Welcome to the Jungle or A microphone is power (work in progress, premieres 2027)

 
 

Welcome to the Jungle or A microphone is power

“In Latin America we are experts at imagining alternatives in times of turbulence.” 
- Colombian choreographer, educator, and curator Eloisa Jaramillo. 


Welcome to the Jungle or A microphone is power is a new interdisciplinary dance/performance solo created and performed by Miguel Gutierrez, informed and inspired by his travels through Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia, and Puerto Rico. This work brings the stories of Latin American artists, who created work despite 20th and 21st century repressive environments of dictatorship and political conflict, into conversation with the current gestures of fascism in the U.S. The performance creates a space for collective rage, dialogue, process, identification and commiseration. While confronting the severity of the subject matter, the performance incorporates levity and catharsis through karaoke, punk dance improvisation, and clown work in ways that are kinetic, farcical, and even sexy.

Development spans 2026 into September 2027. Research and development periods and residencies include:

  • January to March 2026: Travel and research throughout Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia and Puerto Rico

  • March 2026: First draft/open rehearsal of "Welcome to the Jungle…"

  • June-August 2026: Development meetings with dramaturg Silvio Lang

  • July 2026: Bates Dance Festival, Lewiston, Maine. Initial meetings and work with writer Lara Mimosa Montes

  • August 2026: Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin Headlands, CA.

  • October 2026: Open rehearsal at Vox Populi Gallery, Philadelphia, PA.

  • Winter 2026/2027: Second development residency through La Rosario Proyectos, San Juan, Puerto Rico. (pending)

  • Spring/Summer 2027: La Red de Artes Vivas, Bogotá, Colombia. (pending)

  • Spring/Summer 2027: NAVE residency center, Santiago, Chile. Technical residency incorporating sound and light. (pending)

  • Fall 2027: Premiere. Location TBD

photo by Juan Carlos Malave from a draft run/open rehearsal in San Juan, Puerto Rico, supported by La Rosario Proyectos