Emotional Tofu
Emotional Tofu is a multimedia performance project developed by choreographer Tristan Koepke that explores speculative masculinities and the sad boy trope. Koepke and his collaborator, Emilia Bruno, present iterations and complications of white masculinities, as expressed by musician and producer Post Malone in his recent live performances. Koepke and Bruno mine Post Malone’s dance breaks, using them as vehicles to complicate hegemonic masculinity and insisting on the presence of their own queer bodies. Project support will assist in creation and development of the work, building and integrating sound and media from local artists (including videography by Patrick Fogarty, lighting by designer Justin Moriarty, and sound scoring by musician Ryan MacDonald), and pop-up performances in outdoor spaces in and around Portland.
Artist bio:
Tristan Koepke (he/him) is a dancer, educator, choreographer, and Rolfer® based in Portland, ME. He is an Assistant Professor at Bates College, and is Associate Director of the Young Dancers Intensive at the Bates Dance Festival. He has performed in contemporary and experimental dance works by Chris Schlichting, Vanessa Anspaugh, luciana achugar, Cally Spooner, Doug Varone, Emily Johnson, Mathew Janczewski, Kendra Portier, Heidi Henderson, Annie Kloppenberg, and was a member of Zenon Dance Company from 2011-2019. His work has been presented by SPACE Gallery, Patrick’s Cabaret, Bryant Lake Bowl, Bates College, the 1419 Collective, and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. He holds an M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Cover image: Promotional photo, Emotional Tofu (Photo credit: Patrick Fogarty)