Meet Ellie Applewhaite

Eleanor “Ellie” Applewhaite, who joined AILEY’s board in 1972, has been a champion of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for decades. 

When she was asked to take a seat on the board, opportunities for Black professionals in executive leadership were scarce, yet she knew that Alvin Ailey’s mission was too vital to go unsupported. "AILEY was an important institution for the Black community, and being a part of it was just a joy," she said.  

Ms. Applewhaite graduated from Columbia Law School in 1962, after which she worked as a judge’s clerk in the federal court for the Southern District of New York for two years. She went on to work in the law department of CBS, beginning in the radio section before moving to the broadcast section. She eventually became the head of that section. “My work principally dealt with government regulation of the broadcast business,” Ms. Applewhaite said.  

It was during this time that Ms. Applewhaite was asked to join Mr. Ailey’s board. “I was approached one evening at CBS by the executive assistant to the president of CBS, whose brother was part of a group of men who were trying to put together a board for Alvin,” she said. “That group of men used their various networks to try to find Black executives.”  

It was important to the team that the board reflect the proud African American heritage of the organization. At the time, most boards did not include many, if any, Black members. 

Ms. Applewhaite remembers thinking that to be on a board, one had to be incredibly wealthy. Then she met with the man who was heading the team assembling the board, who shared with her his view of the three qualities of a good board member—his three Ws: a willingness to work, wisdom to share, and wealth. A board member only needed two of the three, he said, and Ms. Applewhaite had the first two in spades. 

“Whenever I thought something was needed or I could help, that’s what I did,” Ms. Applewhaite said. “I was trying to do everything to make up for the fact that giving a lot of money was not going to be where I came from.” At the time, she also served on the boards of other non-profits dedicated to health care and civil rights protections. Giving back to support causes she cares strongly about is a persistent driver.  

Before she encountered AILEY, Ms. Applewhaite was a dance lover—a balletomane, to be precise. “I didn't like modern dance at all,” she said. That all changed when she first saw Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. “The two things about Alvin that I liked were that his choreography was joyful—as opposed to the angst that most modern dancers seemed to specialize in—and secondly, Alvin at the time seemed to me to be the only modern dance choreographer who invited other choreographers to create on his company.”  

In her over fifty years relationship with AILEY, that commitment to sharing the joy and collectivity of dance hasn’t wavered. It’s the reason she has worked tirelessly to ensure Alvin Ailey’s vision for the Company has continued for so many years. “You wanted the art to be out there, you wanted the institution to continue,” Ms. Applewhaite said. “It never mattered how many worries there were, as long as it stayed on its feet.” 

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