Kristi Faulkner is a choreographer, performer, filmmaker, educator and activist. Based in Detroit, she operates under the philosophy "dare to be different" - creating thought-provoking, visceral experiences that generate meaningful conversation and social exchange. Her work embraces a queer sensibility, challenging and excavating ideas about sensuality, strength, authority, disgust, attraction, and objectification while centering on authenticity and shedding the artifice of technically-focused performance to show what makes us human in ways that are relatable, yet sometimes uncomfortable.

Community engagement is integral to her artistic practice. She has led local community workshops at Lafayette Community Gardens, Affirmations LGBT Center, Light Box, Detroit Contemporary, Ponyride, the Ruth Ellis Center and the Allied Media Conference in addition to master classes and residencies at numerous universities, studios, and festivals across the country.

Faulkner’s work has been presented and commissioned throughout Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Kentucky and New York including the Center for Performance Research, Dixon Place, Spring to Dance Festival, Going Dutch Festival, Wealthy Theater,  The Southern Theater, Sidewalk Festival of Performing Arts, Niagara Fringe Festival, Excessive Realness, Planet Ant, the University of Rochester, The College at Brockport, Oakland University, Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University and Bowling Green State University (BGSU).  Embracing her thirst for collaboration, she has worked on projects with Mahogany Jones, A Host of People, CMAP-Carrie Morris Productions, Shua Group, Dance in the Annex, and Detroit Dance Collective. Her dance films have been screened at Chez Bushwick’s Kinetic Cinema, Alternative Arts Association NYC, Jam Handy, Cinetopia, and Detroit Film Theater. Her newest film, "Party of One", created in collaboration with Gold House Media was awarded the audience choice award at Moving24fps Detroit and was screened at ScreenDance Miami 2018.

Faulkner holds an MFA in choreography and performance from The College at Brockport, State University of New York as well as dual degrees in dance performance and theatre from Bowling Green State University. She currently is on faculty at BGSU, where she is regularly commissioned for her choreography, and Wayne State University. Faulkner was the recipient of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs New Leader Award in 2017. She is a 2018 and 2016 Maggie Allesee Choreography Award finalist for her work “Women’s Work” and “OBject/obJECT”, and a Knight Arts Challenge winner for her project “Not in My House”, a collaboration with the Ruth Ellis Center to engage and inspire LGBTQ youth through performance and storytelling, which premiered October 2018.