Oct 14, 2022

Digital Program for A.I.M by Kyle Abraham

Mobile-friendly Program
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham

Claude "CJ" Johnson and Dorchell Haqq. Photo by Peter Hönnemann

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Kari Schloner and Philip Bither

Good evening, and welcome to Northrop! We are thrilled that you are joining us for A.I.M by Kyle Abraham’s very special performance of Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth, presented in partnership with the Walker Art Center. Tonight’s performance kicks off Northrop’s 2022-23 Dance Series and continues the Walker’s ‘2022-23 Performing Arts season. 

This is the second time that Northrop and the Walker have joined forces to bring Kyle Abraham’s company to the Twin Cities. Making its Northrop debut in February 2020, it was the last company to perform on the Carlson Family Stage before the global pandemic shut down live performances. Abraham’s most recent work, Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth, brings together three powerhouse artists. Couture designer and illustrator Giles Deacon’s costumes bring spontaneity to the practical. The reimagined score by electronic musician and producer Jlin will leave you surprised and we hope thrilled by her take on this iconic music, and the choreography by MacArthur Fellow and critically acclaimed choreographer Kyle Abraham gives us a window into rebirth after death. Visit A.I.M by Kyle Abraham on the Northrop website to dive deeper into the themes of tonight’s performance.

Both Northrop and the Walker Art Center want to extend a special thanks to our subscribers and donors. Your support is more important than ever before. Through your attendance and contributions, you ensure that Northrop and Walker Art Center can continue to bring world-class artists like A.I.M by Kyle Abraham to the Twin Cities community. Thank you.

Gratefully,

Kari Schloner
Executive Director - Northrop

Philip Bither
McGuire Director and Senior Curator, Performing Arts, Walker Art Center

Jeff Bieganek

Welcome to Northrop’s 2022-23 Dance Season! I can’t imagine a more fitting way to launch than with this powerful work in partnership with Walker Art Center—featuring visionary choreography, pioneering music, stunning costumes, and theatrical lighting design coming together for a truly meaningful event. 

I hope you can join us for the rest of Northrop’s extraordinary Dance Series which offers some delightful surprises, as does our just-announced ENCORE Events—post-performance cast parties with Limón Dance Company and Joffrey Ballet, plus a special dinner with The State Ballet of Georgia. I know you’ll be inspired by these extraordinary opportunities to connect with the art and artists, and I invite you to bring family and friends to share these memorable experiences with you.

As we enjoy this season and look to the future, I invite you to support Northrop’s programs, helping to shine bright lights on our stage. Please consider supporting the important work that Northrop is doing now and in the future to inspire positive change in our world. The Northrop Advisory Board is growing along with new opportunities to engage, if you are interested in learning more, please contact us at northrop@umn.edu. And if you see me in Northrop, please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself! I would love to meet you.

Thank you for attending A.I.M by Kyle Abraham. Your presence at this performance makes Northrop all the better, and we look forward to seeing you at many more Northrop events!

Jeff Bieganek, Northrop Advisory Board Chair

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Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham. Photo by Peter Hönnemann

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham

Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth

Choreography: Kyle Abraham** in collaboration with A.I.M

Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Requiem in D minor; Jlin, untitled commissioned score 

Lighting & Scenic Design: Dan Scully

Costume Design: Giles Deacon

Performers: Jamaal Bowen, Tamisha A. Guy*, Rakeem Hardy, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Catherine Kirk, Jae Neal, Donovan Reed, Martell Ruffin, Dymon Samara, Gianna Theodore 

*Princess Grace Award Recipient
**Princess Grace Statue Award

Project Description

Requiem: Fire In the Air of the Earth is a timely Afro-futurist reflection on ritual and rebirth. Through personal catharsis Choreographer Kyle Abraham gives birth to an abstract dance between the vulnerability of human life and the supernatural possibilities of death that is both universal and urgent. His signature gumbo of styles, ranging from contemporary ballet to hip-hop, pairs perfectly with music producer Jlin’s electronic movement transcription of Mozart’s Requiem in D minor. Timeless costumes created by renowned fashion designer Giles Deacon blur the lines of past, present, and future to illuminate an other-worldly cast of characters that harken the African Orishas. The masterful staging of Dan Scully colorfully reflects their range of realities through transitioning from regal to raw, joy to pain. Requiem positions A.I.M by Kyle Abraham as a company that is living our ancestor's wildest dreams.

Project Support

Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth was supported by The Harkness Foundation for Dance; and New Music USA, made possible by annual program support and/or endowment gifts from Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Howard Gilman Foundation, Helen F. Whitaker Fund, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc.

Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth was created in part through a residency at the Pillow Lab at Jacob’s Pillow; and during a “bubble” residency at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park and LUMBERYARD, made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth was co-commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; the Boston Celebrity Series; International Summer Festival Kampnagel; Stanford University; and the University Musical Society of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

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Requiem

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham. Photo by Peter Hönnemann

Contemporary dance company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, considered “one of the most consistently excellent troupes working today” (The New York Times), provides multifaceted performances, educational programming, and community-based workshops across the globe. Led by acclaimed Choreographer and Artistic Director Kyle Abraham’s innovative vision, the work of A.I.M is galvanized by Black culture and history, and grounded in a conglomeration of unique perspectives; described by Abraham as a “post-modern gumbo” of movement exploration. 

