MSP 178: Alice Gosti

This season we focus on interviews and discussions with vibrant artists from cities across the United States. Today - Alice Gosti in Seattle, WA.

Beyond the Stage: Alice Gosti on Time, Space, and Identity

What does it mean to create art that exists both within and beyond time and place? In this episode, we step into the world of Alice Gosti, an Italian-born, Seattle-based dance artist known for pushing the boundaries of performance. She is also a key collaborator of MALACARNE, an experimental dance and performance ensemble dedicated to co-creating transformative rituals that challenge limiting ideas about class, sexuality, gender, ability, and ethnicity. Raised in Italy with American roots, Alice’s multicultural identity informs her approach to choreography and her fascination with “non-places” like airports, where people share fleeting moments of connection. She reveals how these unconventional spaces inspire her work, why beauty and entertainment are consequences of her work rather than motivations, and shares her passion for durational performance and the powerful transformations that occur over hours-long art experiences. Whether she’s turning a museum into a stage or bringing choreography to the heart of an airport, Alice’s work invites us to reconsider how we experience movement and meaning in unexpected spaces. Tune in for her reflections on the intersections of time, space, and identity in art and consider new ways to see life as a creative artist!

Key Points From This Episode:

·       Alice’s beginnings in Perugia, Italy, and her introduction to dance at three years old.

·       Early dance influences, including her exposure to the Alwin Nikolais lineage.

·       Pressure Alice faced to pursue choreography over dance due to her appearance.

·       Her interest in integrating performance art and dance in nontraditional venues.

·       Reflections on feeling like an “other” in both Italy and the United States.

·       Alice’s strong connection to Seattle and its artistic support.

·       Insight into her love for planes, airports, and creating dance pieces in “non-places.”

·       Alice’s exploration of durational performances, inspired by long-form theater.

·       What Alice is working on now and what audiences can expect from her in the future.

“It would make such a huge difference if – choreographers and dance artists – valued more critical thinking, autonomy, [and] possibility for conversation and observation.” — Alice Gosti

Alice Gosti (she/her) is an Italian American immigrant, dancer artist, choreographer, facilitator, hybrid performance artist, DJ, curator and architect of experiences, and educator focused on creating inclusive, body-based storytelling through movement, blending ecology, trans-feminism, and improvisation. Alice works under the name MALACARNE.

For more on this episode: Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast

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