Untitled America
About the Performance
Untitled America, a haunting trilogy that MacArthur “genius grant” winner Kyle Abraham developed over the course of two years in 2015-16, shines a light on the lasting impact of the prison system on African American individuals and families. The ensemble work that utilizes Abraham’s unique vocabulary—a rich mix of street and contemporary—is set to a soundscape of soul, ambient, percussive, and electronic music mixed with spoken word narration by former prisoners. The result is a potent, explosive piece that feels timely and urgent. The first two movements were originally performed as stand-alone works. Upon its completion, all three parts were presented together as a suite.
When the first movement of the ballet debuted at New York City Center in December 2015, Dance Magazine wrote, "Kudos to Ailey—and Abraham—for keeping the revelations relevant." When the second section was performed at Lincoln Center in June 2016, The New York Times declared, "Mr. Abraham's [dance] vocabulary, with its rich mix of street and studio suggesting a body at war with itself, is potent and explosive and wonderfully of the moment."
- Choreography
- Kyle Abraham
- Commissioned by
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
- Rehearsal Assistants
Tamisha A. Guy, Connie Shiau
- Lighting & Set Design
Dan Scully
- Music
Laura Mvula, Raime, Carsten Nicolai, Kris Bowers, and Traditional
- Sound Design
Sam Crawford
- Duration
- 35 minutes
- Premiere
- New York City Center (2016)
Support
Leadership support for the creation of Untitled America was made possible by Denise Littlefield Sobel and Tikkun Olam Foundation, Inc. Major support for the creation of Untitled America was provided by commissioning funds from New York City Center. Generous support was also provided by Michele & Timothy Barakett, McGue Millhiser Trust, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.