A.I.M By Kyle Abraham to be Presented at Nazareth University Arts Center

Dancer and choreographer Kyle Abraham - winner of a Bessie Award and a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" - will bring his New York City-based dance company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham to the Nazareth University Arts Center on January 24, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., marking the company's Rochester debut. A.I.M will perform "An Untitled Love," which pays homage to the music of Grammy Award-winning R&B legend D'Angelo. Abraham draws from Black history and culture and his personal experiences when creating his choreography true to A.I.M's mission of creating a body of dance-based work that is galvanized by Black culture and history, and features the rich tapestry of Black and Queer stories. 

"We are very excited to have the support of the ArtsConnect grant, the first of its kind we have received, as well as generous gifts from individual donors to make this residency possible," said Heather Roffe, professor and director of the undergraduate dance program at Nazareth. "In partnering with the University of Rochester, we can bring this amazing company to our area and have them share their work with our students and audiences at both campuses. In addition, company members will offer open community classes at Nazareth and U of R (limited spots)."

Abraham established A.I.M by Kyle Abraham (formerly Abraham.In.Motion) in 2006 and has become a leading figure in contemporary dance in the past two decades. He began his dance training in his native Pittsburgh at the Civic Light Opera Academy and the Creative and Performing Arts High School. He continued his dance studies in New York, receiving a bachelor of fine arts from SUNY Purchase, a master of fine arts from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Washington Jefferson College. He's a 2018 Princess Grace Statue Award Recipient, 2017-18 Joyce Creative Residency Artist, 2016 Doris Duke Award Recipient, and 2015 City Center Choreographer in Residence.

In April 2023, New York Times dance critic Gia Kourlas wrote, "Abraham excels at so many aspects of choreography, among them instilling traditional movement with the gestural language of Black life and street dance or showing the subtle difference between slow motion and stillness. But what is most admirable, at least for me, is the way he is able to lean into patience. He takes his time, just the right amount. As you watch his dancers, you could be floating, too."

A variety of dance companies have commissioned Abraham. Most recently, he received two commissions from the Royal Ballet in England. Abraham's work, Optional Family: A Divertissement, premiered in May 2021 as part of Royal Ballet's 21st Century Choreographers program. The Weathering premiered in March 2022 to rave reviews.

Photo credit: Tony Turner