Interview: Judith Jamison, writer of Hymn

WALKING into the New York headquarters of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the past and the present hit you square in the eye. Looming large over the entrance foyer is a giant poster of the company's founder, Alvin Ailey and the woman who took it into the 21st century, Judith Jamison. It's a powerful, yet touching image - and one which speaks to the show the company is bringing to Edinburgh this month.

When Ailey died in 1989, handing over the reins to Jamison was seen as the most natural thing in the world. For years, Jamison was like a muse to Ailey, dancing in roles he created specially for her. Then, as Ailey's health began to fail, standing by his side as artistic associate before stepping into his role as artistic director.

Over the past 21 years, Jamison has nurtured the company, making it financially viable, moving it into its headquarters in Manhattan (the largest dance centre in the US) and much more besides. Now it's time for Jamison to pass on the baton. In July 2011, Robert Battle will take charge of arguably the most successful modern dance company in the world.

But before she steps down, Jamison has commissioned a final work - a new dance by choreographer Christopher Huggins, which pays tribute to Ailey, Jamison and the company as a whole. A deeply moving piece which had me in tears when I saw it recently, Anointed is so called because as Huggins says: "Mr Ailey anointed Ms Jamison and now she's anointing Mr Battle."

Huggins was given his big break into the dance world by Ailey in 1982, when he attended a summer school being run by the company. Advised that Huggins was "one to watch", Ailey did exactly that, before inviting him to join the company a year later. "So that's when I was inducted into the family," says Huggins. "And I do feel like I'm an extension of Mr Ailey. I was able to work with him one-on-one when I was in the company, he choreographed on me, and I felt like I was blessed from the very first time I worked with him."

Over the years, Huggins has choreographed prolifically for the Ailey School and Ailey II (the youth wing of the company) but never before for the main company itself. Set to two pieces of music by Moby, Anointed is a beautiful debut to mark an ending. "I wanted to celebrate Ms Jamieson, and celebrate the company," explains Huggins. "And I wanted to give her a farewell gift and say thank you for this opportunity, and for all that she's given us in the 21 years of her tenure as artistic director."

It's also a celebration of Ailey - as is Hymn, an epic work by Jamison which joins Anointed on the Edinburgh bill.Watching Hymn and Anointed and hearing Huggins and others talk about Ailey, it's clear that the love and admiration felt for him has not diminished one iota since his death. Rather it's passed on from one generation of dancers to the next.

"Mr Ailey was like a big bear," says Huggins. "His whole aesthetic, his whole feeling was so loving and kind. Just watching him dance was very inspiring, the way he moved his arms and feet, it was so smooth. He was a huge influence on me and I always share stories about him with people I work with, because when you've stood in front of greatness like that, how do you not share it with younger dancers?"

One such dancer is Linda Celeste Sims, who plays Jamison in Anointed. The piece opens with Jamison running across the stage - a moment of true life history captured in dance. Sims says: "Christopher told us that it's because when Ms Jamison and Mr Ailey first met, she was running away from an audition to join the company. She had just been cut from it and was upset, but Mr Ailey noticed her and asked her to come back." The rest is history.

A dancer with the company for 15 years, Sims never met Ailey - but has been hugely influenced by Jamison over the years. Playing her on stage was a challenging prospect, she says: "When I think about all the things she's done, how far she's taken the company, it's a little bit overwhelming. But at the same time I feel very proud and honoured to represent her. She's such a wonderful woman, as an icon but also as a human being. I'm not trying to fill her shoes - I'm just trying to do my interpretation of what I think of her."

The opening section of Anointed finds Sims in a tender duet with the dancer playing Ailey. To all intents and purposes, it looks like a romantic exchange - which was never the case. Sims sees Ailey as a "father-friend figure" to Jamison, and plays it accordingly. But Huggins admits that when he was creating the piece, giving the duet a platonic feel didn't come easily.

"It was so hard to choreograph that and not make it look like a love duet," he says. "And I said that to Ms Jamison in rehearsal one day - and she said, 'But it was a love affair between Alvin and I - it didn't have to be sexual, there are many kinds of love affairs' - so that's how it is."

Huggins' new piece ends with a joyful section named "52 and counting", which marks the number of years Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has been in existence - and looks forward to the future. Year after year, the company plays to packed houses the world over. To what does Huggins attribute its longevity?

"I think it's spirit," he says. "A spirit that Mr Ailey instilled in Ms Jamieson that she continues to share with others. When an audience is sitting there watching the Ailey company, they're moved emotionally, physically and mentally - they walk out of the theatre feeling lifted.What more could you ask for?"

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 19 and 20 October