GALEN TREUER

Co-Artistic Director
Finance and Development Coordinator

Galen Treuer, born in Moscow, ID in 1979 spent his second year living out of a 1969 Volkswagen Minibus before his parents settled in Duluth, MN. After graduating from the Duluth Marshall School, Galen attended Oberlin College where he majored in Economics, minored in English, and dabbled in Geology. At Oberlin, he danced, acted, choreographed, and generally had his perception of performance expanded. In 2001, he graduated and moved to Minneapolis to dance. Since then he has performed with Jazzdance, Christopher Watson Dance Co., Zenon Dance Co., Gerry Girouard, Vanessa Voskuil, Wicked Sister Dance Theater, Rosy Simas, ARENA Dances, and The Children's Theater Co. among others. Work with Noah Bremer and Live Action Set has encouraged an exploration of clown and physical theater. He has recently studied with Ricardo Puccetti of the Brazilian Lume Company. He has also worked with sweets and breads. He has been a baker.

Personal Projects: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=76900

VANESSA WANTS TO KNOW?

[Vanessa] - So Galen - who IS wearing ties these days? And what do you think of them?
[Galen} - Not me, at least not regularly. They could get stuck in my bike spokes or caught in the Kitchen Aid. A tie is a nice piece of flare in the vast plane of the American man's chest. I suggest wearing a tie to your next performance. Honestly, why not get dressed up for the theater? Impress friends and strangers, make a small contribution to the aesthetic landscape.
Who wears bow ties regularly these days?
I don't know. I haven't seen many. Have you? Is it strange to be slightly obsessed with a children's author who has a fake persona that wears bow ties?
If you or someone you know wears them, do you tie them yourself?
Most people I know tie their own ties, but in a pinch or a rush or a state of inexperience I've known people (including myself) to resort to neck tying assistance.
Do you know how to tie a regular necktie?
Yes.
What kind of knot do you use?
The one where I wrap the fat end of the tie around the other end twice and then pull through. I'll have to research. When I was tween I remember researching ties. I had the delusional prejudice that they were horrible symbols of the patriarchal society that was somehow responsible for the destructions of the environment, the racist undertones of Western life, and my awkward life as part of a generation of sensitive guys who just want to be nice. Gosh. What I found out from the Encyclopedia Britannica was that ties began as pretty scarves in 19th century French military costumes and quietly, insidiously (to my youth addled mind) morphed into their present form: tight pieces of cloth encircling men's necks like a physical representation of the shackles of debt which bind us into our capitalist society. Now, I realize ties can be fun, beautiful, worn by all types of people, and free from excessive symbolism.
Do you have any strong feelings about style/color/etc. of neckties?
A necktie is an aesthetic choice like any other. It can attract focus, shift focus, create balance, stand out, or blend in. Choose and choose wisely; choose the tie don't let the tie choose you.