Growing up, out performer Vernard J. Gilmore always knew he wanted to dance. Dancing had always been part of his life, starting when his mother would put him in back-to-school Chicago parades.
It was at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School, though, that he knew he wanted to train to do it professionally. After studying at the Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater he became a member of the Alvin Ailey junior company in 1995 and then the main company two years later. Now, he’s the longest-tenured member there, as well as a choreographer.
Gilmore will be in Atlanta Feb 12-16 when Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visits for six performances at the Fox Theatre. With the city a regular stop, he’s lost track of the exact number of times he’s performed here.
The 2025 season makes him particularly happy. Several world premieres will be part of the offerings, including “Sacred Songs” by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing. The company’s signature work “Revelations” – which debuted in 1960 and features Gilmore – also ends every show as a fan favorite.
This season also honors the legacy of Judith Jamison, Ailey’s muse. A dancer and choreographer, she danced with the company from 1965 to 1980. Later she returned to act as the artistic director from 1989 until 2011 and then its artistic director emerita before passing last year.
“(This season) is really about celebrating the past and trying to let our generation now know how connected it is to who we are today,” Gilmore said. “Judith had a motto of ‘hold on to the past, live in the present and reach fearlessly into the future’ and those words resonate with me every day.”
Ailey had passed before Gilmore joined the troupe but everyone in the company has been welcoming. “As a young person, I remember being afraid to go outside of my boundaries but I remember learning about getting out into new environments and learning about the people so you’d have something to say when you came to the stage,” he said. “Now I dive into the unknown!”
As a gay man, he also credits the company for helping him feel comfortable in his own skin.
“Mr. Ailey always wanted everyone to feel included,” Gilmore said. “He wanted us to understand that our experience is our experience. It took away the boundaries of race, color, and religion. It gave you a space to be communicative and be a community. As a gay man, you always have to hide early on, but coming to this company allowed me to respect myself as a gay man and the people around me, and have pride in who I am.”
Last January, Gilmore decided to find a new venture to “feed his soul.” This is his final season with Ailey. He’s the artistic director of La Verdad, a male concept dance company. “I want to bring dance beyond the proscenium with innovative choreographers and immersive storytelling,” he said.
Tickets for Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre are available at this link.
