

Blood of a Poet – ART
June 29, 2024 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm |
$20
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ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
“Poets shed not only the red blood of their hearts but the white blood of their souls,” proclaimed Jean Cocteau of his groundbreaking first film—an exploration of the plight of the artist, the power of metaphor and the relationship between art and dreams. With choreography and dance by Tristian Griffin, dancer Gwentessa Alfie, art by Justin Canja, music by Alex Kimball Williams, lighting design by Ann Sitzman and video projections by Peter Jasso, this multidisciplinary piece brings this 1930 film off the screen and into the realm of live experience for a one night only presentation.
This event is presented in partnership with the Spencer Museum of Art.

A native of Kansas City, Tristian Griffin graduated from Texas Christian University in Ballet and a minor in English. While at TCU, his choreography was selected to participate in American Dance College Association’s regional conference and a semi-finalist for nationals. Following graduation, Tristian began his professional career and danced with Garth Fagan Dance Company, Wylliams-Henry Contemporary Dance Company, the Metropolitan Opera House (NYC), and Springboard Danse Montreal. In 2019, Tristian reconnected with his passion for choreography by starting his dance company, Tristian Griffin Dance Company. His company has performed in Kansas City, Lawrence KS, Newport RI, Philadelphia PA, St. Louis MO, Kalamazoo MI, and San Diego CA. TGDC has appeared at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Charlotte Street Foundation, Newport Dance Festival, Kemper Contemporary Museum, and International Dance Festival. As a choreographer, Tristian has been commissioned by over 15 professional companies, universities, art galleries, and pre-professional institutions. His most recent commissions include Kennesaw University, Newport Contemporary Ballet (Island Moving Company), Peabody Institute of The John Hopkins University, Wylliams-Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Malashock Dance Company, and the University of Kansas. Most recently, he taught full-time as a visiting professor of practice at the University of Kansas and a guest teaching artist at the University of Missouri Kansas City. From 2019 to 2023, he was awarded artist-in-residence at Lawrence Arts Center. Tristian is a recipient of the Ann & Weston Hicks Choreography Fellowship. In 2024, he will pursue his MFA at Duke University, studying Dance in Composition with an emphasis on African and African-American Studies.

Justin Canja is a visual artist who moved to the Midwest from the greater Washington D.C. metro area at the start of 2019. His artworks focus on sociopolitical topics by the means of painting, collage, murals and installation. He describes current events and juxtaposse them with points in history with the attempt to link the physical and metaphysical through exaggerated gestural expression and the emotional connectedness through found objects. Using ironic humor in combination with light hearted color combinations, he grabs the attention of the onlooker by striking first impression. Justin’s residency at the Interurban Arthouse revolves around identity and the human condition.

Alex Kimball Williams is a multicultural artivist (artist + activist), musician, writer, & community organizer. Their work focuses on ethnopolitics, medical activism, & environmentalism. They received the 2018 MLK Dreamer’s award & 3rd place Community Leader/Hero (Racial Justice/Equity Issues) on Best of Lawrence 2021. Kimball Williams co-founded B.L.A.C.K. Lawrence (Black Literature & Arts Collective of Kansas).

Peter Jasso graduated from USC’s School of Cinema-Television with a degree in Film/ Video Production. He taught at the New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles office and worked in development at American Zoetrope and Esparza-Katz and served as the Director of the Kansas Film Commission, the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and the COO of CACHE . He is an alumnus of Film Independent’s Project Involve Mentorship program, a recipient of the Mana de Topeka award and was an appointed member of the Kansas State Office of Hispanic Affairs.

Ann Sitzman (she/her) is the Technical Coordinator and a lecturer for KU’s Department of Theatre & Dance. She previously designed lights for the University Theatre productions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Cabaret, Measure for Measure, Head Over Heels, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Spring Awakening, Company, and Picnic. She also has designed lights for the University Dance Company and KU Opera. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at KU and Master’s in Lighting Design from SUNY Purchase College in New York. She spent a few years working Off Broadway on shows including Woody Harrelson’s Bullet for Adolf with Jen Schriever and On the Head of a Pin with Zach Pizza at 59E59. Since returning to Kansas City in 2013, she has worked as assistant lighting designer for David Grill and Kirk Bookman at the Kansas City Ballet and lighting designer/production electrician for Harvest Productions.
Gwentessa Alfie is a local performer, raised right here, at the Lawrence Arts Center! You might have had the opportunity to see her perform recently at Theatre Lawrence in Fiddler on the Roof. Whether Gwentessa is dancing, acting, singing, choreographing or painting, she is always on the hunt for the next creative project that she can throw herself into. Coming up next at the Arts Center, she will be assistant directing and co-choreographing SYT’s Cabaret. In September, she’ll be performing in LAC’s Theatre and Dance for the Very Young show, A Tree Through Time. Gwentessa is grateful for this opportunity to work with Tristian Griffin on this thought provoking piece and hopes to explore other similar creative projects in the future.
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