Culture
OU to Host Renowned Choreographer
< < Back toAmerican choreographer and recent MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abraham will bring his company Abraham.In.Motion to Ohio University for this year’s statewide OhioDance Fall Festival and Conference, Oct. 23-25.
Abraham will present a public lecture on expressions of social justice in dance, as well as to perform some of his own dance work, which is modern and contemporary.
Involving urban street dance and African dance forms, as filtered through his modern dance aesthetic, his choreography often explores social justice themes.
On Saturday, Oct. 24 from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., Abraham will give a public lecture and a demonstration in Putnam Hall, room 134, which is free and open to the public.
Professional members of Abraham.in.Motion will work with a select group of students from the Division of Dance, the week prior to Abraham’s arrival. Students will collaborate with the visiting dancers to produce their own type of work, while learning the Abraham’s distinct style and technique.
“Abraham’s master class will be more than just a dance class,” says Nathan Andary, an assistant professor in the Division of Dance, “It will be a student conversation piece.”
The public is invited to view student work-in-progress demonstrations on Friday, Oct. 23 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Putnam Hall room 134.
“We want our students to get the experience here in Appalachia that students in major cities get,” says Andary. “It’s not just about dance. It’s about how we move through life with respect.”
The focus of this year’s OhioDance Fall Festival is “Dance Matters: Moving Forward,” a topic Abraham emphasizes through his work with social justice topics, and themes. OhioDance is a statewide organization that inclusively supports the diverse and vibrant practices of dance, formed in 1976. Learn more at ohiodance.org.
This visiting artist lecture and master class is made possible by Arts for Ohio and The Ohio University College of Fine Arts.