Will Okajima met Kyle Abraham while studying at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. He was one of his first professors. During his four years, he danced under the guidance of choreographers like Bret Easterling, Jermaine Spivey, Jodie Gates, and William Forsythe. Leading up to graduation, Abraham saw something special in Okajima and invited him to be part of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in New York City. Seven months in, the Irvine native is already making a homecoming to SoCal for a performance at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on April 10 and 11, 2025. Tickets are on sale now.
For their upcoming program at the Beverly Hills performance venue, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham will present a quartet of newer works: “YEAR” by Andrea Miller in collaboration with A.I.M, “Shell of a Shell of The Shell” by Rena Butler, “Just Your Two Wrists” by Paul Singh, and “2×4” by Abraham in collaboration with the dancers. A.I.M. Abraham is known for innovating with movement, bridging Black and queer movement vernacular with ballet vocabulary. He even sprinkles what he calls “Kyle-isms” into each piece. The upcoming performance will showcase that in “2×4,” which Okajima took part in creating with Abraham.
Will Okajima – Photo courtesy of the artist.
“Working with Kyle in school, I was able to see that he’s not looking for perfection, he’s not looking for you to be anything other than yourself,” Okajima said. “I really bring that with me in any process but specifically in making ‘2×4.’ He makes it really clear that this is a collaborative process and that we’re creating this together, and all I have to do is show up as myself.”
Okajima got a taste of this in college. Abraham was one of his first professors at USC and he later performed in the choreographer’s “5 Minute Dance…” at the Joyce. When he first saw Abraham’s movement across different pieces, he was struck by how expansive his movement vocabulary can be, explaining that it feels like he’s seeing two different choreographers.
A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham – Catherine Kirk in Abraham’s “If We Were A Love Song” – Photo by Steven Pisano.
“He draws from hip hop, he draws from ballet techniques, he draws from a bunch of modern techniques,” he said. “I think it’s something that drew me to Kyle’s process.”
For “2×4,” a majority of the piece pulls from modern dance.
“I wouldn’t say I consider myself a modern dancer — I haven’t taken too many modern technique classes — but I think something I’m learning in this is I’m really trying to be specific to the form of what Kyle is asking,” Okajima said.
A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham in “If We Were A Love Song” – Photo by Steven Pisano.
The piece is set to an experimental classical score by composer Shelley Washington for two baritone saxophone musicians. “2×4,” which was rehearsed and will be performed with live musicians, emphasizes geometric movement to explore conversation and connection. For Okajima, the piece echoes elements of Merce Cunningham in the process, encouraging dancers to laterally fall through space. The work is focused on the idea of support.
“Every single movement is based on someone else in the group, and you’re not able to complete that motion or that movement without the three other people,” Okajima said.
Kyle Abraham – Photo by Tatiana Wells.
As stated earlier, Abraham became a mentor for Okajima early on during his studies at USC. The support has continued since. As with any creative process, Abraham encourages dancers to bring themselves to the space and collaborate. Okajima witnessed this methodology in college and the creation of “2×4,” ultimately ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for dancers to create in collaboration with Abraham. Just as much as the piece is a movement medley of geometric and modern vocabulary, it is also representative of the company members.
“He really enjoys you to be yourself,” Okajima said. “He really likes to see the way that you move, the way you like to work, and doesn’t try to make you something that you’re not and really works with that.”
A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham appears at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, April 10 at 7:30 pm and on Saturday, April 11 at 2:00 pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit The Wallis website.
To learn more about A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham, please visit their website.
Written by Steven Vargas for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham in “If We Were A Love Song” – Photo by Steven Pisano.
