Judith Jamison, an award winning dancer and former artistic director of the historic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, has died at 81.

Judith Jamison, a graceful, long-limbed dancer who rose to international stardom in the 1970s, succeeded Alvin Ailey as the leader of his namesake troupe and helped sustain the company as a barrier-breaking force in modern dance,

Renowned dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison died Saturday after a brief illness, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater announced. She was 81.