Billy Wilson and Philadanco\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
\"\"
Philadanco Today<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Philadanco was founded by Joan Myers Brown in 1970 and became a feeder company for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater<\/a>.<\/strong> It is still open today, operating as one of the United States\u2019 largest predominantly African American modern dance companies. Notably, Philadanco\u2019s repertoire today includes Billy Wilson\u2019s ballets, allowing his legacy to live on.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sources:<\/b>
\nBrown, MOBBallet<\/a>
\nAbout, Philadanco<\/a>
\nBilly Wilson, Not so Black and White<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Anna Owens, Elaine Yu, Ethan Richmond, Daisy Rosalez<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About This Orbit: Billy Wilson Billy Wilson was an American director, choreographer, dancer, and artist.\u00a0 Growing up in Philadelphia, Wilson found a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"universe-template.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[302,253],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-billy-wilson-constellation","category-universe"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17823"}],"version-history":[{"count":90,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17823\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20828,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17823\/revisions\/20828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}