The Runaway is a one-act contemporary ballet choreographed by Kyle Abraham, to music by Nico Muhly, James Blake, Jay-Z and Kanye West, and costumes designed by Giles Deacon.
"[3] Abraham, who only saw the company perform a handful of times, worked with interim leader Rebecca Krohn on casting and sought out dancers who would be "open to someone who isn’t necessarily going to walk in the room with steps ready for them.
[1] The Runaway had its premiere on September 27, 2018, at the New York City Ballet fall fashion gala,[1] with dancers Ashley Bouder, Jonathan Fahoury, Sara Mearns, Roman Mejia, Georgina Pazcoguin, Taylor Stanley, Sebastian Villarini-Velez and Peter Walker.
[5] Two days later, Kanye West made a pro-Donald Trump speech on Saturday Night Live, and Abraham addressed the issue on social media.
Dance Magazine's Jennifer Stahl wrote that Stanley was the first dancer she saw to "bleed neoclassical technique into a mix of street and contemporary styles so masterfully.