A.I.M is one of the most active touring dance companies in the United States, with an audience base as diverse as A.I.M’s movement vocabulary, drawing inspiration from a multitude of sources and dance styles. Since A.I.M’s founding in 2006, Abraham has created more than 15 original works for and with the company. To expand its repertoire and offer a breadth of dance work to audiences, A.I.M commissions new works and performs existing works by outside choreographers, such as Trisha Brown, Bebe Miller, Andrea Miller, and current A.I.M dancer Keerati Jinakunwiphat.

Kyle Abraham’s unique vision and illumination of poignant and relevant issues set him apart from his generation of choreographers as a leading creative force in dance. A.I.M extends this vision and amplifies surrounding artistic voices to share movement and community-based work with audiences around the world. 

For more information, to get involved, or to purchase your A.I.M merchandise, please visit aimbykyleabraham.org. Follow A.I.M on Instagram @aimbykyleabraham and Kyle Abraham @kyle_abraham_original_recipe.

Artistic Director / Choreographer Biography

Kyle Abraham

Kyle Abraham

Kyle Abraham (he/him)—Princess Grace Statue Award Recipient (2018), Doris Duke Award Recipient (2016), and MacArthur Fellow (2013)—began his dance training at the Civic Light Opera Academy and the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating from Schenley High School, Abraham continued his dance studies in New York, earning a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Abraham later received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from Washington Jefferson College. Abraham is currently the Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professor in Dance at The University of Southern California (USC) Glorya Kaufman School of Dance (2021-Present). Prior to USC, Abraham served as a visiting professor in residence at the University of California, Los Angeles’ (UCLA) World Arts Cultures in Dance program (2016-2021).

Abraham serves on the advisory board for Dance Magazine, and in 2020 was selected to be their first-ever guest editor. Abraham also sits on the artistic advisory board for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the inaugural Black Genius Brain Trust, and the inaugural cohort of the Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab, a partnership between the Prada Group, Theaster Gates Studio, Dorchester Industries, and Rebuild Foundation. In addition, Abraham was named a Kennedy Center Next 50 Leader (2021), a list of leaders who exemplify the Center’s mission to help shape culture and society through the arts.

Rebecca Bengal of Vogue wrote, “What Abraham brings … is an avant-garde aesthetic, an original and politically minded downtown sensibility that doesn’t distinguish between genres but freely draws on a vocabulary that is as much Merce [Cunningham] and Martha [Graham] as it is Eadweard Muybridge and Michael Jackson.” 

In addition to performing and developing new works for his company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Abraham has been commissioned by a wide variety of dance companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The National Ballet of Cuba, New York City Ballet, and the Royal Ballet.

Abraham’s third work for New York City Ballet, When We Fell (2021), was reviewed by The New York Times as “among the most beautiful dance films of the pandemic.” Other recent works include The Weathering (2022), commissioned by The Royal Ballet; Abraham’s collaboration with NYCB Principal Dancer Taylor Stanley on Ces noms que nous portons (2020), a Lincoln Center and NYCB commissioned solo; and Unto The End, We Meet (2020), commissioned by the National Ballet of Cuba. Abraham was the final choreographer commissioned by Paul Taylor before his passing, creating Only The Lonely (2019) for Paul Taylor American Modern Dance. The Runaway (2018) was recognized on the Best Dance of 2018 list by The New York Times, and Untitled America (2016), a 3-part commissioned work for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was described by The New York Times as “potent and explosive and wonderfully of the moment.”

Abraham has also choreographed for many of the leading dancers of our time. Most recently, to be seen (2020), a new solo for American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Calvin Royal III, premiered during the virtual Fall For Dance Festival. Of this solo, The New York Times observed “how skilled [Abraham] has become at mingling the ballet vernacular with other forms, from hip-hop to West African movement” and his unique talent for “finding the person within the dancer and the bodies within a body.” Abraham created Ash (2019), a solo work for American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Misty Copeland that also had its premiere at Fall for Dance. The Serpent and The Smoke (2016) toured as part of Restless Creature, a pas de deux for Abraham and acclaimed Bessie Award-winning and former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Wendy Whelan. Off the stage, Abraham choreographed the music video for Sufjan Stevens’ Sugar (2020), and for the feature-length film The Book of Henry (2016) for acclaimed director Colin Trevorrow. 

In his early career, Abraham served as a choreographic contributor for Beyonce’s British Vogue cover shoot (2013) and was named a Joyce Creative Residency Artist (2017-18), a City Center Choreographer in Residence (2015), the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award recipient (2012), a USA Ford Fellow (2012), and the New York Live Arts Resident Commissioned Artist (2012–2014). Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater premiered Abraham’s Another Night (2012) at New York City Center. OUT Magazine labeled Abraham as the “best and brightest creative talent to emerge in New York City in the age of Obama” (2011). Abraham is the recipient of a Bessie Award for Outstanding Performance in Dance for The Radio Show (2010), a Princess Grace Award for Choreography (2010), and was selected as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” (2009).

