Courtesy photo
By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
BEVERLY HILLS — Kyle Abraham has been dancing ever since he was a little boy.
For him, something about how the human form communicates through movement piqued his interest.
“I love dance,” he said. “I love the danger in dance and the freedom of the imagination. Of all the performing arts, dance is the one that people say they most don’t understand. But, if you allow yourself, you can create your own imagery. You can be connected to someone moving beyond words. I love the poetry in movement.”
Abraham took his love of the art form and turned it into one of the most respected brands in the world of dance.
The founder of A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham, formerly Abraham.In.Motion, Abraham launched his dance company in 2006.
The contemporary dance company is set for two performances at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts April 11 and 12.
The program features new works by Princess Grace Award recipients Andrea Miller and Rena Butler, alongside creations by Paul Singh and Abraham.
Miller’s “Year,” commissioned by Abraham for the company, reflects on presence and identity in the digital age. At the same time, Butler’s “Shell of a Shell of the Shell” delves into self-exploration amid cultural pressures.
Singh’s “Just Your Two Wrists” pairs David Lang’s score with a powerful narrative of loss and resilience.
Abraham’s latest work, “2×4,” his first collaboration with composer Shelley Washington, is a swift, kinetic piece blending fluidity and strength with accompanying live music.
Together, they underscore A.I.M.’s dedication to storytelling through dance, drawing audiences into nuanced journeys of connection, identity and resilience.
Abraham, the recipient of many dance awards, recently received an Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production (2025 – “An Untitled Love at Sadler’s Wells”).
In addition to performing and developing new works for his company, Abraham has been commissioned by a wide variety of dance companies, including the American Ballet Theatre, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the National Ballet of Cuba, the New York City Ballet, the Paul Taylor American Modern Dance and the Royal Ballet.
Abraham has led and curated several performance series, including the Danspace Project (2024 / 50th-anniversary season) and Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City (2022 and 2023). In 2020, Abraham was the first guest editor for Dance Magazine.
Since 2021, Abraham, bi-coastal, has served as the Claude and Alfred Mann endowed professor in dance at USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.
I recently spoke to Abraham about what audiences can expect to see and experience at The Wallis.
DD: Talk about what audiences will see at The Wallis.
KA: They will see a mixed-billed program that includes work from three other choreographers and myself. I chose these choreographers because I wanted to show the range of our artists in our company and how to challenge the dancers in the company to do other things and flex other modalities.
DD: You are very vocal and deliberate about your life choices. Why is it essential to bring thought-provoking movement, rooted in Black and queer history and culture, to the forefront?
KA: It’s our mission. The work is a reflection of my life experience. I identify as queer. It’s nice to think about what that means. We’re non-monolithic people. We want to express what it means to be Black and queer.
DD: Talk about how your interest in dance began.
KA: That’s tricky. My older sister was five years older than me at the time. She and her friends would get me to attend their parties. It had to do with me just wanting to dance. My friends and I would make a dance to “Poison” by Bell Biv Devoe — at church, no less. I mean, I’m not sure how it began. It’s just always been a part of me.
DD: Always?
KA: Well, I took a break from dance for a while and then returned to the why. Why is that art form calling me? It’s a relationship. It’s exciting to consider what happens.
DD: Why did you quit dance for a minute?
KA: I didn’t have a healthy relationship with dance. I never wanted to be a dancer. I wanted to be a choreographer. I was dancing for another artist and wasn’t having a good time. I needed the space to find other passions. I moved to England and explored music. I was at an age where I could do that. I could explore other things and take the time to figure out what I wanted.
DD: You are so rooted in dance. Was there ever a Plan B?
KA: Several. There was Plan A, B, C and D. When I quit dance, I worked as an artist educator at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. I love teaching, history and music.
DD: What is the reason your dance company has been successful for so many years?
KA: Success is subjective. I am most proud of creating a safe space for artists to feel seen and empowered and of working with people beautifully.
DD: Can you walk me through your creative process when developing a new piece?
KA: It changes all the time. Sometimes I start with music. I write out what I hope to say. I record myself dancing to music. All of it is part of a process. There is no one way.
DD: How do you draw inspiration from your experiences and the world?
KA: I’m always clued in. Racism, sexism, and homophobia were all around way before I got on this Earth.
DD: How would you describe your choreographic style and what influences have shaped your aesthetic?
KA: It’s a post-modern gumbo. It’s rooted in social dance.
DD: How do you adapt your performances for different audiences and venues?
KA: I try to consider the programming and what might be on our hearts and minds. The program we’re doing at the Wallis is similar to the one we are bringing to New York. We have different programs. The works shift.
DD: Looking back on A.I.M.’s history, what do you hope your legacy will be, and how do you see the company evolving?
KA: We have a great new executive director named Emily Waters. She’s been here a month. She was a dancer before moving to the administrative side. There is a lot of space to change. We offer the dancers royalties (in perpetuity). We’re pushing the art form forward.
DD: What advice would you give to emerging choreographers and dance companies looking to make a lasting impact in the contemporary dance landscape?
KA: It’s essential to consider your intention and how to always lead with kindness and grace. Having compassion, understanding, and purpose. Art is at the heart of change.
A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham is at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Bram Goldsmith Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, at 7:30 p.m. April 11 and at 2 p.m. April 12. Tickets start at $53.90. Information: TheWallis.org or 310 746-4000.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
