Erik Abbott-Main

Erik Abbott-Main is a Michigan native, currently performing and choreographing in New York City. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University (BA Theatre Arts) and The Ohio State University (MFA Dance), he is an artist involved in choreography, improvisation, mixed media and instillation performances, as well as collaborations with other artists. His work has been presented in Michigan, Ohio, Los Angeles, New York City, and Montreal, through support by Movement Research at the Judson Church, Kaatsbaan UpStream, Columbus Dances Fellowship, The Johnstone Fund, Sunday at Central, OSU Alumni Graduate Research Grants, and more.

Erik is a current performer in Punchdrunk’s New York production of Sleep No More (Macbeth). Additional immersive theatre and dance performance credits include Third Rail Projects’ The Grand Paradise (Dad, original cast), Adam Barruch/Anatomaie Occulti’s Sweeney Todd (Turpin, ensemble), and in works by choreographers Kristina Isabelle, Bebe Miller, Peter Sparling, Stefanie Nelson, and more. He is the Director of Boy Friday, a New York-based movement arts company that creates works of progressive and surreal dance theatre. Coupled with performing, Erik has choreographed and instructed at numerous dance institutions including The Ohio State University, Eastern Michigan University, Saginaw Valley State, American College Dance Festival, Dance Italia, Brighton Dance Festival, and many more. His creative work generated through Boy Friday embeds interdisciplinary inquiry within a movement praxis, while placing the human body and experience at the foreground of his work.

Erik is particularly interested in investigating the ways in which theatricality and personal histories are imbedded in the weight of the human body in action, and works to bridge these connections in all aspects of his technique class. He also remains an active student in yoga, literature, animated video shorts, stilt and other circus arts.

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