Abraham’s choreography has been presented throughout the United States and abroad. Notable venues and festivals include Brooklyn Academy of Music, Danspace Project, Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center, Harlem Stage, The Joyce Theater, and Lincoln Center in New York; Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Los Angeles Music Center in California; Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago in Illinois; ICA Boston and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts; Bates Dance Festival in Maine; American Dance Festival in North Carolina; The Andy Warhol Museum, The Byham, and The Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in Pennsylvania; Performing Arts Houston and TITAS in Texas; On The Boards and Seattle Theatre Group in Washington; and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Internationally Abraham’s works have toured to Théâtre Paul Eluard, Maison de la Danse, Théâtre de la Ville, and L’Onde in France; Tanz Im August and Kampnagel Festival in Germany; Project Arts Centre in Ireland; The Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum in Japan; and the Royal Opera House and Sadler’s Wells in the United Kingdom, among others. 

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Dancer Biographies

Gianna Theodore

Gianna Theodore

Gianna Theodore (she/her) Raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, Theodore began her dance training at Ballet East Studio under the direction of Susan Lyle and Chelsea Nasby. Theodore is a graduate of A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and a three-time YoungArts Merit Scholar/Honorable Mention. She graduated with a BFA in dance from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program Class of 2020. Throughout the course of her training, she has performed works by Robert Battle, Chuck Wilt, and Bradley Shelver. She attended Springboard Danse Montréal, where she performed work created by RUBBERBANDANCE, and Parts & Labour Danse. Theodore has ventured through many cultures and styles of dance, such as house and African, which has helped land her lead roles in music videos. She has also performed professionally with artists such as Ebony Williams, Mark Caserta, Maleek Washington, and Jennifer Archibald. She recently performed during a residency with Helen Simoneau Danse. Theodore joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2019.

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Jamaal Bowman

Jamaal Bowman

Jamaal Bowman (he/him) began his dance training at the age of 14 in Maryland, where he was born and raised. In 2021, he graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA as a Director’s Scholar, under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield. Over the years he has been in collaboration with Nora Chipaumire, Tommie-Waheed, Maleek Washington, Helen Pickett, Fana Fraser, Jocelyn Cottencin, Nacera Belaza, and Sidra Bell. In November 2021, he toured with Von Howard Project to Ecuador to perform in the International Living Arts Festival of Loja. Most recently, he has performed as a company member with Kun-yang Lin/Dancers for their 2021-2022 season. Bowman’s personal practices are centered around queer Black joy, theater, improvisation, and comedy. He hopes to reshape the future for queer Black people like him, to give them more opportunities to shine. Bowman joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2022.

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Tamisha A. Guy

Tamisha A. Guy

Tamisha A. Guy (she/her), a native of Trinidad and Tobago, began her formal dance training at Ballet Tech, under the direction of Eliot Feld. Later she attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, and SUNY Purchase College as a double major in dance and arts management. She has completed summer programs with Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Springboard Danse Montréal, and has performed works by William Forsythe, Pam Tanowitz, and Mark Morris. In 2013 Guy graduated with honors from SUNY Purchase College and joined the Martha Graham Dance Company shortly after. In 2016 Guy was selected as one of Dance Magazine's Top 25 to Watch and she also received the 2016 Princess Grace Award. In 2017, she was named one of the Best Dancer's of the Year by Dance Europe. In 2021, she was awarded the 2022 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance which recognizes foreign-born scientists and artists in the United States. Guy joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2014.

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Keerati Jinakunwiphat

Keerati Jinakunwiphat

Keerati Jinakunwiphat (she/her), originally from Chicago, IL, received her BFA from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase and was a recipient of the Adopt-A-Dancer Scholarship. She has additionally studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and Springboard Danse Montreal. She has worked with and performed works of artists such as Kyle Abraham, Nicole von Arx, Trisha Brown, Jasmine Ellis, Hannah Garner, Shannon Gillen, Andrea Miller, Kevin Wynn, and Doug Varone. She has assisted Kyle Abraham in new commissioned work for New York City Ballet and Paul Taylor Dance Company. As a freelance choreographer, Jinakunwiphat has presented her own choreographic works at the American Dance Guild Festival, Triskelion Arts, Dixon Place, Battery Dance Festival, Dance Gallery Festival, the Joyce Theater and New Victory Dance. She has been commissioned to set and create works on the Evanston Dance Ensemble, the Martha Graham School, SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Dance, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, and New England Ballet Theatre. Jinakunwiphat graced the cover of Dance Magazine as ‘25 to Watch’ for 2021. She joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2016.

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Catherine Kirk

Catherine Kirk

Catherine Kirk (she/her) was born on the unceded land of the Kiickaapoi and Wichita peoples, now called Dallas, Texas. She began formally studying dance at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts before graduating from New York University, Tisch School of Dance. A multi-hyphenate, Catherine is also a dance maker, marketing strategist, arts administrator, dance educator, and yoga teacher. Kirk has completed seasonal programs with San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Movement Invention Project, and Springboard Danse Montreal, where she performed work by Fernando Melo, Ohad Naharin and Sharon Eyal. Upon graduating, Kirk apprenticed for Sidra Bell Dance NY before collaborating and performing with Danakah Dance, UNA Productions, Burr Johnson, Jasmine Hearn, and Helen Simoneau Danse. She is thrilled to be working as A.I.M’s Marketing Associate and performing with the company. Kirk joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2013.

