Editing Renee Robinson

{{Short description|American dancer}}
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
'''Renee Robinson''' is a retired American dancer from [[Washington, D.C.]], who performed as a Principal Dancer of the [[Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater]].<ref name="NPR Interview">{{Cite episode| title = Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Turns 'Golden'|url= https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103845767| series= Tell Me More (NPR News)| credits= Michelle Martin (host)| network = National Public Radio (NPR)| location= New York, NY, USA| airdate= 6 May 2009| minutes= 13:54}} [https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=103845767 Transcript.]</ref>  She began her dance training in classical ballet at the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet.<ref name="Alvin Ailey Bio">{{Cite web| title = Renee Robinson| work = biographic sketch| publisher = Alvin Ailey American Dane Theater| year = 2010| url = http://www.alvinailey.org/about/company/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/company-bios/renee-robinson| access-date = December 8, 2010| quote = Renee Robinson began her training in classical ballet at the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet. She was the recipient of two Ford Foundation scholarships to the School of American Ballet and was awarded full scholarships to the Dance Theatre of Harlem School and The Ailey School.  Robinson was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 1981.| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100924210545/http://www.alvinailey.org/about/company/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/company-bios/renee-robinson| archive-date = September 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Encore Atlanta article">{{Cite web| last = Brazzel| first = Ashley| title = Dancing dreams: Alvin Ailey's Renee Robinson celebrates 27 years in the spotlight| website =Encore Atlanta| publisher = Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing| date = February 2009| url = http://encoreatlanta.com/fox/fox-feature/2009/dancing-dreams.html| access-date = December 8, 2010| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110710191655/http://encoreatlanta.com/fox/fox-feature/2009/dancing-dreams.html| archive-date = July 10, 2011}}</ref>  She also attended the [[School of American Ballet]], the [[Dance Theatre of Harlem]] and The Ailey School.<ref name="Alvin Ailey Bio"/><ref name="Encore Atlanta article"/>  Robinson was a member of the Alvin Ailey II, before becoming a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1981.<ref name="Alvin Ailey Bio"/><ref name="Encore Atlanta article"/>

Before joining AAADT, Robinson was a student at [[New York University]], majoring in dance and minoring in economics.  She was torn between becoming a professional dancer or an attorney specializing in the arts.<ref name="NPR Interview"/>

She has worked with many renowned choreographers, such as [[Alvin Ailey]],<ref name="Encore Atlanta article"/> [[Lar Lubovitch]], [[Donald McKayle]], [[Judith Jamison]],<ref name="Encore Atlanta article"/> [[Ulysses Dove]], [[Jerome Robbins]], [[Bill T. Jones]], [[Garth Fagan]], [[Katherine Dunham]], [[Hans van Manen]] and [[Carmen de Lavallade]].

Robinson has also performed at the televised Kennedy Center Awards.  Other televised appearances include performing at President Clinton's first inauguration, [[American Express]] advertisements, the [[Bill Cosby]] Special on Alvin Ailey and on the [[PBS]] special "A Hymn for Alvin Ailey".<ref name="Ballet Dance Mag. review">{{Cite journal| last = Hunt| first = Mary Ellen| title = Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - 'Hymn': Why dance?| journal = Ballet Dance Magazine| date = March 11, 2004| url = http://www.ballet-dance.com/200404/articles/ailey-hymn20040311.html| access-date = December 8, 2010}}</ref> In 2003, she performed at the White House State Dinner in honor of the President of Kenya, [[Mwai Kibaki]].<ref name="Alvin Ailey Bio"/>  In 2008, while performing in the [[East Room (White House)|East Room]] of the White House during the first dance event hosted by [[Michelle Obama]], Robinson hit one of the [[chandeliers]] while performing.<ref>{{Cite news| last = Kaufman| first = Sarah| title = At the White House, dancers get room to move in East Room events| newspaper = [[Washington Post]]| date =September 8, 2010| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/07/AR2010090706730.html| access-date =December 8, 2010| quote = But it was bound to happen at the Obama administration's first dance event, held Tuesday night in honor of Judith Jamison, the longtime artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, who is retiring next year ... It finally happened during the 'Wade in the Water' section from Ailey's churning gospel-fueled work 'Revelations,' when Renee Robinson, a dancer of penetrating, living power, clipped a glittering finial with the umbrella she was carrying.}}</ref>

In their 2006 season, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrated Robinson's 25th year with the company; her tenure is the longest of any female dancer in the company's history.  Upon her retirement (with her final performance with the company on December 9, 2012),<ref>{{cite web|title=2012 New York Special Programs|url=http://www.alvinailey.org/2012-new-york-special-programs|publisher=AlvinAiley.org|access-date= December 31, 2012|date= November 30, 2012|quote=At the December 9th evening performance, join friends and fans as we pay tribute to Renee Robinson. A revered dancer for over three decades, she is the last remaining Company member selected by founder Alvin Ailey, the female dancer with the longest tenure in the Company’s history, and the only dancer to have performed under all three artistic directors.}}</ref> she was the last company member to have worked with its founder, Alvin Ailey, as well as being the only dancer to have performed with all three of the company's artistic directors (inclusive of artistic director [[emeritus|emerita]] Judith Jamison and Jamison's successor, [[Robert Battle]]).<ref name="NPR Interview"/>

== Select performance pieces ==
(Choreographer, Title)
*Alvin Ailey, ''Blues Suite''
*Alvin Ailey, ''[[Revelations (Alvin Ailey)|Revelations]]'' <ref name="Encore Atlanta article"/>
*Alvin Ailey, ''Maskela Langage''
*Alvin Ailey, ''Cry'' <ref name="Encore Atlanta article"/>
*Donald McKayle, ''Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder''
*Alvin Ailey, ''Night Creature''
*[[George Faison]], ''Suite Otis''
*Ulysses Dove, ''Bad Blood''
*Ulysses Dove, ''Vespers''
*Ulysses Dove, ''Episodes''
*Judith Jamison, ''Forgotten Time''
*Billy Wilson, ''The Winter of Lisbon''
*Judith Jamison, ''Hymn'' <ref name="Ballet Dance Mag. review"/>
*Ronald K. Brown, ''Grace''
*Carmen de Lavallade, ''Sweet Bitter Love'' <ref name="Encore Atlanta article"/>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

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[[Category:American dancers]]
[[Category:American female dancers]]
[[Category:Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New York University alumni]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]