Guerin has spent decades at the forefront of contemporary Australian dance, with an extensive career and several international awards including a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie). Her company has influenced other leading Australian choreographers, including Gideon Obarzanek and Stephanie Lake, and was selected for the 2023 Venice Biennale with two works, Pendulum and Split.
Speaking hours before the premiere of Place Dances, Guerin described returning to the stage as "incredibly confronting." She said she had expected her body to remember how to perform the movements after years away, but acknowledged that was not the case. The work uses the gallery's motion sensors and coloured electrical tape to explore space and geometry, themes central to her choreography. Guerin noted her long-standing attraction to performing in non-theatrical settings, saying the audience opens up to a different perspective in a visual arts context.
Guerin said she is proud of what the company achieved, particularly the connections with local independent artists. She is taking up a residency with the Bogliasco Foundation in Italy and has several unannounced projects. "It just felt like the right time and, once I'd vocalised it, I felt very resolved," she said.