BIOGRAPHY
Anderson “Poetically Undefined” Allen is a spoken wordsmith, slam poet, actor, mentor, yogi, and teaching artist based in Rochester, NY. He launched his career as a professional writer and performer in 2014 after participating in an open mic hosted by Rochester’s only adult poetry slam team, Roc Bottom Slam Team (RBS), where he later served as Creative Director. He is the co-author of several productions, including the critically acclaimed Anatomy of a Black Man and 12 Dollars, featured at Keybank Rochester Fringe Festival.
As a teaching artist, Anderson uses his craft as a tool to build community and enrich the lives of young people so they are encouraged to use their art as a form of resistance and radical self-love. In 2016-2017, Anderson coached a youth slam poetry team, Breathing Fire, in Brave New Voices, an international youth poetry festival that was featured for their work in the Washington Post. Anderson is currently an artist mentor for The Avenue Children's Theatre Project's ACT UP! program that offers writing and performance workshops to youth.
Anderson is a certified RYT-200 HR yoga instructor and graduate of Yoga 4 A Good Hood's Teacher Training Program. Anderson's yoga practice is rooted in gentle power fusing Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga to create harmony between flow and stillness. He currently teaches an in-person class Friday evenings at Yoga 4 a Good Hood. Anderson leads his own personal practice that affirms and invites all different bodies as they cultivate their own yoga journey.
Anderson’s honors include the 2019 TANYS Award for Excellence in Acting, a 2018 Big Pencil Award for inspiring the creation and appreciation of literature as a teacher of youth, a 2018 ESTA Festival Outstanding Actor Award, 2017 TANYS Award for outstanding acting, 2nd place winner of the 2017 Individual QEW International Poetry Slam, a featured speaker at TEDxAllendaleColumbia, Best Male Poet 2016 Roc Awardee. Anderson is currently an Artist-in-Residence at The Avenue Blackbox Theatre.