Event Type : Workshop

Lamban, also referred to as Djélidon is a traditional dance of the Manding people of West Africa, that was exclusive to the djéli. Djélis (jelis) or griots are oral historians, musicians, poets, praise singers, storytellers of communal events including births, marriages, festivities etc. Griot history dates back to the 13^th century Mali Empire, and is the root of the highly regarded Kouyaté griot family line, who served as prominent advisors. The dance was traditionally accompanied by song and key griot instruments, the bala, kora or ngoni. In modern day, a drum ensemble is added as accompaniment. This educational dance intensive is presented by the TADA Foundation under the direction of Assane Kouyaté. NOTE: Mask requirement for In-studio session. Online option available. Early Bird Registration Rates till Saturday September-4.

Join us for AST’s final event of the season: a conversation about love with renowned choreographer Kyle Abraham! The Love Workshop is an hour-long, interactive discussion exploring the concept of love and how it relates to artistic work. This event is suitable for creatives of all types as well as those who simply have an interest in the ways artists contemplate the work they do. Whether you are a dancer, painter, musician, writer, actor, or enjoyer of art, you are welcome here!

~About Kyle~

Recently featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Kyle is a Princess Grace Statue Award recipient, a Lincoln Center Education Artist in Residence, a Bessie Award winner, a MacArthur Fellow, a Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award recipient, a United States Artist Ford Fellow, and a Doris Duke recipient. He received a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from Washington Jefferson College, and is currently serving as a visiting professor in residence at UCLA. Mr. Abraham is the founding Artistic Director of A.I.M, an American contemporary dance company, created to honor his history, experiences and artistic interests.

Kyle’s works have been premiered by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance Company, American Ballet Theater Principal, Misty Copeland, and former New York City Ballet Principal, Wendy Whelan. He choreographed for the feature-length film The Book of Henry with acclaimed director Colin Trevorrow and served as a choreographic contributor for Beyoncé’s 2013 British Vogue cover shoot.

Rebecca Bengal of Vogue writes, “What Abraham brings…is an avant-garde aesthetic, an original and politically minded downtown sensibility that doesn’t distinguish between genres but freely draws on a vocabulary that is as much Merce and Martha as it is Eadweard Muybridge and Michael Jackson.”

This free workshop will kick off our Choreographers’ Guild series, with a workshop led by Beacon Dance Artistic Director D. Patton White. This group will meet periodically to share choreographic processes with each other, and is open to anyone interested in learning more about choreography. Each session will be led by a different artist and will provide an opportunity to both share and learn.

This event has a 15-person capacity, masks are required and temperature checks will be conducted at the door. Registration is free for members via the member dashboard and $5 for non-members. Not a member yet? Become a member here.