Abraham.In.Motion explores history, emotion, and the human experience through movement
Witness expressions of the physicality, emotion, and psychology of the human experience with a mixed repertory program by dance company Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion at the Moss Arts Center on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Presented in partnership with the Radford University Department of Dance, the performance will be held in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Moss Arts Center’s Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall.
Abraham.In.Motion brings dancers from various disciplines and diverse personal backgrounds together to create a conversation of movement. The works presented illuminate profound aspects of the African-American experience and show the historical range and emotional power rooted in the diasporic journeys of jazz music within American life. The performance reflects choreographer Kyle Abraham’s diverse training in classical music, visual art, and dance forms from ballet to hip-hop to give range and depth to his evocative work.
The evening includes three of Abraham’s transformative works that combine movement, imagery, and music to bring fresh and unique perspectives to the stage.
“The Quiet Dance” (2011) is a quintet set to Bill Evans’ sentimental rendition of the Bernstein classic, “Some Other Time.” “The Gettin’” (2014) is an ensemble work that features music by Grammy Award-winning jazz artist Robert Glasper and his trio, who re-imagine Max Roach’s “We Insist! Freedom Now Suite.” The piece features a series of duets performed by six members of Abraham.In.Motion and is inspired by the civil rights movement and social dancing.
“Absent Matter” (2015), a quartet created in collaboration with Kris Bowers, Otis Brown III, and filmmaker Naima Ramos Chapman, explores the perceived posthumous grandeur of death and violence in urban communities through sound and movement. In the era of #BlackLivesMatter, the work traces the racial epithets in songs of grief, love, and death by artists ranging from Notorious B.I.G and Tupac to contemporary rap artists like Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
The mission of Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion is to create an evocative interdisciplinary body of work. Born into hip-hop culture in the late 1970s and grounded in Abraham’s artistic upbringing in classical cello, piano, and the visual arts, the goal of the movement is to delve into identity in relation to a personal history. Abraham received the Doris Duke Artist Award in 2016, was the 2015 City Center Choreographer in Residence, and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2013.
Immediately following the performance, join members of Abraham.In.Motion for a question-and-answer session moderated by danah bella, chair and professor in the Department of Dance at Radford University and artistic director of d a n a h b e l l a DanceWorks.
During their visit, Abraham and Connie Shiau of Abraham.In.Motion will lead a four-day intensive session with Radford University student dancers, teaching them one of Abraham’s original pieces that the dancers will perform during their Spring Dance Concert at Radford University. Abraham will also lead a separate dance techniques master class for Radford University dancers.
Tickets for the performance are $25-$55 for general public and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Limited street parking is also available. Parking on Alumni Mall is free on weekdays after 5 p.m. and on weekends.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Kacy McAllister at 540-231-5300 or email kmcallis@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to an event.
