Informazioni
Nostalgia isn’t just a feeling: it’s a rhythm, a groove, a dance that resonates through the body. Weaving together the pop, R&B, and New Wave sounds of his youth, American choreographer Kyle Abraham creates a work that pays tribute to the images and music of the 1980s that shaped his formative years, from M/A/R/R/S, Suzanne Vega, Salt-N-Pepa, The B-52s, LL Cool J, and Prince to the artistic influences of Trisha Brown, Bill T. Jones, and Kevin Wynn. Cassette Vol. 1 gives rise to a hybrid choreographic language that navigates the cultural tensions of the 1980s and 1990s in the United States. Balancing joy and reflection, the performance is both personal and universal, showing how pop music helps shape the collective imagination and, ultimately, who we become.
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham has, for nearly two decades, been at the forefront of contemporary dance, becoming one of the most acclaimed touring companies in the world. Celebrating its 20th anniversary throughout 2026, the company exemplifies “lush movement, infectious music and magnetic dancers..." as noted by The New York Times. A.I.M has been featured in Vogue, Essence, among many other publications, and was on the April 2025 cover of the Harper’s Bazaar. The company is described as a “postmodern gumbo” with an ardent voice and artistic process informed by robust conversations with people from diverse perspectives. A.I.M performs works by Abraham as well as new and existing works by choreographers who have influenced Abraham’s artistry. A.I.M is based in New York City.
Kyle Abraham has premiered his work to international audiences and acclaim since 2006. He was recently nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production (2025 – An Untitled Love at Sadler’s Wells); the Rose Prize for International Dance nominee (2025 – An Untitled Love); and is the proud recipient of a National Dance Critics Award for Choreography (2024 – Are You in Your Feelings / Alvin Ailey Dance Theater); Dance Magazine Award (2022); Princess Grace Statue Award (2018); Doris Duke Award (2016) and The MacArthur Fellowship (2013). In addition to performing and developing new works for his company, Abraham has been commissioned by a wide variety of dance companies, including American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The National Ballet of Cuba, New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, and The Royal Ballet. In 2024, Abraham premiered three new works to much acclaim, the evening-length work, Cassette Vol. 1 in Hamburg, Germany; Mercurial Son for American Ballet Theatre in October and in December, Dear Lord, Make Me Beautiful at the Park Avenue Armory, which Jennifer Homans of The New Yorker called an “Extraordinary Dance Memoir.” Abraham has led and curated several performance series including the Danspace Project (2024 / 50th anniversary season) and Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City (2023, 2022), among others. In 2020, Abraham was the first ever guest editor for Dance Magazine. He serves as the Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professor in Dance at The University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance (2021-). Abraham sits on the advisory board for Dance Magazine and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the inaugural Black Genius Brain Trust, and the inaugural cohort of theDorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab, a partnership between the Prada Group, Theaster Gates Studio, Dorchester Industries, and Rebuild Foundation.
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Calendar
Highlights
Credits
Choreography: Kyle Abraham in collaboration with A.I.M
Set, lighting, and video: Dan Scully
Costumes: Karen Young and Kyle Abraham
Sound editing: Sam Crawford and Kyle Abraham
Video editing: Simon Harding
Artistic consultant: Risa Steinberg
Performers: Mykiah Goree, Alysia Johnson, Claude Johnson (guest), Faith Mondesire, Destin Morisset, William Okajima, Niya Smith, Keturah Stephen (guest), Gianna Theodore, Olivia Wang
Co-commissioned by: International Summer Festival Kampnagel (Hamburg, Germany), Festspielhaus St. Pölten (AT), Tangente St. Pölten – Festival für Gegenwartskultur, and PEAK Performances, Montclair State University
With the support of: Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
Lead sponsor: Ed Bradley Family Foundation
Additional support by: Torrence Boone
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
Artistic Director: Kyle Abraham
Executive Director: Emily Waters
Production Director: Vernon Scott
General Manager: Anne Dechêne
Rehearsal Director: Jessica Tong
Production Stage Manager: Meredith Belis
Lighting Supervisor: Dan Stearns
Cover: © A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Cassette Vol.1, Dancers: Catherine Kirk, Faith Joy Mondesire, Photo by Carrie Schnieder
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14
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