Gibney Presents: Rosy Simas Danse's "she who lives on the road to war" (NYC Premiere)
Company:
Rosy Simas Danse
Gibney Presents: Rosy Simas Danse
NYC PREMIERE: she who lives on the road to war
April 4-6, 2024
The Theater (Studio H)
7:30 PM ET
All Tickets $25
Gibney presents the NYC premiere of Rosy Simas’s she who lives on the road to war, an immersive installation and dance performance created by the 2022 Doris Duke Artist Award recipient and her longtime collaborator, composer François Richomme. A response to global loss and the collective need to come together in peace and reconciliation, she who lives on the road to war is a place for visitors to rest, grieve, console with one another, and meditate. The project takes its title from the name of a Haudenosaunee historical figure, Jigonhsasee, whose wisdom and vision helped Hiawatha and the Peacemaker bring the Nations together as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Concerned more with creating a supportive process in which audiences, community, other artists, and scholars weave in and out of the creative process and performances than with what the production produces, Simas invites performers to participate in the process and the evolution of the project as long as the practice supports their own artistic endeavors. she who lives on the road to war features choreography and set design by Rosy Simas, original music by François Richomme, lighting design by Heidi Eckwall, and set construction by Louis Kaufman and Jeffrey Wells. Collaborators include Jessika Apaka, Lelis Brito, Erin Drummond, Sam Johnson, Sam Aros Mitchell, Valerie Oliveiro, Lela Pierce, Pedra Pepa, Sharon Picasso, Judith Shui Xian, Jeffrey Wells, and Taja Will. The cast of the Gibney iteration of this work is in creation.
About Rosy Simas
Rosy Simas (Seneca) is a dance and transdisciplinary artist whose work weaves themes of identity with family, sovereignty, and healing. Simas creates work with Native and BIQTPOC artists, driven by movement-vocabularies developed through deep listening. The extensive knowledge of her family lineage is the underpinning of her relationship to culture and history – stored in her body – which is expressed through her work – of moving people, moving image, and moving objects that she makes for stage and installation. Simas’ dance works include Weave, Skin(s) and We Wait In The Darkness, which toured throughout Turtle Island. Simas’ installations have been exhibited at the Seneca Iroquois National Museum, Colorado College, All My Relations Arts, and Soo Visual Art Center. Simas is a Doris Duke Artist, Fellow with Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Guggenheim Creative Arts, McKnight Choreography, Dance/USA, 2022 USA Fellow, a recipient of a Joyce Award, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation SHIFT award, and multiple awards from NEFA National Dance Project, MAP Fund, and NPN.
About Rosy Simas Danse
Rosy Simas Danse (RSD) was founded by Native choreographer and transdisciplinary artist Rosy Simas in 2012. Our primary commitment is to create and present innovative, transdisciplinary Native contemporary art that connects artists and audiences. With strong ties to Native communities and local and national dance communities, RSD uniquely bridges disciplines and cultures. On stages, outside and in museums, we create resonant work in collaboration with artists and community members. An emphasis on process produces intimate, nuanced work; comprehensive engagement events connect with audiences long before the performances. Our efforts make visible the work of Native artists nationally and internationally, shifting the global view of how Native people are seen, demonstrating that Native artists are contemporary, groundbreaking artists bringing critical Indigenous worldviews to all arts fields. Our international ties help increase the visibility of and understanding about Native people to the world. We network with community arts organizations and national institutions to create critical connections, fostering both artist and audience development. Learn more
Photo credit: Jessika Akpaka and Sam Johnson by Valerie Oliveiro
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