A Difficult Conversation
Hello, I’m Listening, Altogether
Exploring the real and imagined dialogues we conduct in close relationships and within ourselves.
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.
Photos by Rose Eichenbaum
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.
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Premiere
UCI Dance Visions, Irvine Barclay Theatre, February 2022Choreography
Ariyan Johnson and Charlotte GriffinDancers
Gianna Acciacca, Veronica Allen, Lindsey Chao, Kendal Curtis, Malia Dizon, Rebekah Lund, Naomi Sagen, Ariel Scott, Eleanor Simmons, Cierra Torres, Michaela WongOriginal Music Composition and Beatbox Artistry
Act I, Act II, Act III by Nicole ParisRhythmic Vocalizations
I'm Listening and Altogether by Charlotte Griffin, Hello and I Shoulda by Ariyan JohnsonLighting Design
Jacqueline MalenkeSound Design
Costandina DarosCostume Design
Lauryn TerceiraCostume Design Assistant
Kaylynn Sutton