Gwendolyn Hope Gussman is a director, choreographer, creative producer, performer, movement teacher, and generative artist based between Denver, Colorado (Ancestral Lands of Ute, Cheyanne and Arapaho peoples) and New York City (Ancestral Lands of the Lenape peoples). Gussman is the Founder and Artistic Director of interdisciplinary performance company, HOLDTIGHT (HT), which was established in 2016. Her work with HT illuminates the intersection of art, environmental activism, psyche, and body through performance, education, and community events. Gussman’s work with HT has been awarded residencies and presented nationally by Denver Arts & Venues (2024), The Cell Theatre in NYC (2020-2022), The Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver (2024), Carroll Hall in NYC (2023), Presenting Denver (2024), and others.

As an independent choreographer, Gussman’s work has been presented by institutions & organizations including National Sawdust (2020 NYC), The Gallery Players (Once the Musical, 2023, NYC), The Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (2020), James Madison University (2018, VA), Seaside Dance Festival (2019, FL), Bridge for Dance Festival (2018, NY), Nimbus DanceWorks Offline Series (2018, NJ), The Wadsworth Museum (2017, CT), Nimbus DanceWorks Offline Series (2018, NJ), YourMove Festival (2017, NJ), Denver School of the Arts (2016, CO), and more. In 2021, was named a Toulmin Creator through the support of National Sawdust, Center for Ballet and the Arts, and The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Gussman holds a BFA in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. 

In addition to her work with HOLDTIGHT, she regularly collaborates with a myriad of multidisciplinary artists. She has worked on both live and film projects with musical artists Daniel Weidlein, Lisel (Eliza Bagg), Johnny Butler, The Warp Trio, Jett Kwong, Trevor New, Hallie Spoor, and Meredith Rose. She is currently collaborating on projects with visual/textile artist Maki Teshima, and in addition, recently activated the work of artist Ronny Quevedo for his exhibition, at the line, as part of Movements Toward Freedom at Museum of Contemporary Art Denver.  

Currently, Gussman is choreographing From The Ashes, a 90-min Contemporary Concert Dance meets Chamber-Jazz piece following the life-cycle of a forest fire, conceived by composer Daniel Weidlein. This work is incredibly potent for both of them, growing up and living in states that have been severely affected by increasing forest fires over the past 30 years. 

As a performing artist, Gussman has extensive experience working in concert dance, music, film/tv, site-specific/installation, and experimental theater including her work with Shen Wei Dance Arts, Sean Curran Company, Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, Vanessa Walters ‘Ripening’, Heidi Latsky, Control Group Productions, Cleo Parker Robinson, Roger C. Jeffrey, Amy Sedaris, Daniel Fish, Ashley Tata, among others. Her career has included performing at prestigious venues and festivals such as The Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, MASS MoCa, Stanislavsky Theater (Moscow), Teatro Arcimboldi (Milan), Shanghai Cultural Square Theater, Teatro Comunale Modena, American Dance Festival, Spoleto Festival, Theater Olympics Festival (Beijing), Off The Grid Festival, and many others. 

Gussman has been teaching movement since 2012. She teaches movement & writing workshops through HOLDTIGHT that have recently been presented by Denver Arts & Venues (2024 workshops at The Arts Complex in Denver), Rino Arts District (monthly workshops through 2024 in Denver) and St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY (2023). As an independent guest teacher, Gussman has taught improv, composition, modern, and contemporary dance workshops for a range of dance and theater students at institutions such as Yale University, New York University, James Madison University, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CO), Denver School of the Arts, Opening Act (NYC), Steps Ahead (NYC), BOUNCE Festival (NYC), MOVE! (Denver), and others.

In addition to her dance & interdisciplinary art teaching experience, Gussman is a certified Pilates and Yoga instructor who has additional experiences studying extensively in Hanna Somatics, Exercise Science, Anatomy, and Functional Fitness. She has developed and maintained a thriving Private Practice since 2015 which focuses on blending her movement knowledge and specializes in rehab-based movement for clients navigating chronic pain, acute injury, body-part replacements, athletes, and more. Her teaching philosophy is to see & work with a person holistically, ultimately with the goal of them deepening their knowledge and understanding of their body so that they can find more awareness, ease, and freedom of movement. She has taught movement to the casts of renowned international shows such as The Jungle (when on tour at St. Ann’s Warehouse in NYC), as well as teaching at gyms and studios around NYC. Gussman is currently leading movement meets psychology workshops and retreats in collaboration with a master psychotherapist (& her mother) Virginia Poor. Throughout all of her teaching experience, she has taught students with a range of physical ability level and ages 13-85 years old.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“I create interdisciplinary experiential performance art that explores the implicit and explicit effects of climate change on the human psyche. My primary practice includes blending movement, vocalization, storytelling, and participatory set design to engage audiences in a multi-sensorial and deeply considered manner. I am motivated by the urgency of climate change and create work in support of shifting the needle towards positive action and healing. I merge live performance with immersive experiences; together, these elements elicit questions, conversations, interconnection, and the exploration of deep grief and joy – a catalyst for individual growth, communal healing, and radical forward-thinking change.”