My Mixes Sound Staticky on Ultramixer: Unpacking Embodiment and Performance Practice

As I reflect on my 13-year journey with Goat Island Performance Group, I am struck by the ways in which our studio practice has shaped my understanding of embodiment and performance. Our collective body of work, situated within a third-floor gymnasium space in a Chicago church complex, has been a site of inquiry, experimentation, and innovation.

Embodiment, a concept that resonates deeply with me, is closely tied to the physical spaces we inhabited. Our bodies, trained and shaped by years of movement practices, became a medium for exploring the relationship between body and space. This embodied practice allowed us to consider the familiar in unfamiliar ways, blurring the lines between dance, performance, and visual art.

The concept of plimsoll, or the mark on a British ship's hull indicating its loading capacity, serves as a metaphor for my own body as a site of inquiry. Over the years, I have worked with an incredible group of women and men who have collectively shaped my practice, including dance artists Vida Midgelow and Simon Piasecki, performance maker Nancy Reilly, visual artists Rose Garrard and Katie Duck, among others.

Lin Hixson, our director and choreographer, has been a constant presence throughout this journey. Her guidance and mentorship have helped me develop, engage with, alter, and extend my performance practice. From the age of 16, I have had the privilege of learning from my elders and incorporating their teachings into my own work.

As I look back on these years, I am reminded that our studio practice was not just about creating performances but also about constructing images over time and in multiple spaces. Our bodies became a canvas for exploring the relationship between action, choreography, and response.

In conclusion, my mixes may sound staticky on Ultramixer, but they are infused with the richness of embodied experience, shaped by years of collaboration, experimentation, and innovation. This article is a testament to the power of embodiment in performance practice and the ways in which it can shape our understanding of self and space.

My mixes sound staticky on ultramixer