From Sumptuous Swagger to Elegant Articulation: Kyle Abraham (NYC) Radio Show Dance at REDCAT

Labeled by Dance Magazine in 2009 as one of the 25 to Watch, Pittsburgh native and now New York rising star, choreographer Kyle Abraham brings his company, Abraham.In.Motion to REDCAT this week for five performances.

Described in promotional material as "a passionate reflection on communal identity, personal history, and. . . the loss of communication [and] voice," the evening length octet is accompanied by an intricate audio collage that abstractly narrates the micro- and macro-cosmic events in the artist's hometown: the abrupt closure of a popular black radio station and a struggle against Alzheimer's and aphasia in his own family.

With a movement vocabulary that ranges from sumptuous swagger to elegant, precise articulation, this uncanny blend of easy fluidity and formal rigor is artfully matched by a sound tapestry of soul and hip-hop songs, call-in radio, static, electronic pulses and original music by company member Amber Lee Parker.

Oooo . . . . Sounds deep and thought-provoking, yet seems to offer up a visceral connection through the dancing. As a performer, Abraham has enlivened work of other NY-based choreographers--he was awesome in David Dorfman's last piece to Sly Stone music--but his name as the frontman is now on the tip of many dance-savvy tongues.

Watch this trailer and spend a night with the man at our downtown oasis.