Dance Past Faculty

Kyle Abraham

Kyle Abraham headshot

Photo by Tatiana Wills

About

Recently featured in O - The Oprah Magazine, Kinfolk and Vogue Italia, 2018 Princess Grace Statue Award recipient and Lincoln Center Education Artist in Residence, Kyle Abraham is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and 2016 Doris Duke recipient who began his dance training at the Civic Light Opera Academy and the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He continued his dance studies in New York, receiving a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from Washington Jefferson College, and he is currently serving as a visiting professor in residence at UCLA. Abraham is the founding Artistic Director of A.I.M, an American contemporary dance company, created in honor his history, experiences and artistic interests.

Abraham received a prestigious Bessie Award for Outstanding Performance in Dance for his work in The Radio Show.
Commissioned works include The Bystander for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; Only The Lonely for Paul Taylor American Modern Dance Company; Ash, a new solo work for American Ballet Theater principle Misty Copeland; Untitled America, a 3-part commissioned work for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2016; and The Runaway for New York City Ballet in 2018.

In 2011, OUT Magazine labeled Abraham as the “best and brightest creative talent to emerge in New York City in the age of Obama”.

NEWS + LINKS

“Untitled America” — Kyle Abraham developed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater over 2015 and 2016

Kyle Abraham: Pavement review – dancing in handcuffs with aggression and grace” | The Guardian, November 20, 2017

Kyle Abraham’s Pavement (2012) included in “20 Top Works of the Last 20 Years” | Dance Magazine, March 16, 2020

Leaders of Change — Arts, Entertainment and Athletics: “Works that give voice to underserved communities” — Kyle Abraham, opinion contributor | USA Today, August 30, 2020

Choreographer Kyle Abraham, actor Jeremy Pope, and artist Louis Fratino on what it means to be a man today” | Document, June 26, 2020

Kyle Abraham elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences — April 28, 2022

 

PORTFOLIO IMAGES