LIVE! THE REALEST MC Begins 9/29 at McCullough Theatre

"The pervasive movement style is so bold and even fearless that you might not spot the intricacy of the choreography until the whole seven-member company dances in perfect unison." - Los Angeles Times

Abraham.In.Motion's work explores choreographer Kyle Abraham's diverse training in classical music, visual art, and a multitude of dance forms from ballet to hip-hop to give range and depth to his sleek, evocative work. Dance Magazine named him one of the "25 to Watch" in 2009 and has described his work as "elastic and electric, luxuriantly rippling, poetically arranged with moments of perfect stillness that arrive amid splashes of expression."

Live! The Realest MC references our own humanity in this digital age, creating an abstracted and humorously dark narrative that places the iconic childhood character, Pinocchio, in an industrial dystopia. Inspired by Pinocchio's plight to be a 'real boy,' Abraham's ensemble dance work investigates gender roles in the black community and the quest for acceptance in the world of hip-hop celebrity.

"Live! The Realest MC is a work inspired by both the story of Pinocchio and an early solo work of mine entitled Inventing Pookie Jenkins," says choreographer Kyle Abraham. "The similarity in these characters lies in their quest for acceptance. For one, it's a quest to become a 'real boy;' for the other, it's a quest for "realness." Reimagined into an evening-length, ensemble work that investigates gender roles within my community, this story took on a deeper dive when faced with the 2010 media headlines surrounding the untimely death of college student Tyler Clementi and 13-year-old Ryan Halligan in 2003. I began to think about a time in my life when I prayed that I could go unnoticed. Hoping that if I get my voice to sound like the other male students around me, I wouldn't be found out. I just wanted to be a robot...a puppet...but maybe without the lederhosen."

In addition to $10 tickets for primary, secondary, and college students, Texas Performing Arts is now offering a limited number of $12 tickets to active and retired military personnel for all 2017-2018 Essential Series performances (excludes Broadway and special engagements). A military ID is required. For a schedule of upcoming 2016-2017 season performances, please visit www.TexasPerformingArts.org.

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