Dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey founded his own company in 1958 and quickly became famous as a unique voice for the black community. His choreography was known for its intriguing blend of ballet, jazz, modern, and Afro-Caribbean dance. In 1988, Ailey was the recipient of one of the Kennedy Center Honors, in appreciation for a lifetime of achievement and contribution to the world of modern dance. Bibliography: Dunning, Jennifer . Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, c1996. Alvin Ailey with A. Peter Bailey; [foreword by Lena Horne]. Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. Secaucus, N.J. : Birch Lane Press : Published by Carol Pub. Group, c1995. Andrea Davis Pinkney; illustrated by Brian Pinkney. Alvin Ailey. New York : Hyperion Books for Children, c1993.