Everything clicked for Gianna Theodore when she saw Kyle Abraham perform “AIM” at the Joyce Theater in 2018. “I called my mom and said, ‘I have to dance for this company,'” she recalled. AIM held an open audition that year, and Theodore, then a junior in the Ailey/Fordham BFA program, went through several rounds of eliminations, but after talking with company founder Kyle Abraham, they both decided the time wasn’t right. The two stayed in touch, and during Theodore’s senior year in college, she asked Abraham if he needed a backup. As fate would have it, Abraham invites Theodore to study a section of his work untitled love Less than a week later, he extended an offer to join the company part-time.
Theodore has been dancing with AIM ever since, bringing groundedness, flow, spontaneity and precision. She has also made appearances elsewhere on the New York City dance scene, teaching house to beginners at Ailey Extension and becoming deeply immersed in the house scene. Such a full plate may sound overwhelming, but that’s by design. “Dance brings me so much joy that it’s hard to decide which path I want to take,” Theodore said. “But one thing I know is that I want to continue to find freshness in as many aspects of this art form as possible.”
new york or nowhere
“There’s no place like New York. I love the street style scene – it’s so raw and beautiful. I participate in a lot of dance competitions, including Battle 101, hosted by my friend Huu Rock. It’s a battle for beginners, So you can see the dancers growing as they continue to participate, which is really inspiring. The battle event is a collective party and the love for dance is evident with everyone dancing between each round.
eureka moment
“2020, Kyle [Abraham] Put the solo “Little Girl Blue” on me, part of the full-length work if we were a love song. This is one of my favorite moments. I like to perform something that is true to Kyle’s art form and true to myself. I was able to find my voice and portray very real emotions. This process allowed me to research the character and figure out what I wanted people to feel when I danced.
students and teachers
“When I teach, I often say I’m not ready to teach yet – I feel like I’m still at the beginning of my dance career! I started teaching because I’m very passionate about house dance and teaching helps expand that. I I also teach a lot for AIM. I have learned a lot about dance through teaching, so spreading my love in this educational way is both challenging and rewarding.
