Chestnut Song (Gut song)

Gut Song—as in “a gut feeling,” “the gut brain,” and “song,” for its simple, familiar form that echoes ancient modes of storytelling like the ode, fable, or tale. The piece unfolds as a song not only musically, but also choreographically and sculpturally—shifting rhythm, texture, and tone, using repetition to create a deeply sensory and immersive experience. On stage, a heap of soft, interconnected sculptures evokes a surreal hybrid of oversized intestines, internal organs, limbs, and plant-like forms. The performance unfolds in a decelerated, hypnotic rhythm, as dancers move as though swallowed, digested, and reborn by these fleshy structures. A visceral, dreamlike entanglement emerges—bodies disappearing and reappearing, intermingling, touching and crawling amidst the pliant masses. Most of the choreography unfolds close to the ground, seen both directly and through a large mirror suspended at a 45- degree angle above the stage, offering an eerie, dual perspective. The space is sonically enveloped in a mesmerizing score, built around a slowed pulse of French horn, and layered vocal textures.