Northrop and Walker Art Center Present A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham

Kyle Abraham, one of today's most in-demand choreographers who was originally inspired to pursue dance by Prince, brings his company, A.I.M, to Northrop on Sat, Feb 29 with a diverse range of mixed repertory in a copresentation with Walker Art Center. The public evening performance caps a three-day A.I.M residency that includes two student matinees and other events. The matinee experiences are part of a partnership with the Minneapolis Public School District's Cultural Experiences Program.

Previously known as Abraham.In.Motion, A.I.M's dancers come from various disciplines and diverse personal backgrounds. Together, they create movement that is fresh and unique. They will explore topics ranging from cultural identity to social justice to current events in five pieces for this Leap Day performance. "Abraham's creative range is too wide and too buoyant for him to feel constrained by the role of angry black choreographer. His dances may be political but they are also aspirational, complex and upbeat," Judith Mackrell wrote in The Guardian.

Northrop and Walker Art Center Present
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
Sat, Feb 29, 7:30 pm
Carlson Family Stage

state by Andrea Miller
INDY
Solo Olos by Trisha Brown
Meditation: A Silent Prayer
Drive

Born into the hip-hop culture of the late 1970s in Pittsburgh, PA, and incorporating his experience with classical cello, piano, and the visual arts into his work, Abraham has been described as "the best and brightest creative talent to emerge...in the age of Obama" (OUT Magazine). His work frequently draws on his family, sexuality, and childhood in Pittsburgh, entwining a sensual and provocative vocabulary with a strong emphasis on sound, human behavior, and all things visual.

For the Northrop performance, A.I.M will feature Andrea Miller's all-female state set to Reggie Wilkins' sultry, hypnotic electronic score; Drive, marked by Abraham's "urgent and expressive choreography" (The New York Times); and INDY, his first major solo piece in more than decade. Other works include Solo Olos, a palindrome title by postmodern legend Trisha Brown, and Abraham's Meditation: A Silent Prayer, an ensemble featuring voice-over recordings by Carrie Mae Weems and visual artwork by Titus Kaphar.

Abraham recently premiered a solo for Misty Copeland, and previously has been commissioned to create work for companies Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and New York City Ballet, making him the first black man to choreograph for NYCB in more than a decade. He is a winner of the Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, Doris Duke, and the prestigious MacArthur "Genius" Award, among others.

While the Feb 29 A.I.M performance is Kyle Abraham's debut on Northrop's stage, he performed at the Walker in 2013.