Press Release: A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth Tuesday 31 May & Wednesday 1 June

[Jan McNulty]

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth     Sadler’s Wells Theatre, EC1R 4TN Tuesday 31 May & Wednesday 1 June   Tickets: £20 - £25              Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com     Choreographer and MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abraham and pioneering producer and composer Jlin have come together to create a new work exploring death, reincarnation and Black Futurism through a reimagining of Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, in Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth 10 dancers from Abraham’s company - A.I.M by Kyle Abraham - dressed in costumes designed by British fashion designer Giles Deacon take the stage to the electronic composition by Jlin. Jlin is one of the most acclaimed experimental electronic artists of the 2010s and has transformed Mozart’s score into an electronic opus that commemorates ritual and rebirth.    A.I.M by Kyle Abraham is a Black-led contemporary dance company with the mission of creating a body of dance-based work galvanised by Black culture and history.   In addition to performing and developing new works for his company, Kyle Abraham has been commissioned by a variety of dance companies including two recent commissions for The Royal Ballet. Optional Family, a divertissement premiered in May 2021 as part of ROH’s 21st Century Choreographers program, which premiered in March. He now returns to London and returns to Sadler’s Wells for the first time since 2015, with this new work. Kyle Abraham said: "We ended our three-year tour of Pavement at Sadler’s Wells in 2015, and I’m thrilled to return with Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth. Where Pavement was very much rooted in present day realities and the hardships we’ve endured throughout history, this work soars in a hope and acknowledgement of our powerful futures. With a vibrant score by composer Jlin, costumes designed by British fashion designer Giles Deacon and my longtime lighting and scenic designer Dan Scully, we're creating a world inspired by mythology, reincarnation, folklore and Black Futurism in a way that I hope allows audiences to dream with us." Jlin said: “Collaborating with Kyle on Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth was a profound experience. I composed the music during COVID working with Kyle over Zoom instead of in the studio. And during this process, Kyle and I became close – like family – not just collaborators. I am very proud of the work we did together, and I hope audiences will feel the essence of Mozart’s “Requiem in D minor” through my score.”    NOTES TO EDITORS Listings Information A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth        Sadler’s Wells Theatre, EC1R 4TN Performances: Tuesday 31 May & Wednesday 1 June  Tickets: £20 - £25             Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com   About Sadler’s Wells Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring close to 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown.   Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage. In 2023 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the Choreographic School and Hip Hop Theatre Academy.    Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.    Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.  www.sadlerswells.com   Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media Facebook: @SadlersWells Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells Instagram: @sadlers_wells YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre About Kyle Abraham  2018 Princess Grace Statue Award Recipient, 2017-18 Joyce Creative Residency Artist, 2016 Doris Duke Award Recipient and 2015 City Center Choreographer in Residence, Kyle Abraham is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow 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, an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from Washington Jefferson College. He served as a visiting professor in residence at UCLA’s World Arts Cultures in Dance program from 2016 to 2021. In 2021, he was named the Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professorship in Dance at The University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Abraham currently sits on the advisory board for Dance Magazine and the artist advisory board for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2020, he was selected to be Dance Magazine’s first-ever Guest Editor. Abraham is a member of the inaugural Black Genius Brain Trust.   In addition to performing and developing new works for his company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Abraham has been commissioned by a variety of dance companies. Most recently, Abraham received two international commissions from the Royal Ballet. Abraham’s work, Optional Family, a divertissement premiered in May 2021 as part of their 21st Century Choreographers program. He was also commissioned to create a one-act ballet for the Royal Ballet, which premiered in spring 2022.   His choreography has been presented throughout the United States and abroad. In 2011, OUT Magazine labeled Abraham as the “best and brightest creative talent to emerge in New York City in the age of Obama”.   About JLIN JLIN is the recording alias of Jerrilynn Patton, an electronic music producer from Gary, Indiana. Initially associated with Chicago's footwork scene, her music evolved far beyond that style, exploring unheard rhythms and placing her in a category of her own. Her debut album, 2015's Dark Energy, was filled with twisted, volatile tracks that seemed far more concerned with venting frustration, anger, and depression than providing dancefloor fodder. The album was an immediate, unexpected success, causing her to quit her job as a steel mill worker and pursue music full-time. One of the most acclaimed experimental electronic artists of the 2010s, she has shared the stage or collaborated with artists such as Björk, Ben Frost, and William Basinski. Additionally, she has ventured into contemporary dance, composing the music for Wayne McGregor's Autobiography, which premiered in 2017. About A.I.M by Kyle Abraham A.I.M by Kyle Abraham is a Black-led contemporary dance company that provides multifaceted performances, educational programming, and community-based workshops. A.I.M is one of the most active touring dance companies in the United States, sharing with audiences across the globe work that is grounded in Choreographer and Artistic Director Kyle Abraham’s artistic vision while drawing inspiration from a multitude of sources and movement styles.   Since A.I.M’s founding in 2006, Abraham has made more than 15 original works for and with the company. In 2018, A.I.M began commissioning new works and performing existing works by outside choreographers to expand its repertoire and offer a breadth of dance work to both the dancers and audiences. The repertory now includes works by Trisha Brown, Andrea Miller, Bebe Miller, Doug Varone, and A.I.M dancer and early-career choreographer Keerati Jinakunwiphat.    A.I.M's audience base is as diverse as A.I.M’s movement vocabulary, which ranges from hip-hop to formal ballet technique. As Abraham says, “I’m interested in a really wide range of folks from the person that owns the corner store to the person that has never even heard of a corner store. I want those people to interact, and I want them to be sitting next to each other sensing the other person’s experience. And then, I want them to stick around for the post-performance discussion and hear the other person’s perspective and learn more about each other. That’s what is most exciting for me.”   Kyle Abraham’s unique vision and willingness to confront poignant and relevant issues set him apart from his generation of choreographers as a leading creative force in dance.