MacArthur Genius Award-Winning Choreographer Kyle Abraham Brings Pavement from NYC to Harbison Theatre
February 27, 2015
COLUMBIA, SC – Fresh from a MacArthur Genius Award win, NYC-based choreographer Kyle Abraham and his company Abraham.In.Motion bring Pavement, a critically-acclaimed urban-contemporary dance performance, to the stage of Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
Pavement examines the cultural ebbs and flows of two historically black neighborhoods in Kyle Abraham’s real-life, inner-city hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Drawing from the classic 1991 movie Boyz N the Hood, W.E.B. Du Bois’ essays The Souls of Black Folk (1903), and Abraham’s early years spent in Pittsburgh, Pavement pays homage to the bold fashion, music and social styles of ‘90s hip-hop – while paying deeper tribute to African-American culture as a whole, and the collective, historical battle against discrimination.
Abraham’s choreography in Pavement blends the modern dance techniques of creative icons like Merce Cunningham and Martha Graham with the street dance styles Abraham grew up with. Post-modern dance lovers will appreciate Abraham’s pedigree, which includes time spent with the legendary Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.
Abraham.In.Motion creates and performs evocative, thought-provoking work that explores identity through its relationship with personal history. The company intentionally consists of dancers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, to develop movement based on the varied physical, emotional and psychological encounters of human experience.
“In just a few years, this company has risen to the apex of contemporary American dance,” said Katie Fox, Executive Director at Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College. “Their articulated movement quality and connection to the music is overwhelming.”
As one of the foremost modern dance choreographers of the 21st century, Abraham has been widely recognized for his body of powerful, creative work. Dance Magazine named Abraham on its 2009 list of “25 to Watch” – and that prediction quickly came to fruition. In 2010, he received both the Bessie Award for Outstanding Performance in Dance for his piece The Radio Show and the Princess Grace Award for Choreography, followed by the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award in 2012. (Jacob’s Pillow is one of the most prestigious modern dance festivals in the world.)
In 2013, Abraham was one of 24 select individuals named a MacArthur Fellow, receiving a grant of $625,000, collected over five years, to fulfill his creative vision. Most recently, in addition to touring with Abraham.In.Motion, he has worked with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and world-renowned New York City Ballet principal Wendy Whelan.
Ticketing Details
Pavement is one of 9 shows selected for Harbison Theatre’s 2014-2015 Signature Season. Individual show tickets are available now at www.HarbisonTheatre.org.
Buyers may also order tickets via phone at 803-407-5011, or in person at the Harbison Theatre Box Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The box office also will open two hours prior to each show in the Signature Series.
About Harbison Theatre
Rooted in the performing arts, Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College offers programs and productions that encourage reflection, examination and discovery; and that provide entertainment, education and opportunity to professionals, learners and community members in all stages of life. To learn about upcoming events, purchase tickets, or pursue sponsorship and volunteer opportunities with Harbison Theatre, please visit www.HarbisonTheatre.org.
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About Midlands Technical College
Midlands Technical College (MTC) is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. The fifth-largest provider of higher education in South Carolina and the largest provider of transfer students to four-year colleges and universities in the state, MTC enrolls approximately 18,000 credit students annually. The college’s Corporate and Continuing Education program, one of the largest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, annually has 30,000 enrollments and provides continuing education to hundreds of area businesses each year. www.midlandstech.edu
