This "Immersive Experience Into Yourself" by HOLDTIGHT Connects You to the Earth

HOLDTIGHT Company wasn't sure what kind of effect its interdisciplinary ecopsychology production, when the blossom passes, what remains?, would have on its audience members. However, following the group’s world premiere in September at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre in New York City, the creative team was pleased to hear that the audience was impressed.

“One of the audience members said after the show that it was like an immersive experience into yourself," says Xenia Mansour, a cast member and collaborator for the piece. "It’s not the fantasy and spectacle of other immersive shows, which I think throws people off sometimes, but it was really special for those who opened themselves to it. The show gives people the space to reflect on their place in the world while mixing in these playful, transformative immersive elements."

The show combines dance, original live music and storytelling to create an interactive experience that encourages patrons to think holistically about their relationship to the earth. When the blossom passes, what remains? was conceived, directed and choreographed by HOLDTIGHT's founder and artistic director, Gwendolyn Gussman. She is a multi-hyphenated artist based between New York City, where she graduated with a BFA in Dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2014, and Denver, where she grew up.
Gussman trained at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance from age four to eighteen and apprenticed with the main company during her junior and senior years at the Denver School of the Arts, where she graduated as a dance major. In 2016, she established HOLDTIGHT, a performance arts organization devoted to creating participatory art that invites viewers to engage with subjects like climate change and the human psyche.

"HOLDTIGHT is all about gathering artists who have different backgrounds — artistically, culturally, socially and perspective-wise — together," says Gussman. "I consider all of HOLDTIGHT's shows to be positive disrupters: They work in a way where we are trying to disrupt the status quo, but not aggressively. That doesn’t mean audiences won’t be uncomfortable, but we do want to create a safe, joyful space for people to connect with the performance." 

When the blossom passes, what remains? will make its Colorado premiere with a run from Tuesday, April 25, through April 30 at the Armory Denver. The show combines somatic, psychological, ecological and artistic research to create an experience designed to foster a sense of reciprocity while drawing attention to global warming. 

"I couldn’t imagine making something without talking about climate change, because it is so present that it is hard not to turn that feeling into action," says Gussman. "When the blossom pass, what remains? doesn't give more facts about the problem; it is focused on connecting our bodies back to the earth. The mission of HOLDTIGHT is to push people forward to create the radical change necessary to dismantle capitalism.

"I believe all art is radical," she continues, "but I have been feeling a lot more urgency around climate change and questioning how my work fits into that recently. This show stemmed from an experience the group had while working on a show in 2021 [What Keeps You Going?] that used fake dirt. There we were, in the middle of COVID, making this piece about what keeps us going, playing with these fake materials that we were pretending were real; that somatic experience convinced me we were ready to make our first outward foray combining ecology and psychology."

HOLDTIGHT developed the show while being the artist in residence at the cell theatre. Gussman spent several days in April last year brainstorming with her fellow cast mates and collaborators — Mansour, Anna Driftmier, Nico Gonzales, Odinn Orn Hilmarsson, Jett Kwong and Alex Taylor.
"Basically, I came in with a big list of questions, quotes and concepts that we worked through as a group," says Gussman. "We spent days going from journaling to spitfire discussions in order to generate as many spontaneous ideas around these themes as possible. I spent the next few months looking at the footage and journal entries to make the show what it is now."

After HOLDTIGHT's well-received world premiere of when the blossom passes, what remains?, the group is excited to bring the show to a different city. "It's interesting that the piece is outwardly about climate change but was created in cities," says Gussman. "In both New York and Denver, it doesn’t feel like we are near a lot of nature, but it is all around us, and this show reminds you to acknowledge even the smallest patch of grass you see around town."

All materials used in the production are intentionally sourced, utilized and recycled to make the show as sustainable as possible. HOLDTIGHT's performance partners include Denver-based Moringa Vinga, as well as Furnace Creek Farm, VP Pottery and the RiNo Art District, with additional production support from Control Group Productions. Tickets to the show range from $45 to $95, and are available on the group's website.

"I can’t stress enough the power of paying for art," says Gussman. "We don't live in a society where the government is subsidizing the arts, which means it's on the individuals to pay for it. I know our tickets are on the pricey side, but given the amount of time and expertise it has taken to produce the project, there is no question or doubt in my mind that it is worth it. We pay a lot of money for sports or to go out to dinner, so I would encourage people to support our work because it is a ninety-minute, multi-sensory show that tantalizes the senses and is substance for the soul."
When the blossom passes, what remains? runs through April 30, The Armory Denver, 2565 Curtis Street. Find tickets, times and more information at holdtightcompany.com.