The Magic of Healing

When Minneapolis-based choreographer Rosy Simas began her two-year cross-disciplinary residency at the Walker, curators Pablo de Ocampo and Philip Bither were eager to let Simas explore all areas of her wide-ranging practice. The result is the exhibition A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind) and a major new dance commission of the same name, which premiered in the McGuire Theater May 13–16, 2026. A project of this scale needed a broad base of support, which the Walker gratefully found through two government partners.

Through the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department, Simas’s dance residency is supported by the Bridge Fund for Dance grant. This program supports both the choreographer and the presenting organization to advance Minnesota-based dance artists to create and debut new work in Minneapolis.

This project is also supported by the Minnesota State Arts Board’s Arts Experiences grant program, which provides meaningful arts experiences and extensive community engagement for Minnesotans within their communities. “For Rosy, this whole project is deeply rooted in an intentional process of learning,” says de Ocampo. “These engagement programs have been essential in helping the artist realize her vision and reach the target audiences for this project.”