A.I.M BY KYLE ABRAHAM

"Is nostalgia just the mental sweater we pull over the memories that dance in our heads?" Does transfigured retrospection obscure our realistic view of our past? Cassette Vol. 1 by Kyle Abraham, one of the most sought-after choreographers and dancers of our time, revolves around the ambivalence of what we remember and how we remember it. Memories - of first dance experiences, for example - are inextricably linked to the music of Abraham's youth in the 1980s and 1990s, which he mixes into a kind of mixtape soundtrack: from Suzanne Vega's folk to hip-hop by Salt-N-Pepa and the unique songs of Prince.
The movement vocabulary is as diverse as the musical references, ranging from street dance and hip-hop to ballet. Inspired by choreographers as diverse as Trisha Brown and her minimalist aesthetic to the political choreographies of Bill T. Jones or teachers such as Kevin Wynn, Abraham deals with the reality of life for black and queer people in the USA with his typical fluidity. A work that is as personal as it is emotional, looking at the past with one laughing and one crying eye.

A production of the Kampnagel International Summer Festival in co-production with Festspielhaus St. Pölten and Tangente St. Pölten, Festival for Contemporary Culture.

CAST:

Kyle Abraham, Concept & Choreography, Dan Scully Scenic, Lighting Design and Video Design, Karen Young Costumes, Meredith Belis Stage Management, Serena Wong Lighting, Bridget Caston Company Manager, Jamaal Bowman, Amari Frazier, Mykiah Goree, Catherine Kirk, Faith Joy Mondesire, William Okajima, Donovan Reed, Keturah Stephen, Gianna Theodore, Olivia Wang Dance