In 2018, after Janna Theodore saw Kyle Abraham’s AIM at The Joyce Theatre, it all came into perspective. “I called my mom and said, ‘I have to dance for this company,'” she recalled. AIM held an open audition that year, and Theodore, who was a junior in the Ailey/Fordham BFA program at the time, went through many rounds of layoffs, but after talking with company founder Kyle Abraham, they both decided the timing wasn’t quite right . The two stayed in touch, and during Theodore’s senior year in college, she asked Abraham if he needed any understudies. As fate would have it, the timing was perfect — Abraham invited Theodore to learn a part in his work An Untitled Love: and less than a week later extended an invitation to join the company part-time.
Theodore has danced with AIM ever since, bringing grounding, fluidity, spontaneity and precision. She is also present elsewhere in the New York dance world, teaching house to beginners at Ailey Extension and is deeply immersed in the house scene. Such a full plate may sound overwhelming, but that’s by design. “Dancing brings me so much joy that it can be hard to decide which way I want to go,” says Theodore. “But one thing I do know is that I want to keep finding new things 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 attend a lot of dance battles, including Battle 101, which is hosted by my friend Huu Rock. It’s a battle for beginners, so you get to watch the dancers grow over the years as they continue to participate, which is really inspiring. Battle events are a total party. Everyone dances between each round and the love of dance is palpable.”
Eureka moment
“In 2020, Kyle [Abraham] played me the “Little Girl Blue” solo, part of the full-length If we were a love song. That was one of my favorite moments. I loved performing something so true to Kyle’s art form, but also so true to me. I was able to find my voice and portray very real emotions. The process allowed me to explore the role and understand what I wanted people to feel while I was dancing.”
Student and teacher:
“When I teach, I often say that I don’t feel ready to teach yet – I feel like I’m still at the beginning of my dance career! I started teaching because I’m really passionate about house dancing and teaching helps expand that. I often teach for AIM as well. I learned so much about dancers through teaching. I just love dance so much, so to convey my love in this educational way is both challenging and satisfying.”