About the project
_Tree Project was born out of
artistic director Mandy Hackman’s dual loves for aerial dance and
exploring the natural world. Since 2009, Mandy has been facilitating
site-specific aerial happenings in New York City parks and elsewhere,
scaling trees with a band of circus-trained performers and musicians to
create one-of-a-kind performances that are specific to one moment and
location.
The performance starts as the performers begin to “case” the trees—looking around for good climbing spots, sometimes with audience in tow. From there, the climbing dance is created on the spot, based on our various trainings (dance, circus arts, and music) as well as the physical structure of the trees. The audience is invited to meet the performance without preconditions – deciding from what vantage point to view it.
Tree Project is devoted to the instigation of community. By inviting in the audience, we hope to become an excuse for more imagination to take root – and for that reason we love to do events that involve all sorts of place-related art projects, a community day of which Tree Project is but one part. We want to learn from our audiences, and we always do.
“What I find most beautiful about Tree Project is that it's so inclusive. It's a medium for social change, and a connection with the earth, but at the same time it makes no assumptions about what's right or wrong in that regard. Since the piece is movement-based, it sparks awareness in people about their environment without any blatant "message." There is an implied respect for nature, a calm contemplation of one's surroundings, and an advocation for artistic expression, and yet no words are needed to give an explicit explanation of these concepts. It also inevitably awakens a childlike place to see someone up in a tree, and this naive mindset--where anything is possible--can often be the most powerful stance from which to see the world.” –P. Metzger, Tree Project Musician
The performance starts as the performers begin to “case” the trees—looking around for good climbing spots, sometimes with audience in tow. From there, the climbing dance is created on the spot, based on our various trainings (dance, circus arts, and music) as well as the physical structure of the trees. The audience is invited to meet the performance without preconditions – deciding from what vantage point to view it.
Tree Project is devoted to the instigation of community. By inviting in the audience, we hope to become an excuse for more imagination to take root – and for that reason we love to do events that involve all sorts of place-related art projects, a community day of which Tree Project is but one part. We want to learn from our audiences, and we always do.
“What I find most beautiful about Tree Project is that it's so inclusive. It's a medium for social change, and a connection with the earth, but at the same time it makes no assumptions about what's right or wrong in that regard. Since the piece is movement-based, it sparks awareness in people about their environment without any blatant "message." There is an implied respect for nature, a calm contemplation of one's surroundings, and an advocation for artistic expression, and yet no words are needed to give an explicit explanation of these concepts. It also inevitably awakens a childlike place to see someone up in a tree, and this naive mindset--where anything is possible--can often be the most powerful stance from which to see the world.” –P. Metzger, Tree Project Musician