In 2018, after Gianna Theodore noticed A.I.M by Kyle Abraham carry out at The Joyce Theater, every little thing snapped into perspective. “I known as my mother and mentioned, ‘I’ve to bop for this firm,’ ” she remembers. A.I.M held an open audition that 12 months, and Theodore, who was a junior within the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program on the time, made it via many rounds of cuts, however after a dialog with firm founder Kyle Abraham, they each determined that the timing wasn’t fairly proper. The 2 saved in contact, and through Theodore’s senior 12 months of school, she requested Abraham if he wanted any understudies. As destiny would have it, the timing was good—Abraham invited Theodore to study an element in his work An Untitled Love and, lower than every week later, prolonged an invite to hitch the corporate part-time.
Theodore has been dancing with A.I.M ever since, bringing groundedness, fluidity, spontaneity, and precision. She’s additionally a presence elsewhere within the New York Metropolis dance world, educating newbie home at Ailey Extension and deeply immersed in the home scene. Such a full plate would possibly sound overwhelming, nevertheless it’s by design. “Dance brings me pleasure, a lot in order that it may be exhausting to resolve which path I need to go down,” Theodore says. “However the one factor I do know is that I need to proceed to seek out newness in as many facets of this artwork kind as potential.”
New York or Nowhere
“There isn’t any place like NYC. I like the road model scene—it’s so uncooked and exquisite. I attend many dance battles, together with Battle 101, which is run by my good friend Huu Rock. It’s a newbie battle, so that you’re in a position to watch dancers develop over time as they proceed to take part, which is absolutely inspiring. Battle occasions are a complete social gathering. Everybody’s dancing between every spherical, and the love of dance is palpable.”
A Eureka Second
“In 2020, Kyle [Abraham] set the solo ‘Little Woman Blue’ on me, a part of the full-length work If We Have been a Love Tune. It was one in every of my favourite moments. I liked performing one thing so true to Kyle’s artwork kind, but additionally so true to me. I used to be capable of finding my voice and painting very actual emotion. The method allowed me to analyze the function and work out what I needed individuals to really feel whereas I used to be dancing.”
Scholar and Trainer
“Once I’m educating, I typically say that I don’t really feel prepared to show simply but—I really feel like I’m nonetheless originally of my dance profession! I started educating as a result of I’m actually keen about home dance and educating helps broaden on that. I typically train for A.I.M, too. I study a lot in regards to the dancers via educating. I simply love dance a lot, so to transmit my love on this instructional approach is each difficult and fulfilling.”
