About
Kyle Abraham joined the World Arts and Cultures/Dance faculty in 2016. Abraham’s choreography draws on social politics and personal history to create original work. Born into hip-hop culture in the late 1970s and grounded in an broad artistic upbringing in music and the visual arts, his unique, evocative, and interdisciplinary vision entwines a sensual and provocative vocabulary with an emphasis on sound, human behavior, and all things visual to create an avenue for personal investigation that comes to life on stage. Abraham’s honors include the Doris Duke Artist Award, a MacArthur Fellowship, a USA Ford Fellowship, a Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award, a Bessie Award for Outstanding Performance in Dance, a Princess Grace Award, and OUT Magazine called Abraham the “best and brightest creative talent to emerge in New York City in the age of Obama.”
Expertise
Dance and choreography.
Creative Practice & Research
- Recent courses include: Advanced Postmodern Technique, A.I.M Repertory, Embodying Solo Practice, Choreography, and Independent Study.
- Recent choreographic works include: The Runaway, commissioned and performed by New York City Ballet (2018); Indy, commissioned by The Joyce Theater Foundation (2018); Meditation: A Silent Prayer, The Joyce Theater premiere (2018); Dearest Home, commissioned by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (2017); and Untitled America, Premiere New York City Center, commissioned and performed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (2016).
- Current reserach includes work on upcoming projects: An Untitled Love commissioned by Brooklyn Academy of Music, Houston Society for the Performing Arts, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, American Dance Festival, August Wilson Cultural Center, Seattle Theater Group, and Whitebird (world premiere 2020 at The Houston Society for Performing Arts); an untitled commissioned solo for Fall For Dance Festival at the New York City Center (world premiere October 2019); Cocoon at The Joyce Theater (world premiere October 2019); an untitled commissioned premiere for Paul Taylor American Modern Dance Company (October 2019); and an untitled commissioned premiere for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (November 2019).