Miguel Gutierrez: It’s About Ghosts (and Family, and the Senses)

The Walker is excited to kick off its performing arts season September 19^th with the poetic and captivating new work by Miguel Gutierrez, And lose the name of action.  This season, the Walker is bringing back its TALK DANCE series with local dancer and choreographer Justin Jones.  Jones interviews the dance makers and curators for the season, discussing the multitude of elements that go into making a performance for the Walker Art Center, from inspiration, to cast, and everything in between.

In this first episode of the series, Jones discusses And lose the name of action with artist Miguel Gutierrez.  In this Walker commissioned dance work, Gutierrez explores ghosts, family, and the senses.  Touching on the subject of ghosts, desire, research, audience, cast, and the risk of failure, Jones digs deep with Gutierrez, exploring the vast array of elements that went into the creation of And lose the name of action.  Drawing from his research on, and rich experiences in neuroscience, somatic studies, philosophy, and more, Gutierrez describes his thought process and the experiences that contributed to the work’s creation:

I’m using neuroscience to prove something I already know.  You know, I already know that consciousness is an embodied act.  And, I already know that the body is not, ever, ever, ever dissociated from a context.  And, that meaning is relational.  Meaning is not fixed in a body, to be excavated through some fucking lobotomy.  Meaning, perception is a thing that we do, and consciousness is a thing that we do.  And these are things that I’ve known through my spiritual practices, through my meditative practices, through my dance practices, through my somatic investigations.  These are all things that I’ve come to through my physical experience in the world.

Miguel Gutierrez on And lose the name of action

Jones’s interview with Gutierrez is a captivating listen and a fascinating glimpse into the many layers of his latest dance work, and can be found in full on the Walker’s Dance Channel, where a trailer for And lose the name of actionis also available.  Additionally, a good read is Gutierrez’s discussion with assistant curator Michèle Steinwald in Dances, Senses, and Distrust of the Body: A Frank Talk with Miguel Gutierrez, where he shares “tips” on understanding contemporary dance, as well as other musings reflecting on dance, art, and the mind/body connection. The show is sure to be a strong kick-off to the Walker’s fantastic season line-up and you can get tickets by calling (612) 375-7600 or buy them online here: Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People.