NEW YORK — Judith Jamison, an internationally acclaimed dancer who later served as artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for two decades, has died. She was 81.

Jamison died at a New York hospital surrounded by family and friends following a brief illness, Christopher Zunner, a spokesperson for Ailey, confirmed in a statement to CBS News.

“We remember and are grateful for her artistry, humanity and incredible light, which inspired us all,” Zunner said.

Jamison, who was originally from Philadelphia and trained in ballet, began dancing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965.

She became one of the company’s most famous performers and danced there for 15 years before leaving to perform as a guest artist with other ballet companies and on Broadway, according to the Ailey website.

In 1989, she was handpicked by Alvin Ailey to lead the dance troupe, making her the first Black woman to direct a major dance company. She served as the company’s artistic director for 20 years, the site says.

Over her long career, she received a Kennedy Center Honor and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.