Without Black Radio, where is the audible voice of the black community?
Is radio fading away?
Are we still listening?

Some of choreographer Kyle Abraham's fondest memories are of driving with his family and listening to Pittsburgh's radio station Hot 106.7FM WAMO and its sister station AM 860. On September 8, 2009, WAMO, the only black urban radio station still in Pittsburgh, went off-air. The voice of a community disappeared, becoming a fading memory, an experience no longer to be shared. Creating an abstract narrative around the loss of communication, The Radio Show investigates the effects of the abrupt discontinuation of a radio station on a community and in turn relates it to the effects of Alzheimer’s and loss of memory on a family.

Broken up into shorter works, memories are met with disruption and loss, but not without a fight. The Radio Show is a high energy dance performance. The cast of seven includes Abraham, one of the most captivating movers dancing today. The score mixes classic soul and hip-hop with classical compositions, developing a rhythm that is hypnotic, unpredictable, and causing audiences to rise up. The Radio Show is not merely movement to music, but the physical expression of the lives of a community for which a blend of songs and talk radio was a constant backdrop—one you couldn't imagine being without.

In short: high-energy dance performance, hometown radio memories, fed on music.

Appropriate for ages 12 and up.

"How roomy and various is Abraham’s way with dance—elastic and electric, luxuriantly rippling, poetically arranged with moments of perfect stillness that arrive amid splashes of expression."
Eva Yaa Asantewaa, Dance Magazine

Abraham.In.Motion is an ensemble of dancers whose work is deeply rooted in personal experience. Choreographer Kyle Abraham intertwines sensual and provocative movement with his strong understanding of music. The company has performed extensively, including at The Joyce Theatre, Danspace Project, and Jacob's Pillow.

Choreography Kyle Abraham Costumes Sarah Cubbage Lighting Design Dan Scully Lighting Supervisor Michael Jarrett Performers Kyle Abraham, Rena Butler, Chalvar Monteiro, Elyse Morris, Rachelle Rafailedes, Hsiao-Jou Tang, Maleek Mahkail Washington

* Post-show discussion on Sept 16 moderated by Joan Myers Brown, founder, PHILADANCO.

** Pre-show discussion on Sept 17 from 7:00 - 7:30 PM with Renee McBride-Williams, J. Michael Harrison, and Sara Lomax-Reese
Location: Room 516, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania
What: Discussion about changes in the field of urban radio and the role of radio (and radio DJs) in the community
Who: Renee McBride-Williams, Executive Producer, Public Eye News Journal/The Shed Kitchen, WPEB 88.1 FM and J. Michael Harrison, Jazz Host, The Bridge, WRTI Radio; Staff Host

The Radio Show is made possible by the generous support of The Heinz Endowments and with funds from the 2009–2010 Danspace Project Commissioning Initiative with support from the New York State Council on the Arts. Additional support for the commissioning and development of The Radio Show has been provided through The Kelly Strayhorn Theater and the Harlem Stage Fund for New Work, which has received support from the Jerome Foundation. The Radio Show was created during a residency provided by The Joyce Theater Foundation, New York City, with major support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Radio Show world premiered at The Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh in January 2010.