Judith Jamison, the longtime artistic director of the acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is now in her 20th season, following a distinguished career as a performer. NY1's Tara Lynn Wagner filed the following report.

Judith Jamison first took the stage with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 44 years ago, and this season she celebrates her 20th year as artistic director of the prolific dance company.

"Alvin always thought that responsibility is more than wonderful performance, as I do," says Jamison. "There is exquisite performance going on, but then one has to extend oneself."

Throughout her two decades as artistic director, Jamison has made sure that the company extended itself beyond just a dance studio. From her national camps for young dancers to her Bachelor of Fine Arts program at Fordham University, Jamison has carved her place in modern dance history.

Though it was through the late choreographer Alvin Ailey that the company began, but it was through Jamison's leadership that the company has prospered.

"When you come to Ailey, everybody's here, and they're doing the same thing, they're having a good time studying dance," says Jamison. "That's an amazing transformer of how we feel about each other."

Jamison began with the company as a dancer in 1965 and performed for 15 years to great acclaim. Ailey featured Jamison's gift of movement in many performances, most notably her solo tour de force "Cry."

After becoming artistic director in 1989, it was Jamison's turn to direct the company and become the leader that Ailey once was for her.

"Having the building there with the windows open to the streets so that anyone from anywhere, from any walk of life can just look at dance actually happening and say, 'I want to dance today,' and then they can just go in and dance," says Jamar Roberts, an Alvin Ailey dancer.

This season, Jamison presents her latest piece, "Among Us", starring Roberts. Inspired by a series of her own drawings, "Among Us" examines the joys and complications of human relationships.

"I can't remember the last person I saw whose leg went high. So what? I can remember the last person who touched me very deep within me and left an indelible impression in my heart, in my mind, in my spirit," says Jamison. "And that's what we try to do every night."

To celebrate Jamison's 20th year as artistic director with Alvin Ailey, order tickets for the season at alvinailey.org.