Rosy Simas Premieres Seneca-Inspired Dance Work at Walker Art Center

Rosy Simas presents 'A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind)' at the Walker Art Center's McGuire Theater from May 13–16, 2026. The Native contemporary dance work, developed during a two-year residency, integrates deep listening to earth, stars, ancestors, and each other. The performance features five dancers including Simas, with an immersive soundscape by François Richomme using field recordings from Seneca lands, and large corn husk backdrops. The choreography is rooted in improvisational scores based on the concept that universal matter is the same as that in our bodies and ancestors. Haudenosaunee practices like Deep Listening and counter-clockwise movement create an abstract transdisciplinary universe. The work includes ASL interpretation, audio description from an Indigenous perspective, accessible seating, and a preshow sensory tour. It is linked to Simas's concurrent gallery installation at the Walker, on view through July 5, which also uses corn husk materials. The project honors Simas's mother Laura Waterman Wittstock and collaborator Christopher J. Fleming. Support comes from the Mellon Foundation, National Performance Network, and others.