Dance brings power to stage

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Award-winning artistic director/choreographer Kyle Abraham brought the A.I.M. dance company to the Newman Center at the University of Denver for an exceptional evening of contemporary dance on Jan. 27.

“An Untitled Love,” a powerful new work by Abraham, was set to music by R&B legend D’Angelo.

Abraham, who is presently the Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professor in Dance at the University of California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, said he has worked on the new “An Untitled Love” for four years.

“I fell in love with D’Angelo’s debut album, `Brown Sugar,’ when I was an undergrad at Morgan State University, a Historically Black University in Baltimore, in 1995,” Abraham wrote.

“Within his songs existed the histories and Neo-romanticism of Black Love in America. e same year marked the Million Man March, a de ning moment for Black men in the U.S. to unite against injustice. As part of my extended exploration of personal identity through the movement, it feels important for me to dive into a process that explores and celebrates that unity and that love, in all its facets.

“Ultimately, this work is dedicated to my parents, family (extended and immediate), to the cousins, aunts and uncles who aren’t blood related, but who we call family all the same,” Abraham wrote. e stage was bare, except for a somewhat worn, fabric-covered sofa, angled at one side. Music and dancers lled the space at times and each of the 10 AIM members danced individually at other times, as D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s music owed. “ is creative exaltation pays homage to the complexities of self love and Black love, while serving as a thumping mixtape celebrating our culture, family and community,” Abraham wrote in describing the intensive project.

Abraham, a MacArthur Fellow (2013), grew up in Pittsburgh, then headed to New York, where he earned a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He later received an honorary doctorate in ne arts from Washington Je erson College. His dance training began at Pittsburgh’s Civic Light Opera Academy and the Creative and Performing Arts High School in that city.

Prior to USC, Abraham served as a visiting professor in residence at the University of California Los Angeles’ World Arts Cultures in Dance program (2016 to 2021).

A.I.M. was founded in New York City in 2006 and the dancers who appeared at the Newman Center were: Jamaal Bowman, Tamisha A. Guy, Catherine Kirk, Jae Neal, Donovan Reed, Martell Ru n, Dymon Smara, Kar’mel Antonyowade Small, Keturah Stephen and Gianna eodore.

One additional contemporary dance program remains in the Newman Center Presents series for this season: e Paul Taylor Dance Company on March 27. e remaining performances vary widely from e Philip Glass Ensemble to Kodo to e Mingus Big Band. See newmancenterpresents.com. e box o ce number is 303-871-7720.

Thu 2/16

ARTS: Mini Picasso @ Harvard Gulch

@ 5pm Feb 16th - Mar 16th

Harvard Gulch Recreation Center, 550 E. Iliff Ave., Denver. 720-913-0654

ARTS: Preschool Pottery @ Harvard Gulch @ 6:15pm Feb 16th - Mar 16th

Harvard Gulch Recreation Center, 550 E. Iliff Ave., Denver. 720-913-0654

Fri 2/17

School Break Camp - 2/17 @ 7:30am / $45 Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr., Parker. 303-805-6315

Sat 2/18

Dave Mensch - Tailgate Tavern - Parker, CO @ 4pm

Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker Teague Starbuck

@ 5pm Sunroom Brewing, 3242 S Acoma St, En‐glewood

Journey Girls Live at Herman's Hideaway @ 7pm Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Vamonos Pest/Mobro: Mobro at Brewability Lab @ 6pm Brewability Lab, 3445 S Broadway, Englewood

Denver: Amit Tandon Stand-Up Comedy Live 2023 @ 7pm

Rock Canyon High School, 5810 McArthur Ranch Rd, Littleton

Lusid: Flight of the Dojo w/ Dillard @ 9pm the dojo denver, 665 Depew St, Lakewood

Sun 2/19

Tianna Esperanza @ 7pm Swallow Hill, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Mick Flannery @ 7pm Swallow Hill, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Mon 2/20

Last Call Romance: Hearts & Hops Sock Hop @ 6:30pm Lone Tree Brewing Company, 8200 Park Meadows Dr #8222, Lone Tree

Adam Ezra Group: A Solo Acoustic Evening with Adam Ezra at The Schoolhouse **POSTPONED** @ 7:30pm

The Schoolhouse at Mainstreet, 19650 Mainstreet, Parker

BAILE DEL DIA DEL AMOR Y LA

AMISTAD @ 8:30pm / $50-$60 Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

Samia w/ Tommy Lefroy @ 8pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, Englewood

Tommy Lefroy @ 8pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Tue 2/21

Handwriting: Pre-Writing (3 to 5 yrs) W/S23 @ 11:30pm

Feb 21st - Mar 28th

Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

Eric Golden @ 8pm

Sheabeens Irish Pub, 2300 S Chambers Rd #A, Aurora

The Doo Wop Project @ 8pm Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree

Dear Marsha,: Chicks with Picks! DM ALBUM RELEASE with No Small Children, Melissa Crispo, Bug Frances @ 7pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

LATRICE ROYALE @ 8pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Pretend Friend @ 9pm

The Englewood Tavern, 4386 S Broadway, Englewood

Loktavious @ 7pm

Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Wed 2/22 Thu 2/23

Art: Hands-On Introduction to DSLR Photography (16+yrs) @ 2am

Feb 23rd - Mar 22nd

PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Stephen Pearcy @ 8pm Wild Goose Saloon, 11160 S Pikes Peak Dr, Parker