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Jae Neal

Jae Neal

Jae Neal (they/them) was born and raised in Michigan and received their training from Western Michigan University. There, they performed in professional works such as Strict Love by Doug Varone, Temporal Trance by Frank Chavez and Harrison McEldowney’s Dance Sport. Since relocating to New York, Neal has had the privilege of working with SYREN Modern Dance, Christina Noel Reaves, Catapult Entertainment, Katherine Helen Fisher Dance, and Nathan Trice. Neal joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2011.

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Donovan Reed

Donovan Reed

Donovan Reed (he/him), Philadelphia, PA, began his dance training at the age of 16. Soon after, Reed attended college at The University of The Arts, he was awarded his BFA in May of 2016. During his time in college, Reed participated as an artist in residence at Die Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Frankfurt, DE. In addition, he participated in an independent artist program where his training was extended with The Pennsylvania Ballet. Other studies include PHILADANCO!, Eleone Dance Theatre and The Rock School for Dance Education. He has performed works by choreographers Sidra Bell, Regina Van Berkel, Sharon Eyal, Tommie Waheed-Evans, Beth Gill, Andrea Miller, Tania Isaac, Meredith Rainey, and Helen Simoneau. Reed joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2018.

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Martell Ruffin

Martell Ruffin

Martell Ruffin (he/him), Chicago, IL, began his formal dance training at The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago in 2009. He attended Chicago High School for the Arts under then-director Lisa Johnson-Willingham, former dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Ruffin has been awarded dance scholarship to intensives at Joffrey Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions, and received first place in the all-city NAACP ACT-SO Competition 2011. Ruffin trained at The Ailey School as a scholarship student and has performed works by Lisa Johnson-Willingham, Earl Mosley, George Faison, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Matthew Rushing, Jae Man Joo, Robert Battle, and Alvin Ailey. Martell has also been seen in the Poison Girl Christian Dior commercial for women's fragrance and an Urban Outfitters commercial for music artist Samantha Urbani. Ruffin has completed his two years with Ailey II and is now contributing Choreographer & Performer for Triptych (Eyes of One Another), an Opera based on Robert Mappethorpe. Ruffin joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2020.

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Dymon Samara

Dymon Samara

Dymon Samara (she/her) is a process-driven dancer, choreographer, and performer who began her dance training at the age of 11, where she attended a summer program called Ailey Camp Miami. She then continued her dance training at Author and Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts where she met Lateshia McFarland who offered her a scholarship to attend her studio, ICTalent Dance. Samara is a New World School of the Arts alum where she holds the Principals Hall of Fame Award for her outstanding academic and arts performance. Samara has performed many works by world-renowned choreographers such as Robert Battle, Ohad Naharin, Jennifer Archibald, Peter London, Camille A. Brown, Stephen Petronio and was fortunate enough to apprentice with Ronald K. Brown’s Evidence A Dance Company during the summer and fall of 2021. Samara currently studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts on a full tuition scholarship as a 2019-2022 Dean Scholar. Samara joined A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in 2022.

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Kar'mel Antonyo Wade Small

Kar'mel Antonyo Wade Small

Raised in the South Bronx, Kar'mel Antonyo Wade Small (he/him) began his dance journey with American and International Ballroom at the age of 10. In 2011, he launched his formal dance training at the prolific Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in New York City. Kar’mel went on to become a student of the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase, graduating with a BFA in Dance Performance and Composition in 2019. He has since graced the stages of Jacob’s Pillow, The Joyce Theater, Symphony Space, Kaatsbaan, New York Live Arts, The Neuberger Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, Central Park for NYC Summer Stage. He has performed works by Damani Pompey, Kayla Farrish, Ohad Naharin, Sidra Bell, Roderick George, Kevin Wynn, Martha Graham, Jerome Robbins, Eleo Pomare, Merce Cunningham, and many other notable choreographers. He choreographed director Dean Irby’s version of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “The Brothers Size” and has danced in numerous TV and film projects including UNIVISION’s Despierta América and HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness. Kar'mel joined A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham in October 2022.

 

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single dancer walks under orange moon-like light and streaks of light across a darkened stage

Donovan Reed. Photo by Peter Hönnemann

Creative Team Biographies

Joe Buckingham (Visual Art) is a visual artist who was born in Germany, raised in Hollis Queens, and presently living in Long Island, NY. His art is a reflection of his experiences growing up in New York, where he was inspired by the visuals of the 1970's and 1980's including the gritty texture and layers juxtaposed with colorful graffiti. His work has been seen in galleries in NYC, Tokyo, and more. He is a graduate of the High School of Art & Design (NYC) and New York Institute of Technology (NY).

