Ainsley Swift

Modern/ Contemporary 1

10/19/2024

Kyle Abraham Performance Response

​I recently attended the performance of Kyle Abraham’s new show “A.I.M” and

found it riveting. The piece is set in the 1980s and 90s and follows the journey of a

young man falling in love with a stranger he meets and the emotions that come up

because of this. The costumer perfectly captured the era, adorning the dancers in

oversized wigs and brightly colored unitards. The music of the 80s and 90s was full of

upbeat pop songs and the soundtrack to this show paid homage to the time period,

using many popular songs from the era. Throughout the performance I was both

entertained and inspired as I watched the dancers moving their bodies in a way that

would typically be unexpected given the accompanying music of the piece. The

movement quality, choreography, set design, and overall atmosphere of the piece really

entranced the audience. We at once became immersed in the world that they were

creating

​The movement quality of this piece was very intriguing to me because I noticed

many aspects of what we are learning in class in their movements. Seeing dancers

performing contemporary dance movements to the upbeat pop songs of the 80s was

not something I expected. It opened my mind to reconsider the traditional, expected

of dance they were performing but also how they performed it inspired me. The dancers

had lots of big motions but performed them all internally instead of overly performing or

projecting outward to the audience. I found this quality very inspiring because I am

currently working on how to perform internally instead of externally, so seeing

professionals do it in their show has helped me to understand that you can still look

expressive even when not projecting into the audience. Another aspect of their dancing

I noticed was how light they were on their feet. The dancers were constantly jumping

and leaping but we never once heard a thud, not even when they were dancing in

silence. There was a lightness to all of their steps that had to have required so much

muscle control on the part of the dancers. It was all so effortless that I am sure their

work would not even be detected to any non-dancers in the audience. Alongside the

lightness in their steps the overall control the dancers had of their bodies was incredible.

There were moments where dancers were holding an arabesque completely still for 6

eight counts. When they were not balancing on one leg, they were completely frozen in

a pose that made them seem like mannequins. In class we have been discussing how

to find your center and how to utilize gravity to control your movements and I saw both

demonstrated beautifully by the company.

​Creating an 80s vibe to the performance necessitated the thoughtful use of

sound. Nothing embodies and projects the feeling of a decade like its music. Since it is

meant to be set in the 1980s, they used a cassette tape being put in a player to visually

portray the change in music throughout the show. For the majority of the piece,they
used popular songs from the 80’s. Some of my favorite songs that they played were,

“Video Killed the Radio Star” and “Rock Lobster.” An interesting use of sound was how

they changed the music when the main character became upset after seeing another

couple happily in love and realized he didn't actually have that. As he displayed his

anger and broke his cassette tape, the music shifted to the sounds of a cassette

popping and scratching. The shift from upbeat pop to just the sounds of a cassette

player breaking grabbed my attention and showcased the change in emotion from the

characters. Another way the crew further fleshed out the world around the dancers was

through the use of commercial jargons. The set designer had hung televisions from the

ceiling that randomly played commercials from the time period, such as Bazooka gum.

The bright and cheerful song playing in the background while no dance was taking

place on stage was an interesting juxtaposition during this scene. The dancers were

completely silent the entire piece. I was in the front row and did not hear a single

footstep or breath from them the whole time, and through their stillness they drew my

focus to the songs that were playing in a more thoughtful way.

​The scenography of this piece was like nothing I have seen in a contemporary

performance before. Everywhere you looked there was something interesting to see

that brought the setting to life. They had three televisions hanging from the ceiling,

mannequins placed in poses around the TVs and a phone booth that the dancers

pretended to make calls from. At the end of the piece small toys were thrown onto stage

to add a bit of humor after a more intense scene. The backdrop, however, stood in

contrast to the eclectic props onstage, displaying a simple design of white and dark gray
lines in a seemingly random pattern. At first glance it appeared very one dimensional,

but as the lighting changed throughout the piece, the backdrop shifted greatly. Various

lighting effects would cause either the white or gray to stand out more than the other,

turning the seemingly simple design into a much clearer pattern. This plain white/gray

wall also helped the dancers stand out in their neon pink and electric blue 1980’s-style

tracksuits. The whole scenography of this work greatly impacted how the audience

viewed this piece and it captivated us from the moment we stepped into the theater.

​The scenography, sound and movement of this piece worked perfectly together

to create an incredible work that was truly a joy to behold. As I watched their

dynamic,internal, contemporary movement within the bright and lively world they had

created, I felt fully immersed in their story and the moment. I really appreciated the

dancers ability to showcase their technique without making it the whole purpose of the

movement. From the incredible quality of movement to the creative stage setting and

the skillful use of sound, there was so much in this piece that inspired me. I am grateful

to have attended and especially to have recognized so many qualities in the movement

of the dancers that we are learning in class. Seeing those skills applied in a professional

setting was invaluable to me and has helped me better understand the skills and what I

am working towards.