A.I.M. BY KYLE ABRAHAM

Review by Celia Ipiotis

Photos by Alexander Diaz

Lauded for his recent choreography for the NYC Ballet, Kyle Abaraham’s Company A.I.M.  premiered a new work alongside two repertory pieces at the Rose Theater. Originally built to house the remarkable output of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Rose Theater vibrated with the sounds of jazz musicians accompanying an impressive company of dancers.

Two baritone saxophonists, Guy Dellecave and Thomas Giles anchored either side of the stage allowing dancers to move in weighted steps around them in the newly minted 2X4 to a composition by Shelley Washington. Rooted in multiple dance practices including voguing, Mykiah Goree, William Okajima, Morgan Olschewske, and Niya Smith formed intricate movement structures inside the thump and honks of the horns.

Various movement themes built into musicalized dance bombs. Bodies tilted sideways while arms jammed down and up mimicking an air guitar jam. Dancers split into duets, and supported each other’s weight in order to reach further. 

Jazz music expresses a sense of improvisation and self-determination, and similarly, Abraham exhaled a choreographic melody that fused the abstract music to the dancers bodies. Different movement textures popped from weighted to light and witty as demonstrated when Goree spun out, walking on the balls of his feet, in a flirtatious hip swishing strut. 

Dynamically satisfying,  2X4 brought rich movement texture to the kinetic stylings of the saxes in a boisterous conversation effectively visualized by the top notch dancers.

The final two offerings were older works that suited the evening’s nod to jazz inflected music blissfully performed live. 

Broken into a series of personalized themes, If We Were A Love Song (2021) drew on a collection of powerful songs from Black is the Color of my True Love’s Hair to Nina Simone’s Images. Potently performed by Otis Brown III, featuring Luther Allison and Liany Mateo, the instrumentalists were joined by vocalist Baby Rose who sounded like a mix of Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln — two singular vocalists and socially active artists. This piece offered company members an opportunity to speak their love of dance through solos and duets steeped in romance, poignancy and rebellion. Throughout the work, snaky arms shaded fluid torsos wrapped around balletic leg extensions in strong, unison pronouncements of community.

Danced against a visual background by Glenn Ligon who frequently explores social and cultural identity, Abraham’s The Gettin’ (2014) was set to a soundscore by the equallysocially active Robert Glasper who reimagedWe Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite. Again, the music soared and was executed by Otis Brown III featuring Luther Allison & Llany Mateo with vocals by Charenee Wade.Images of “white only” signs over water fountains and other photographic depictions of “Jim Crow” era America (separate but equal access) sets the tone against the soundscape and choreography. 

In an energy shift, The Gettin’ breaks into dances that shoot energy outwards. Legs and arms pushed out, in spins and jumps that resembled a thoroughly deconstructed, bracing  Lindy. Due to the be bop structure, Abraham and company roamed through musical spaces charting moves that counter punched the open acoustic space. 

At the end, the audience responded with cheers and chants. It was a night well spent in the theater.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Celia Ipiotis