Charlotte Brathwaite (Artistic Advisor) As a creator and director, Brathwaite’s genre-defying works illuminate the realities and the dreams of the marginalized and center unheard, unseen, and overlooked stories. Dealing with subject matter from the historical past to the distant future, her work brings to light issues of social justice, race, sex, power and the complexities of the human condition. Awards: Art Matters, Princess Grace, Creative Capital, United States Artist, Map Fund. Associate Professor Theater Arts MIT.www.charlottebrathwaite.com

Sam Crawford (Sound Editor) completed degrees in English and Audio Technology at Indiana University in 2003. Crawford’s recent compositions and sound designs have included works for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (Venice Biennale, 2010), Kyle Abraham (Pavement, 2012), Camille A. Brown and Dancers (BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play, 2016), and David Dorfman Dance (Aroundtown, 2017). La Medea, Crawford’s live multi-media collaboration with director Yara Travieso, premiered at PS122’s Coil Festival in January of 2017.

Dan Scully (Lighting & Scenic Design) is a New York based lighting and projection designer, and has been the resident lighting designer for A.I.M since its founding, including for the full-length evening works Pavement, Live! The Realest M.C., and the Bessie Award winning The Radio Show. Recent dance work includes designs for New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey / American Dance Theater, BODYTRAFFIC, Hubbard Street Dance Project, Misty Copeland, among others. Theater and concert credits include Rocky (Broadway), Jedermann (Salzburger Festspiele), The Orchestra Rocks! (Carnegie Hall), and Peter and The Wolf (John Lithgow / Carnegie Hall). Regional: Trinity Rep., GEVA, Asolo Rep., Cleveland Playhouse, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and Two River Theater Company. MFA-NYU/Tisch.

Risa Steinberg (Artistic Advisor) has been an active member of the dance community for more than 35 years as a performer, teacher, re-constructor of the works of José Limón, and mentor to young and emerging choreographers. She has traveled the world performing and teaching extensively. She was born in New York City and graduated from the Juilliard School earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts. A former principal dancer with the José Limón Dance Company, Bill Cratty Dance Theater, Annabel Gamson, Anna Sokolow’s Player’s Project, Colin Connor, and American Repertory Dance Company of Los Angeles, Ms. Steinberg has also been a guest artist with choreographers including Wally Cardona, Sean Curran, and DanzaHoy of Caracas, Venezuela. She has been on the faculty at the Juilliard School since 2001 and she held the position of Associate Director of Juilliard Dance from 2008-2016. She was a dance panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts; now sits on the Artists Advisory board for the José Limón Dance Foundation and is on the selection committee of The Bessies. Ms. Steinberg is a cast member of Sleep No More.

Karen Young (Costume Design) is a New York based costume designer who has designed clothes for many of Kyle Abraham and A.I.M’s works including: Drive, the Gettin’, INDY, Meditation, Big Rings, and An Untitled Love. Recent design for dance includes projects with: the Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Basel, Brian Brooks, Lucinda Childs, Pontus Lidberg, Troy Schumacher, Sonya Tayeh, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Acosta Danza, Malpaso Dance Cuba, Miami City Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She designed the costumes for Wendy Whelan's projects Restless Creature and The Day and is currently directing the reconstruction and design of the costumes of Martha Graham’s entire repertoire for the Martha Graham Dance Company. Recent design for theater includes Geoff Sobelle’s Home(BAM) and Third Rail Projects highly acclaimed immersive shows Confection (Folger Theater) and Then She Fell. karenyoungcostume.com

 

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Company Credits

Artistic Director: Kyle Abraham (he/him)
Executive Director: Sydnie Liggett-Dennis (she/her)

A.I.M Board of Directors:
Kyle Abraham (he/him)
Stephen Simcock (he/him/chair)
Cheryl Bergenfeld (she/her)
Chris Calkins (he/him)
Adrienne Edwards (she/her)
Suzanne Hall (she/her)
Mark A. Leavitt (he/him)
Glenn Ligon (he/him)
Bebe Neuwirth (she/her)
Carrie Schneider (she/her)
Gilda Squire (she/her)
Julia Strickland (she/her)

A.I.M Staff:
Company and Tour Operations
General Manager: Hillary Kooistra (she/her)
Rehearsal Director: Jessica Tong (she/her)
Artistic Engagement Manager: Matthew Baker (he/him)
Company Manager: Amber Lee Parker (she/her)
Production Stage Manager: Meredith Belis (she/her)
Lighting and Video Supervisor: Gabriel Esparza (he/him)
Production and Lighting Advisor: Dan Stearns (he/him)

Development
Director of Development: Lauren Cronk (she/her)
Development Manager: Kristine Liwag (she/her)

Press and Marketing
Head of Marketing: Kirsten Magwood (she/her)
Marketing Associate: Catherine Kirk (she/her)
Press Agent: Lisa Labrado (she/her)

Finance
Finance Manager: Lucy Mallett (she/her) 

For booking information, contact Lotus Arts Management, Sophie Myrtil-McCourty, President, at 72-11 Austin Street, Suite 371, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Tel: 347.721.8724; email: sophie@lotusartsmgmt.com; website: www.lotusartsmgmt.com

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Donovan Reed

Donovan Reed. Photo by Peter Hönnemann

Company Acknowledgements

Project Support

(See Program tab)

 

A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham Support

Generous support for A.I.M is provided by: American Dance Abroad; Nathan M. Clark Foundation; Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab; Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Ford Foundation; Howard Gilman Foundation; Harkness Foundation for Dance; The DuBose & Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund; The Hyde and Watson Foundation; The International Association of Blacks in Dance; Joyce Theater Foundation; Mellon Foundation; New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; New Music USA; New York Community Trust; Princess Grace Foundation-USA; Rockefeller Brothers Fund; Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; Samuel H. Scripps Foundation; and The Shubert Foundation. Public funding provided by The National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

A.I.M is supported through the Comprehensive Organizational Health Initiative (COHI) | Managing Organizational Vitality and Endurance, a program of The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) in partnership with the Nonprofit Finance Fund with support from the Mellon Foundation.

