November 5, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abraham’s “Abraham In Motion” at The Broad Stage

Kyle Abraham has created a repertoire of dance thatentwines a sensual and provocative vocabulary, touching on race, identity and personal history. From the birth of #BlackLivesMatter, to the ongoing issue of police brutality among the African American community, to apartheid-era South Africa, Abraham’s works point towards the past, but look to the future.

Raised in one of Pittsburgh’s historically black neighborhoods, Abraham studied classical music while listening to the burgeoning hip-hop scene of the 1980’s.  However, it wasn’t until Abraham saw Joffrey Ballet perform, to the music of Prince, that dance barged into his life.  “That opened my eyes more to a lot of the possibilities of movement,” Abraham said.

His piece Untitled America was performed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at The Music Center this March. Lewis Segal said, in the Los Angeles Timesreview, “For an uncompromising choreographic vision [that] also managed to be a powerful company showpiece, it was Kyle Abraham’s Untitled America that triumphed, first to last.” Robert Battle, Ailey’s Artistic Director says of Abraham, “Watching him in studio, it’s like watching an artist doing sketches; you can’t tell where a movement begins and where it ends.”

Abraham’s repertoire for The Broad Stage includes the California premieres ofThe Quiet Dance and Absent Matter and The Gettin’. 

The Quiet Dance (2011) – California Premiere

The Quiet Dance is an introspective, suspenseful 12 minute quintet set to a rendition of Bernstein’s “Some Other Time”. An experience in subtly, and “what goes unsaid”, dancers and movement contrast and connect quietly but expressively.

Absent Matter (2015) – California Premiere

Absent Matter explores the perceived posthumous grandeur of death and violence in urban communities throughout the US through sound and movement, tracing the racial epithets in songs of Grief, Love, an Death by artists ranging from Notorious B.I.G. to Tupac to contemporary rap artists like Kendrick Lamar and Drake.  The work explores hip-hop’s lineage to create an abstracted dialogue about race in America through the lens of those who feel unacknowledged or without value.

The Gettin’ (2014)

Created during Abraham’s tenure as a Resident Commissioned Artists at New York Live Arts, this piece draws inspiration from jazz legend Max Roach’s seminal album, We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite.  The album, originally intended to be released in 1963 to mark the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, was released in the fall of 1960 due to the severity sparked by the sit-ins in Greensboro, NC, and the urgency of the growing civil rights movement in the United States and in South Africa. In Roach’s Freedom Day he asks “Freedom itself was so hard to grasp…we don’t really understand what it really is to be free.”

GETTIN - 0861-Tamisha Guy by Jerry and Lois Photography HIGH RES Kyle Abraham 2015_The Quiet Dance_Matthew Baker, Penda N'diaye_Ellen Crane Photography2[1] 2015_Absent Matter_Tamisha Guy_Ellen Crane Photography6[1]

Related Posts

Election Day Freebies and Discounts: Where to Eat, Drink, and Watch Election Results

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

From Free Doughnuts To Watch Parties, How To Unwind With Election Night Deals With this election day being one of...

Early Morning Call From Community Leads to Burglary Arrest in Culver City

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Police Respond To Suspicious Activity Call, Arrest Suspect With Pickaxe Culver City police arrested a man early Friday morning in...

Culver City Police Department is Prepared to Ensure Community Safety During Election Week

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Enhanced Patrols, Activated Emergency Center Ready, Culver City Voting Center is Open The Culver City Police Department has announced an...

Legendary Music Icon Quincy Jones Dies at 91 in Bel Air

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Celebrated Musician, Producer Leaves an Indelible Legacy By Dolores Quintana Legendary musician, music producer, film and television producer, composer of...

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lays Off Longtime Archive and Library Staff

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Downsizing and Restructuring Continue, Affecting Employees with Decades of Service By Dolores Quintana Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture...

LA County Opens 526 New Vote Centers for Early Voting, Announces Conditional Voting for Unregistered Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro LA Offers Free Rides on Election Day to Help Residents Get to the Polls Los Angeles County opened an...

New Aviation/Century Station Opens, Linking Metro’s C and K Lines

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro’s Newest Station Paves the Way for Future LAX Transit Center The new Aviation/Century Station officially opened this week, marking...

H5N1 Detected in LA County Wastewater, Health Officials Urge Precautions for Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Los Angeles County Investigates Low-Level H5 Avian Flu Detected in Wastewater The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is...

Two Events in Culver City This Weekend: Bike Registration and Dance Performance

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Put the Brakes on Bicycle Theft and Enjoy an Evening of Dance and Interactive Art The Culver City Police Department...

All You Need to Know to Attend the Dodgers Victory Parade Tomorrow in DTLA

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

World Champions and LA’s Team to Greet Angelenos After Win of NY Yankees The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that their...

Beverly Hills City Government Agrees to a Stipulated Judgment After Blocking Abortion Clinic Opening

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

City to Implement Training, Oversight on Reproductive Rights Following Legal Settlement  California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a legal agreement...

Dia De Los Muertos 2024: Here’s Where To Celebrate The Holiday Tradition This Weekend

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Los Angeles Has a Variety of Ways to Explore Latino Culture and Honor Ancestors Starting just after Halloween, Dia de...

(Video) Downtown L.A. Reacts to World Series Victory

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Dodgers Are World Series Champs For The Eighth Time https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFtyDDKn/

Halloween Pre-Game Party Brings Chills and Spooky Thrills to The Rose Venice

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Enjoy Halloween With Festive Cocktails, Appetizers, and a Costume Contest The Rose Venice in Venice is set to host a...

(Video) Something About Her’s First Tea Time Was a Big Hit

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Next Date is November Third. Beautiful vibes, deciduous food and drink. Don’t miss it. @Something About Her @culvercitywlanews Something...