YBCA to Present World Premiere of Kyle Abraham's DEAREST HOME

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is pleased to welcome back YBCA 100 honoree, MacArthur "Genius," and Doris Duke Award-winning choreographer Kyle Abraham for the world premiere of his newest work, the YBCA-commissioned Dearest Home.

Presented by Abraham's company, ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION, Dearest Home is at its core about love, longing, and loss. Performed in YBCA's intimate Forum, audience members will have the choice to watch the performance with a composed score playing through headphones or with no score, instead listening to the ambient sound of bodies moving through space. "The dancers have never rehearsed to music for this work, and won't hear the music before or after they perform it," explains Abraham. He adds, "In creating a show centered around love, longing, and loss, I felt it necessary to divorce myself from my first love, music. Music is what brought me to dance. Specifically it was the music of Prince, whose life was taken all too soon-actually when I was in San Francisco for a creative residency for Dearest Home."

The piece is comprised primarily of solos and duets generated through Abraham's YBCA residency activities since January 2016. He engaged in conversations and workshops with diverse groups here in San Francisco and Oakland, as well as in his own hometown in Michigan. The work also includes a collaborative effort with UCLA to quantify audience empathy, inviting the viewers to frame their viewing experience in different ways before the start of the performance. Dearest Home weaves together movement and vulnerability with cross-cultural conversation, scientific research, and community action.

A breathtaking performer who is pioneering a unique choreography that combines his training in music, visual arts, and dance, Abraham has collaborated with artists ranging from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to Beyoncé. His work fuses the youthful energy of hip-hop and urban dance with a strong grounding in modern and contemporary dance.

The ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION dancers are Matthew Baker, Tamisha Guy, Catherine Ellis Kirk, Marcella Lewis, Jeremy "Jae" Neal, and Connie Shiau. Choreography by Kyle Abraham in collaboration with the dancers. Original score by Jerome Begin. Set and lighting design by Dan Scully.

Dearest Home is made possible by The MAP Fund, a program of Creative Capital, primarily supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional support was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

About Kyle Abraham, Artistic Director of ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION - 2016 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award recipient and 2015 City Center Choreographer in residence Kyle Abraham (b. 1977, Pittsburgh) is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow. He was a 2012 USA Ford Fellow and received a 2012 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, and is a Creative Capital grantee. In 2010 Abraham received the prestigious Bessie Award for outstanding performance in dance for his work in The Radio Show, and a Princess Grace award for choreography. He was named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2009. In 2011, OUT Magazine called Abraham the "best and brightest creative talent to emerge in New York City in the age of Obama."

About Yerba Buena Center for the Arts - Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is one of the nation's most innovative contemporary arts centers. Founded in 1993, YBCA's mission is to generate culture that moves people. Through powerful art experiences, thoughtful and provocative content, and deep opportunities for participation, YBCA is committed to creating an inclusive culture that awakens personal and societal transformation. YBCA presents a wide variety of programming year-round, including performing arts, visual arts, film/video and civic engagement. YBCA venues include the Forum, Screening Room, Galleries and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. For tickets and information, call 415.978.ARTS (2787).

IF YOU GO:

Kyle Abraham / ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION

Dearest Home

The ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION dancers are Matthew Baker, Tamisha Guy, Catherine Ellis Kirk, Marcella Lewis, Jeremy "Jae" Neal, and Connie Shiau. Choreography by Kyle Abraham in collaboration with ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION. Original Score by Jerome Begin. Set and lighting design by Dan Scully.

Performances at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103: Tuesday, May 16, 7:30pm; Wednesday, May 17, 7:30pm; Thursday, May 18, 8pm; Friday, May 19, 8pm; and Saturday, May 20, 2pm & 8pm.

Note: No late seating. Run time: approx. 65 minutes, with no intermission

For tickets, visit ybca.org/whats-on/dearest-home or call 415.978.2787.
General: $20-$35 advance / $25-$40 at the door.

Seniors, teachers, and students: $18-$31 advance / $22-$36 at the door.
YBCA members: $16-$28.
All Access members: Free (limit 1)

Pictured: Matthew Baker and Connie Shau in Dearest Home. Courtesy of Tim Barden.