A.I.M is a proud supporter of Dancers Responding to AIDS, which helps ensure that those most in need receive the care and comfort they would otherwise do without. Founded in 1991 by former Paul Taylor Dance Company members Denise Roberts Hurlin and Hernando Cortez, DRA relies on the extraordinary compassion and efforts of the performing arts community to fund a safety net of social services for those in need. Together, we can make a difference for those less fortunate than us. Donate at www.dradance.org/donate.

Support the creation of new work and community engagement! Contributions may be made payable to “Abraham.In.Motion, Inc.” P.O. Box 986, New York, NY 10113. Abraham.In.Motion, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (EIN: 82-4790161). All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

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Walker Art Center Acknowledgments

The Walker Art Center’s Performing Arts programs are made possible by generous support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation through the Doris Duke Performing Arts Fund, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

National Endowment for the Arts

Producers’ Council

Performing Arts programs and commissions at the Walker are generously supported by members of the Producers’ Council: Nor Hall and Roger Hale; King’s Fountain/Barbara Watson Pillsbury; Sarah Lutman and Rob Rudolph; Emily Maltz; Leni and David Moore, Jr./The David and Leni Moore Family Foundation; Annie and Peter Remes; Therese Sexe and David Hage; and Mike and Elizabeth Sweeney.

Media Partner

Minnesota Public Radio logo

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Northrop Acknowledgements

The Northrop Advisory Board

The Northrop Advisory Board is committed to the growth and awareness of Northrop’s mission, vision, and the continued future of presenting world-class dance and music in our community. If you would like more information about the advisory board and its work, please contact Cynthia Betz, Director of Development, at 612-626-7554 or betzx011@umn.edu.

Northrop Advisory Board Members

  • Cynthia Betz
  • Jeff Bieganek, Chair
  • Kristen Brogdon
  • Dr. Robert Bruininks
  • John Conlin
  • Deb Cran
  • Susan DeNuccio
  • Karen Hanson
  • Cari Hatcher
  • Jill Hauwiller
  • Bob McMaster
  • Katheryn Menaged
  • Gary Reetz
  • Robyne Robinson
  • Toni Pierce-Sands
  • Kari Schloner
  • Kao Lee Vang
  • Donald Williams

Thank you for supporting Northrop!

Make Legendary Performances Possible!

At Northrop, we believe in connecting great artists and ideas with our community and to a new generation of audiences. Your gift helps make memorable arts experiences possible by supporting extraordinary performances and new arts commissions, and helping ensure accessibility to everyone through live-streamed programming, outreach to diverse communities and subsidized student tickets. Our Friends are at the center of Northrop’s biggest ideas and brightest moments on stage.

Become a Friend of Northrop today! 
Donate online at northrop.umn.edu/support-northrop

Ways to Give:

  • Annual Giving, a yearly gift amount of your choice.
  • Monthly Giving, choose a recurring gift amount that works for you.
  • Stock Gifts, Northrop accepts charitable gifts of stock.
  • Planned Giving, consider a legacy gift by including Northrop in your will or trust, or by designating Northrop as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy.
  • Matching Gifts, double your gift through your company’s matching gift program.

To learn more about supporting Northrop please contact:
Cynthia Betz
betzx011@umn.edu or 612-626-7554 

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Friends of Northrop

A special thank you to our patrons whose generous support makes Northrop's transformative arts experiences possible. Make your mark on Northrop's future by becoming a Friend today, learn more by visiting northrop.umn.edu/support-northrop.

We gratefully acknowledge the support from, Arts Midwest Touring Fund, Minnesota State Arts Board, Marbrook Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and New England Foundation for the Arts.

We extend a special thank you to our event sponsors the Graduate Hotel Minneapolis, PNC Bank, and RBC Wealth Management.   

