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When the Wolves Came In

Sam Pratt and Catherine Kirk, her tall curly red wig framing his face, are captured in profile in matching low lunge poses with hands pressed to the floor, foreheads nearly touching, under a warm spotlight.
Credit: Tim Barden

About the Performance

When the Wolves Came In explores the historical legacy of two totemic triumphs in the international history of Civil Rights: the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 20th anniversary of the abolishment of Apartheid in South Africa. The works take their inspiration from Max Roach’s iconic 1960 protest album We Insist: Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite, which celebrated the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation and shed a powerful light on the growing civil rights movements in South Africa and the U.S. The powerful themes inherent in these historical milestones are evident in Abraham’s choreography, the evocative scenery of visual artist Glenn Ligon, the visceral power of Roach’s masterwork, and the original compositions of Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Robert Glasper.

Choreography
Kyle Abraham in collaboration with the company
Lighting & Video Design

Dan Scully

Set Design

Glenn Ligon

Costume Design

Reid Bartelme

Music

Nico Muhly

Premiere Cast

Matthew Baker, Winston Dynamite Brown, Tamisha A. Guy, Catherine Kirk, Jordan Morley, Penda N’diaye, Jie-Hung Connie Shiau

Duration
20 minutes
Premiere
New York Live Arts, New York, NY (2014)

Support

When the Wolves Came In was commissioned and produced by New York Live Arts through its Resident Commissioned Artist Program, with lead support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. When the Wolves Came In is supported, in part, by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The work was developed, in part, through a production residency at On the Boards with support from the National Dance Project, with funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Support was also provided to New York Live Arts for the commissioning of this work by MAP Fund, a program of Creative Capital supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Sets for When the Wolves Came In were donated by Glenn Ligon.

Gallery

  • Catherine Kirk, in a red top and tall red wig, reaches toward Tamisha A. Guy, who kneels low reaching back, while Jordan Morley in loose white clothing approaches from behind, all three lit warmly on a bare stage with shadowy silhouettes on the backdrop.
    Catherine Kirk, Tamisha A. Guy, Jordan MorleyCredit: Ian Douglas
  • Two dancers in olive and maroon tops stand on one leg with the other knee bent and both arms raised in mirrored diagonal lines, performing in unison on a pale stage.
    Penda N'diaye, Catherine Kirk Credit: Tim Barden
  • Sam Pratt kneels low on the floor while Catherine Kirk, wearing a tall curly red wig and rust-colored top, leaps beside him with one hand resting on his shoulder, lit dramatically under a single overhead light against a dark backdrop.
    Sam Pratt, Catherine KirkCredit: Tim Barden
  • A dancer in a black top and shorts leans back with her head tilted skyward, dark curly hair swinging, one leg planted forward in a wide stance, set against a muted gray backdrop with a dark abstract shape overhead.
    Tamisha A. GuyCredit: Tim Barden

Related Work

Three dancers in vintage-style patterned clothing move together near a grand piano and live band, one in a full skirt reaching toward two partners in a low lunge, lit in blue stage light with bold projected text overhead.
Archive

The Gettin’

  • 2014
  • Kyle Abraham in collaboration with the company