A.I.M BY KYLE ABRAHAM HOMECOMING GALA 2024 at The Lighthouse

On Sunday, October 6, 2024 A.I.M by Kyle Abraham celebrated the company’s Homecoming Gala, honoring Bebe Neuwirth, her husband Chris Calkins and Adam Pendleton. The event, located at The Lighthouse of Chelsea Piers, celebrated A.I.M’s achievements, community, and future. The evening blended moments of company repertoire, auctions, socializing, and speeches honoring leaders in the industry. 

As friends and supporters enter the cocktail hour of A.I.M’s gala, the energy of the room is high, with many familiar faces taking time to converse and reconnect. Following golden hour, guests begin filling seats at each table. The entire room shares a common mission: to continue adoring, appreciating, and supporting the vastly powerful work of Abraham and his company. 

Interspersed between speeches and a live auction, works from past and present A.I.M company repertoire occur. Opening the program is an excerpt of Someday Soon choreographed by A.I.M alumni Keerati Jinakunwiphat. Eight dancers appear in faded blue and red-toned outfits, flowing through expansive partnerwork. Their movement is calm and collected; the dancers’ attention to detail in their chest and arms compliments the grounded-nature of the choreography. A.I.M also performs an excerpt from Cassette VOL. 1, celebrating music and queer culture of the 80s and early 90s. The trio, Amari Frazier, Catherine Kirk, and Faith Joy Mondesire wear colorful tracksuits and wigs reminiscent of 80s hair trends. The piece feels like a snapshot of an old music video, as the dancers whip their hair, mixing essences of contemporary dance in a ‘jazzercise’ fashion. Grey, a solo choreographed by Abraham, is performed by Jamaal Bowman, who stuns with intricate footwork, rippling fluidity in his spine, and emotive gesture and expression. 

The last work of the evening is an iconic A.I.M staple titled Show Pony. The piece, originally set as a solo, is divided between three dancers: Donovan Reed, Keturah Stephen, and Olivia Wang. Abrasive electrobeats fill the space as Wang slices air with her hands and feet, cutting angular shapes with her body while curving through snake-like transitions. The trio, dressed in metallic bodysuits, excites enough to cause applause after each section, leaving the audience in awe. “The dancers of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham are supreme,” says Emmy award-winning Bebe Neuwirth. “This is a group of extraordinary artists, in their strength and technique, yes, but also in their individual creativity, always filling the work with heart, mind, and soul.”

Through the many speeches and introductions given, it is clear Abraham’s work has significantly touched the souls of many, whether within or outside of the dance industry. Abraham’s choreographic work is enriched by Black culture and history, delving into movement narratives of Black and Queer stories. His artistic force is, as the program states, ‘a creative disruptor’ pushing innovation while challenging artists surrounding him to think twice. 

The celebration for the creation of A.I.M is infectious at every seated table.“Kyle, look at what you have built,” says artist and publisher Adam Pendleton during his speech. “Look at what we are all here to support.”

Photo Credit: BFA Photography by Bre Johnson