Tuesday, October 22, 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Chamber Seating
$35, $30, $15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $10
$35, $30, $15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $10
In his newest work, Pavement, Abraham layers urban and classical dance influences, bold imagery, and gripping, voluptuous movement. Inspired by the Pittsburgh, PA neighborhoods of his youth, the film Boyz n the Hood, and the work of W.E.B. Du Bois, Abraham and his company of striking dancers establish a poignant and provocative world onstage. A full-evening dance, Pavement includes a wide variety of music, ranging from Bach to Sam Cooke, encompassing themes of love and pain in this “work of great subtlety and beauty” (The New Yorker).
Kyle Abraham is a dancer, choreographer, Artistic Director of Abraham.in.Motion, and recipient of the 2012 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award. He has worked with Bill T. Jones, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and New York City Ballet star Wendy Whelan.
Post-performance Talk-Back with Kyle Abraham and moderator Five College Dance Professor Jodi Falk immediately following the concert.
CONNECT
Artist’s website
Facebook: AbrahamInMotion
Twitter: @AbrahamInMotion
This was a superb piece. I am no dance expert, but I could sense that this group is creating a new space for dance that makes it at once more accessible and relevant and yet does not sacrifice the abstract investigation of corporal expression. On the contrary, in constantly revealing the frontiers between everyday body motion (or lack thereof) and intentional expression, they make non dancers like me think about what we express in our bodies about emotions, and social structures.
The talk after the performance was illuminating. As a scientist, I saw how these people went through a similar investigative group process as we do. They all were very articulate, and Mr Abraham was remarkably humble and inclusive.
Thanks for bringing this event to our valley!
Great performance but I’m sorry that I couldn’t stay for the talk back. Is there a good article that might help us understand the last dance? and how they developed that wonderful mixture of classical and hip hop music?
Amazing! In tandem with “Word Becomes Flesh” which showed here at UMass recently, this piece was a testament to the University’s commitment to bringing critically relevant and aesthetically stunning performance here to campus — a joy and a gift.
Wow! I enjoyed this performance and the post gathering. The energy of each score was incredible intermingled with amazing pauses that brought a reflective and restful time for me. The post gathering was inspirational and I felt connected the dancers and the audience even more. Thank you!