Founded in 1958, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is the largest modern dance company in the United States. Based in New York City, the company was founded by Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Alvin Ailey (1931–1989), a noted choreographer and dancer. The Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, which includes AAADT and Ailey II, the Ailey School, Ailey Extension, AileyCamp, and other operations, is housed in the 87,000 square-foot Joan Weill Center for Dance, one of the largest buildings dedicated exclusively to dance in the United States. AAADT is recognized as a vital American cultural ambassador, and has performed for diverse audiences in more than seventy countries around the world.