Through the Dancer’s Eyes: In the Pillow Lab with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham

When we spoke with Festival 2026 artist Kyle Abraham about the newest work for his company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, entitled White Space, he described it as a piece that “makes space for conflict and confrontation, but also community.” During their December 2025 Pillow Lab residency, Abraham and the dancers used their time in the Berkshire mountains to experiment, play, and explore connections between each other and their collaborators.

Company dancer Faith Joy Mondesire, who joined A.I.M in 2023, shared with us her journey with the company, memorable moments from the Pillow Lab residency, and how the artists came together to cultivate creativity and community.

Tell us a bit about your experience with the company since you joined in 2023–what has your journey been like so far?

My journey with the company has been inspiring and full of many memorable moments. My entry into A.I.M came with the privilege of being taken under the wings of two A.I.M alumni, Catherine Ellis Kirk and Tamisha A. Guy. This really helped me to get a sense of the A.I.M movement vocabulary while also finding my voice throughout the work—specifically, in my debut performance in Tempe, Arizona at ASU, where I performed in An Untitled Love. Learning Catherine’s role and working with everyone in the piece was such a warm welcome to my start with A.I.M and has remained a core memory in my heart.

This was your first visit to Jacob’s Pillow as a part of the company. What was it like on campus? What energy were you experiencing?

My first visit on campus lived up to what I had been hearing from others. The added snowy winter wonderland made it even more special! The warm temperature in the studio was an added bonus for class and self-warm up time during the residency.

What did you find most challenging during the residency, and what did you find most exciting?

Throughout my time at the Pillow, I actually did not find anything to be too challenging. What I found most exciting, however, was getting to build on ideas and concepts Kyle wanted to explore. Also, during our breaks, we had moments to talk to the other dancers in the space and in our housing cabins, which made it feel like a mini-home away from home.

Kyle mentioned that there was a lot of ‘experimenting’ happening during the residency. Can you share a bit about what that was like?

The experimenting process is typically a time where Kyle has a vision, image, or idea in mind that he wants to see realized in the space and in our bodies. I always find this time to be really informative; we get an inside scoop into how his brain is thinking, processing movement, and whatever language he is trying to communicate or express. It can be repetitive, but I always find another opportunity to problem solve and get closer to the end goal of the piece.

How did having several collaborators including the composers and the dramaturg in the space influence the creative process?

The addition of collaborators added an extra layer of inspiration to the space. I find working with collaborators really helpful for receiving feedback and introducing new things to consider from an outside view. Internally, it’s easy to get used to a certain rhythm or cadence, but sometimes a needed disruption in perception or approach is fun and keeps the work alive and playful.

What are your main takeaways or reflections from your week spent at the Pillow?

My main takeaway or reflection from the Pillow in one word would be "community." Not only does the piece play around with this concept, but as a group it felt like a moment we all experienced together in different ways but on one common ground. The Pillow residency amplified this even more in all the most special ways.

This Pillow Pick was written by Lucy Kudlinski.