Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion, Pavement at Sadler's Wells

New York based Kyle Abraham has a diverse training in music, visual art and dance. His work explores contemporary issues through a highly physical dance vocabulary that aims to inspire a new generation of dancers and audiences.

This interdisciplinary approach has led Abraham to devise pieces for the likes of Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and New York City Ballet’s Wendy Whelan, as well as for his own company, Abraham.In.Motion, founded in 2006.

Abraham.In.Motion will introduce itself to London dance audiences with two performances of Abraham’s seminal work, Pavement.

Created in 2011, Pavement is inspired by the writing of the American civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, the 1991 John Singleton film Boyz N The Hood and Abraham’s own childhood.

The piece evokes the racial tensions in the historically black neighbourhoods of Abraham’s hometown of Pittsburgh.

Abraham combines modern dance, ballet, capoeira and break dancing with a generous dose of pedestrian gestural movement to depict individuals tackling the issues black men face.

Pavement is set to an eclectic mix of music from Bach, Benjamin Britten, Sam Cooke and Donny Hathaway. The work also features video projections, sounds of the city – including police and ambulance radio transmissions – and the spoken word. These blend with the choreography to bring to life a culture conflicted by discrimination.

Part of the Sadler’s Wells Debut series, Pavement is included this season with a special ticket price and a free post-show talk on Friday 17 November.