Kyle Abraham

- Kelsey Small

Kyle Abraham is an acclaimed contemporary dancer, choreographer, and the Artistic Director of Abraham.In.Motion. He is gaining national recognition as the defining voice of a generation, as Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s critic Jane Vranish said “There was no doubt that he is definitely a man for our time.” His work is a poignantly articulated portrayal of societal influences intermixed with his artistic vision. Kyle Abraham’s signature choreographic style is to present purposeful introspective stories through interweaving the fluid grace of ballet within the urban blight of hip hop.   

Biographical Information

Kyle Abraham was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Lincoln-Larimer, neighborhoods proliferated with rival gangs. He saw his first dance performance at the age of 16, when he attended a performance of the Joffrey Ballet performing to the music of Prince. This show sparked his interest in performance, to which he followed with training at Civic Light Opera and attending Pittsburgh School for the Creative Performing Arts. From there he went on to earn a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from Tisch School of the Arts. He began dancing with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and David Dorfman Dance. In 2006 he formed his own company, Abraham.In.Motion.

Theoretical Approach

In an April 2011 Dance Magazine article, Kyle Abraham was quoted, “Almost everything I make refers to my life growing up in Pittsburgh.” His works collectively draw from many places of inspiration and different techniques, but they are always rooted in personal stories of his home. His autobiographical presentations of dance have placed Abraham as quoted by Bill T. Jones “among a group of artists who are expanding the notion of what embodied investigation can be in the choreographic field.” He transcends limits of choreographic expression through presenting his personal experiences in a universally understandable and emotionally moving format.

Kyle Abraham’s dynamic choreography is characterized by an innovative fluidity of movement incorporating many different styles and techniques. His work is often viewed as a hybrid of hip hop, Limon and Cunningham technique. His phrasing is a collaborative intersection of release techniques, hip-hop and ballet terminology. His choreographic choices often position the body and consequentially the psyche to be pulled in multiple different directions, reflective of his multiple sources of direction and influence. 

Works of Choreography

The Radio Show (2010)

This choreographic piece earned Kyle Abraham a Bessie Award for Outstanding Performance in Dance in 2010. The piece is an abstract narrative about the loss of communication, effects of the discontinuation of a radio station on a community, and a personal recounting of the lingering effects of Alzheimer’s on a family. The work incorporates topics of social politics, relationships, sexuality, and race. The Radio Show is a full-length worth investigating contemporary American culture and the pervasive effects of loss and displacement on a community.

 

Live! The Realest MC (2011)

This work is an autobiographical look at a black male coming out in a hip-hop world. The piece demonstrates the difficulty of growing up black and gay within the expectations of a hip-hop culture. The work is told through the perspective of both the victim and the bully. It details the personal journey from seeking to be an unnoticed puppet to the quest for acceptance of one’s true identity. The use of personal exploration is translated to a probing question of how society understands people and how we see each other. 

Pavement (2012)

The work is aimed at creating an emotional chronology of a culture conflicted with a history plagued by discrimination, genocide and a constant quest for freedom. The setting for the piece is in the historically black neighborhoods of Pittsburgh: East Liberty, Homewood and the Hill District, but is also issuing a statement about urban black America as a whole. The piece reflects on the ebbs and flows of the country culturally. The piece layers both urban and classical dance influences to unfold the story of violence and genocide in the black community.

The Impact of an Emerging Artist

The Miami Herald expertly summarizes the impact of Kyle Abraham’s artistic choices as “Emotionally daring, physically virtuosic, and kinetically inspired.” His artistic virtuosity alone is an exceptional display of visionary brilliance.  His signature dance identity layered with socially inspired themes makes Kyle Abraham’s contributions unparalleled to any other dance artist. His works thematically encourage audiences to become more active and challenge their perceptions all through the power of dance.   

Kyle Abraham embraces his identity as an emerging artist, recognizing the room for growth and potential to reach more audiences. Kyle Abraham is quoted, “I’m always striving to get to some new plateau,” he says. “If you’ve arrived, where are you gonna go next? I want everyone to know what we’re doing. Until our message has reached every single person in the world, I’m still emerging.”

  

Works Cited

Abraham.In.Motion. News. 2013.

Bauknecht, Sara. "Dance preview: Kyle Abraham is young, talented and always striving." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 10 February 2013.

Bloom, Julie. "On Pittsburgh and the Peace Sign." The New York Times 11 August 2012.

Burke, Siobhan. "Taking Off." Dance Magazine April 2011.

Jacob's Pillow Dance . "Press Release: 2012 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award Presented to Kyle Abraham ." 1 June 2012.

Kanny, Mark. "Review: Abraham returns home with spirited ‘Pavement’ production." TribLive 17 February 2013.

Kourlas, Gia. "Straddling Two Worlds in Search of Selfhood." The New York Times 12 December 2011.

LaRocco, Claudia. "Sending Signals With Songs, Struts and Static ." The New York Times 26 February 2010.

LaRocco, Clauida. "A Party Swirling Nonstop, Safely." The New York Times 7 December 2012.

Lee, Felicia. "Kyle Abraham Gets New New York Live Arts Residency." The New York Times 7 November 2012.

Levin, Jordan. "Abraham troupe powerful in ‘Live! The Realest MC!’." The Miami Herald 5 February 2013.

Mark Morris Dance Group. "Mark Morris Dance Center Workshop and Master Class Series." 2012.

Segal, Lewis. "Dance review: Kyle Abraham's 'Radio Show' at REDCAT." Los Angeles Times 20 October 2011.

Seibert, Brian. "Hip-Hop Moves and Revolving Police Lights Illuminate a Flammable Scene." The New York Times 5 November 2012.

USA Fellows. "Kyle Abraham." 2012.

Vranish, Jane. "Dance Review: Kyle Abraham's 'Pavement' rock solid." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 18 February 2013.