Exploring the real and imagined dialogues we conduct in close relationships and within ourselves.
Photos by Rose Eichenbaum
About
A Difficult Conversation is a collaboration co-choreographed by Charlotte Griffin and Ariyan Johnson for an ensemble of eleven dancers. The work intertwines Johnson’s movement traditions of African Diaspora dance forms, including Hip Hop and House, and Griffin’s Western classical modern and postmodern vocabularies to develop a rich, multilayered aesthetic. The original musical score incorporated low-fi spoken word loops recorded by the choreographers and beatbox artistry by Nicole Paris with minimal audio engineering for a raw, intimate effect. A Difficult Conversation was recorded at the Irvine Barclay Theatre and premiered online due to the OMICRON surge as part of the University of California, Irvine, Dance Visions concert in 2022.
Credits
Choreography: Ariyan Johnson and Charlotte Griffin
Dancers: Gianna Acciacca, Veronica Allen, Lindsey Chao, Kendal Curtis, Malia Dizon, Rebekah Lund, Naomi Sagen, Ariel Scott, Eleanor Simmons, Cierra Torres, Michaela Wong
Original Music Composition and Beatbox Artistry: Act I, Act II, Act III by Nicole Paris
Rhythmic Vocalizations: I'm Listening and Altogether by Charlotte Griffin, Hello and I Shoulda by Ariyan Johnson
Lighting Design: Jacqueline Malenke
Sound Design: Costandina Daros
Costume Design: Lauryn Terceira
Costume Design Assistant: Kaylynn Sutton
Dancers: Gianna Acciacca, Veronica Allen, Lindsey Chao, Kendal Curtis, Malia Dizon, Rebekah Lund, Naomi Sagen, Ariel Scott, Eleanor Simmons, Cierra Torres, Michaela Wong
Original Music Composition and Beatbox Artistry: Act I, Act II, Act III by Nicole Paris
Rhythmic Vocalizations: I'm Listening and Altogether by Charlotte Griffin, Hello and I Shoulda by Ariyan Johnson
Lighting Design: Jacqueline Malenke
Sound Design: Costandina Daros
Costume Design: Lauryn Terceira
Costume Design Assistant: Kaylynn Sutton
A Difficult Conversation was made possible by The University of California, Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts Department of Dance and Dance Visions Artistic Directors Molly Lynch and Tong Wang.