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Pittsburgh native and MacArthur “genius” Kyle Abraham returns home to present a trio of work that draws inspiration from jazz and hip-hop to focus on racial injustice. Born into hip-hop culture in the late ‘70s and raised with an artistic upbringing including classical cello, piano, and the visual arts, his work approaches movement as a way to deeply delve into personal identity.

The Quiet Dance, set to Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Some Other Time,’ is focused on isolation and a withering voice.

Absent Matter looks at race through the lens of those who feel unacknowledged or without value. The original jazz composition is combined with samples from Common, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar.

Projecting charged images from apartheid-era South Africa to the death of Eric Garner, The Gettin’ is taut with electric tension. The piece highlights jazz artist Robert Glasper’s rendition of Max Roach’s work.