Director's Circle

10,000+

  • Drs. Robert Bruininks and Susan Hagstrum
  • Robert Lunieski

5,000+

  • Jerry Artz
  • Kurt and Susan Bjorklund, Dedicated to Silas and Victoria Ford
  • Ellie Crosby, The Longview and Crosswols Foundations
  • Nancy Gossell
  • Richard Gregory
  • Randy Hartten and Ron Lotz
  • Jennifer Marrone and David Short

2,500+

  • Nancy and John Conlin
  • Susan DeNuccio
  • Gail and Stuart Hanson
  • Gail and Jack Kochie
  • Shawn Monaghan and Greg Plotnikoff
  • Thomas and Conchy Morgan, In Memory of Sylvia and Henry Frisch 
  • Sandra Morris
  • Gary A. Reetz
  • Scarborough Fair Boutique
  • Donald Williams and Pamela Neuenfeldt

Friend's Circle

1,000+

  • Mary Benson
  • Frederick L. Betz
  • Jeff Bieganek
  • Rob Carlson and Gregg Larson
  • Fran Davis
  • Karen Hanson and Dennis Senchuk
  • Minhchau and Lawrence Harms
  • Sally and Richard Leider
  • Bob and Susanna McMaster
  • Tim and Gayle Ober
  • Marianne Remedios and John Wald
  • Stephanie Rupp
  • Kathryn Sedo and Scott Beers

500+

  • Anonymous
  • Margaret Albrecht
  • Jeanne Andre
  • Kathryn Cahill, In Honor of Ferne Rowland
  • R. and J. Cameron
  • Will and Ginny Craig
  • Stephen Davis and L Murray Thomas
  • Meghan DeBruycker Legacy Fund-Willmar Area Community Foundation
  • Peter and Kathy Ganzer
  • Ramona Hanneken
  • Glenn Lindsey
  • Mark and Cecilia Morrow
  • Robin Oertel
  • Lance Olson
  • Richard Taylor

250+

  • Anonymous
  • Elissa Adams and Michael Margulies
  • Paul Aslanian
  • Thomas and Jill Barland
  • Bill and Julie Brady
  • Kristen Brogdon
  • Kate and Christianson
  • Deb Cran and Bob Craven
  • Diane Demos
  • Pat Gaarder
  • Stephen Gordon and Patricia Gavan-Gordon
  • Denise and Corey Holtz
  • Kimberly Hutchens
  • Jennifer and Mark Johnson
  • Emily Maltz
  • David Musolf
  • Mason and Gwen Myers
  • Derrill Pankow
  • Elizabeth Parker
  • Shannon Pierce
  • Ann Piotrowski
  • Kathleen Porter
  • Patricia and Joseph Pulice
  • Holly Radis-McCluskey and Glen McCluskey
  • John Reay and Karen Hanson
  • Danielle Robinson-Prater and Joel Prater
  • Gordon Rouse and Sylvia Beach
  • Bonnie Vidlund
  • Cheryl Wall
  • Steven and Barb Zawadski

100+

  • Anonymous
  • Atashi Acharya
  • Jan Adams
  • Marcia Anderson
  • Joseph Bingham
  • Mayrinda Cain
  • Karen Charles
  • Stephen and Mary Chicoine
  • Sandra Daly
  • Melissa Davis
  • Timothy and Judith Dove
  • Robert Dufault and Ann Wilcox
  • Jean Durades
  • William Durfee and Devorah Goldstein
  • George Ehrenberg
  • Kristin Elizondo
  • Annalee Gray
  • Lisa and Dan Gray
  • Kathy Gremillion
  • Joan Haldeman
  • Nancy Hammer
  • Catherine Hart and Andes Gonzalez Leon
  • Cari and Matthew Hatcher
  • Richard Hruby and Kimberly Broderick
  • William Humphrey
  • Ann Jaede
  • Barry and Karen Johnson
  • Tovio Kallas and Beatrice Holton
  • Dana and Eric Kassel
  • Micki and Neil Kay
  • Leslie Koepke
  • Jeffrey Land
  • Laura Landy
  • Alan and Peggy Lathrop
  • James and Sharon Lewis
  • Mary McKenna
  • Toni McNaron
  • Kelly McQueen
  • Margaret Michaelson
  • Sally Moore
  • Michael and Lisa Nekich
  • Stephen Nelson and Joan Bren
  • Sarita Parikh
  • David and Mary Parker
  • Donald Pastor and David Goldstein
  • Bridget and David Reddan
  • Debra Reischl
  • James Schmitz and Sara Thompson
  • John Shreves
  • Dimitri Smirnoff
  • Wendy Steele
  • Barbara Stoll
  • Ertugrul and Karen Owens Tuzcu
  • Michael Weinbeck
  • Cathy Westrum and Annelynn Westrum
  • Monica Winker-Bergstrom
  • Millie Woodbury
  • Mark Wright and Elizabeth Walton

