A.I.M By Kyle Abraham Comes to the Carpenter Performing Arts Center
The performance is on December 13.
By: Stephi Wild Nov. 13, 2025
The Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of California State University, Long Beach welcomes contemporary dance company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham back to the stage for their fifth appearance at the Center on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. One of the most celebrated companies in contemporary movement, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham presents three works, including “In the act of undoing” (2025), a Carpenter Center co-commission by choreographer and dancer Jermaine Spivey, and Kyle Abraham's “The Gettin'” (2014) and “Dearest Home” (2017, excerpt). Although based in New York City, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham extends its influence to the West Coast dance scene—Kyle Abraham joined the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance in 2021 as the Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professor of Dance, and Jermaine Spivey is Artist in Residence at USC's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. The evening's repertoire consists of:
“In the act of undoing” (2025)
Co-commissioned by the Carpenter Center, this work by dancer and choreographer Jermaine Spivey calls for constant collaboration among dancers as they explore the unity and diversity of movement that emerge when we remain on task.
“The Gettin'” (2014)
Created as one of three repertory works during Kyle Abraham's tenure as Resident Commissioned Artist at New York Live Arts from 2012–2014, “The Gettin'” is a work for six dancers set to music by Grammy Award-winning jazz artist Robert Glasper and his trio, who reimagined Max Roach's We Insist! Freedom Now Suite.
“Dearest Home” (2017), excerpt
Kyle Abraham's intimate dance work focuses on love, longing, and loss, and is a love letter to relationships, a meditation on memories, and ultimately, a source of healing.
About A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, the company is led by choreographer and A.I.M founder Kyle Abraham. A MacArthur Fellow and recipient of the Princess Grace Statue Award, Doris Duke Award, and National Dance Critics Award, Abraham is a leading creative force in dance, both through A.I.M and as Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professor of Dance at USC's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Most recently, Kyle Abraham choreographed new work for Misty Copeland's farewell performance at American Ballet Theatre's Fall Gala in October. Abraham's work is galvanized by Black culture and what he calls a “post-modern gumbo” of movement exploration. Through A.I.M, Abraham elevates diverse artistic voices, using his own experiences to weave together music and dance. The New York Times notes that the company exemplifies “lush movement, infectious music and magnetic dancers.” The company was recently featured in a cover profile in Harper's Bazaar (April 2025).
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