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Recognizing and Congratulating Ibn Snell, Malika Ghilyard, Bria Robertson-Sanford and Carly Rutizer, students at the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, on their performance at the White House for First Lady Michelle Obama in honor of longtime artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Judith Jameson.
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WHEREAS, Alvin Ailey and a group of young African American modern dancers first performed at New York's 92nd Street Young Men's Hebrew Association (92nd Street Y), under the name Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, in March 1958; and
WHEREAS, In 1962, the company was chosen to tour the Far East, Southeast Asia and Australia as part of President John F. Kennedy's "President's Special International Program for Cultural Presentations;" and
WHEREAS, Judith Jamison joined the company in 1965 and when Alvin Ailey died on December 1 of 1989; Judith Jamison assumed the post of Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and the entire Ailey organization moved to 211 West 61st Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts is a magnet school within the School District of Philadelphia located on South Broad Street where students can major in one of six areas: Creative Writing, Instrumental Music, Visual Arts, Theater, Dance, and Vocal Music; and
WHEREAS, The mission of the High School of Creative and Performing Arts is to nurture the creative talents and aspirations of students within an academic/arts college preparatory program; and
WHEREAS, On September 7, 2010 Ballet dancer Damian Woetzel, a member of President Barack Obama's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, led students from across the country in a workshop in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC; and
WHEREAS, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the workshop with students from the Alvin Ailey School and the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts; and
WHEREAS, Ibn Snell, Malika Ghilyard, Bria Robertson-Sanford and Carly Rutizer, students at the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, performed during the workshops and represented the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is proud to have been represented at the White House during this inaugural Arts and Humanities Workshop by students from the School District of Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council hereby recognizes and congratulates Ibn Snell, Malika Ghilyard, Bria Robertson-Sanford and Carly Rutizer, students at the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, on their performance at the White House for First Lady Michelle Obama in honor of longtime artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Judith Jameson.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Ibn Snell, Malika Ghilyard, Bria Robertson-Sanford, Carly Rutizer and the School District of Philadelphia, as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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