Up to $99

  • Berit Ahlgren
  • Kent Akervik
  • Gerald and Georgianna Allan
  • Kevin and Shirley Arms
  • Robert Arntsen
  • Michael and Jessica Austin
  • Elizabeth and Wolfgang Bergman
  • Anna Betz
  • Tierra Boose
  • Mary Boyer
  • Patti Brase
  • Willie Bridges
  • Kristin Card
  • Ariel Carter
  • JaNan Cavanaugh
  • Betty Clark
  • David and Nancy Claussen
  • Virginia Dale
  • Vicki Donatell
  • Dake Dorris
  • Byron Douglass
  • Frances Durkin
  • Marcia and Berkan Endres
  • Valerie Fazedin
  • Jessie Fett
  • Susan Gahan
  • Joanne and John Gordon
  • Birgit Grund
  • Jeffrey Haddorf
  • Michael Hamerski and Susan Thurston-Hammerski
  • Paul and Charlotte Hardt
  • David and Julie Hartung
  • Joyce and Eugene Haselmann
  • Jill Hauwiller
  • Addie Hazelton
  • Laura Helgeson
  • Mary Helmin
  • Colleen Hermann
  • Christina Herzog
  • Susan Hommeyer
  • Sheri Horton
  • Janet Horvath
  • Jerome and Judith Ingber
  • Ann Ivey
  • Ramona Jacobs and Charles Christianson
  • Janet Johnson
  • Ronald Joki
  • David Kearn
  • Joan and Timothy Kenny
  • Cassandra Kiehn
  • Dwayne King
  • Carrie Klemenhagen
  • Thomas and Mary Kuhn
  • Doni Kvam
  • Mike and Sharon Lane
  • Linda Leamer
  • Kathryn LeFevere
  • Jane Leonard and Lori Lippert
  • Barbara Lind and Craig Poeschel
  • Nancy Litin
  • Ann Loushine-Thomsen
  • Marcelienne and Roger Lundquist
  • Nancy Marcy
  • Cynthia Marsh and C.W. Vandersluis

Up to $99 (continued)

  • Kenneth and Judith Matysik
  • Robert and Kristin McClanahan
  • Alli Mertins
  • Sanjay Mishra
  • Jill Mitchell
  • Daniel Moore and Laura Tempel
  • Summer Morrison
  • Scott Nelson and Roxanne Hart
  • William and Jennifer Neujahr
  • Shelley and James Nichols
  • Nina Norum and Ronald Haysl
  • Barbara Owens
  • Carol and Peter Parshall
  • Matthew Peak
  • Marjorie Pearson
  • Beth Peck
  • Christina Peterson
  • Elizabeth Peterson
  • Charisse Pickron
  • Steven Pincus and Michelle Strangis
  • Mary Roberts and Edward Kraft
  • Susan Rohde
  • Maria Rosengren
  • Edward Sarnoski
  • Hollie Schultz
  • Thomas Scott
  • James Sewell and Sally Rouse
  • Elizabeth Sharpe
  • Michele and Chris Shepherd
  • Rebecca and John Shockley
  • Jan and Alan Sickbert
  • Barbara Sletten
  • Emily Soltis
  • Theodore Sothern and Barry Leon
  • Richard Steege
  • Ronald Stevens
  • Vicki Strahan
  • Jonathan Tallman
  • Marie-Luise and Anita Teigen
  • Ivette Tejeda
  • Jon Thomas
  • Rodney and Carol Thompson
  • Michelle Tolliver
  • Kay Troan
  • Kathleen Tuma
  • Nancy Tykwinski
  • David Ulaszek
  • Alla Valdberg
  • Tatiana Valdberg
  • Bill Venne and Douglas Kline
  • Carolyn Wahl
  • Samuel Walling
  • Renee Warmuth
  • Kathleen Warner
  • Jeanie Watson
  • Brian and Katherine Weitz
  • Darryl and Janet Weivoda
  • Jonathon White
  • Mary Wiley
  • Clay and Karen Williams
  • Rachel Wolff
  • Roger Worm
  • Yuhsuan Yeh
  • Roberta Zohara

This season’s listing is current as of 9/26/22

Please contact Trisha Taylor at taylort@umn.edu if you have any corrections or questions.

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Northrop's Aeolian-Skinner Organ

Thank you to the generous donors who continue to support programming for Northrop’s beloved Aeolian-Skinner Organ. It is because of you that this magnificent instrument’s voice will be enjoyed by many for years to come.

Organ Supporters

  • Dean Billmeyer
  • Drs. Robert Bruininks and Susan Hagstrum
  • Dee Ann and Kent Crossley
  • David Cruickshank
  • Salvatore Franco
  • Reid Froiland
  • Nils and Heather Halker
  • Charlie Johnson
  • Joseph Kuznik
  • Kristin Lefferts
  • Peter Lund
  • Pamela Neuenfeldt and Don Williams
  • Holly Radis-McCluskey and Glen McCluskey
  • David and Rachelle Willey

The Northrop Organ Advisory Board

  • Michael Barone
  • Cynthia Betz
  • Dean Billmeyer
  • Kristen Brogdon
  • Dr. Robert Bruininks
  • Dee Ann Crossley
  • Laura Edman
  • Cathie Fischer
  • Nils Halker
  • Cari Hatcher
  • Pamela Neuenfeldt
  • Kari Schloner

The Heritage Society Members

The Heritage Society honors and celebrates donors who have made estate and other planned gifts for Northrop at the University of Minnesota. 

  • Nancy M Allen*
  • Jerry L Artz
  • John W Follows*
  • Stephen Gordon and Pat Gavan-Gordon
  • Peter S Lund
  • Darlene M Sholtis

*Deceased

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We extend a special thank you to our event sponsors the Graduate Hotel Minneapolis, PNC Bank, and RBC Wealth Management.

Graduate Minneapolis logo
PNC Bank logo
RBC Wealth Management logo

Additional Support By

Minnesota State Arts Board - Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

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Visit the Event Page for More Insights

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham event page

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham

Past event
Oct 14, 2022