Immersive dance performance: How Forests Dream
How Forests Dream is a non-profit performance. It is organized by a group of young creative professionals in New York, who have contributed their time and energy to realize this dance theatre that aims to bring healing power to the audiences. Because of the peculiarities of the performance, we can only accommodate 12 people per show, and cannot cover our cost through regular ticket sales. Therefore, we are launching this crowdfunding campaign on Go Fund Me, hoping to make the dream come true through everyone's efforts.
The handmade fascinators made by producer and artist Echo He for the performance will be rewarded to the top donors. Our Director Zi Ye, a floral designer, will also design some customized flower boxes as rewards. Other donors will have the chance to participate in the show, and receive special gifts and courtesy. With sufficient funds raised, we also hope that we can produce a short film of the entire performance and make it available to more audiences who cannot be present.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
In Brooklyn, New York, quietly hidden in a brownstone built in 1905, the gallery named "Fou" has elegant wooden architectural details and an extensive art collection. From the end of August to the beginning of September in 2021, this beautiful place will become an immersive stage for the interactive performance How Forests Dream. The theatre is based on a true story that happened here: after the sudden death of the husband, the wife passed through darkness as if she walked among thorn bushes. She never loses her longing for the glimmer of hope, and finally managed to calm her broken heart. Following the journey of the solo dancer, the audience will travel around the border of life and death. Traversing truth and illusion, they will immerse themselves into unique and mysterious dreams, and obtain a profound and memorable experience. Everyone will realize that there are always so many thrilling epic stories happening in places where we do not know. In How Forests Dream, several dreams are scattered all over the space of Fou Gallery, complete or shattered, waiting for the audience to explore. Every audience will be assigned with a unique vintage style fascinator. The hats and the letters hanging in Fou Gallery will be the clues and keys to the dreams. The performance will create a subconscious world through dreaming and meditating, full of fantasies and unknowns. With the fascinators as lanterns in their hands, the audience will walk through this bizarre misty forest together.
The audience will not be spectators as in traditional dramas, but participators as a part of the story. They will join the adventure together with the dancer during the performance. We hope this journey across life and death in the forest of dreams will help everyone see their inner self more clearly. Life is like a dream. We wish everyone the best to truly find their own path of self-healing.
DONATION REWARDS
1. Pledge $350 or more
- A handmade vintage fascinator by artist Echo He. Can choose one from the theatre, or customize upon request;
- One performance ticket;
- Fresh fruit tea beverage provided by Debutea;
- Name credits on How Forests Dream’s website.
12 handmade fascinators from the theatre, more stories on the hats can be found here
2. Pledge $150-$350
- A customized dry flower box designed by director and florist Zi Ye;
- One performance ticket;
- Fresh fruit tea beverage provided by Debutea;
- Name credits on How Forests Dream’s website.
Customized flower box by Zi Ye
3. Pledge $50-$150
- One performance ticket;
- Fresh fruit tea beverage provided by Debutea;
- Name credits on How Forests Dream’s website.
4. Pledge $10 or more
- A thank you card from the production team
- Name credits on How Forests Dream’s website.
We look forward to your support!
PURPOSE OF BUDGET
THEATRE STAFF
Director: Zi Ye; Artist: Echo He; Choreographer and Dancer: Ching-I Chang; Artistic Consultant: Nico Li; Project Manager: Iris Zhang; Graphic Design: Granny Liu; Curator: Lynn Hai; Technical Support: Chika Danni Huang; Dream Translator: Cassie Sun, Sharon Liu; Stage Manager: Yu Chen; Photographer: Zhou Xi, Zhou Weihan; Videographer: Zhou Xi and Zhou Weihan, Kayo Zhang, Muxing Chen
Words from the Producer/Artist Echo He:
How Forests Dream was first conceived on the anniversary of my husband's sudden death, also the peak of COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. After Eugene’s sudden death, I had a lot of wild dreams. I try to understand the meaning of life and death through these dreams. In the dreams I witnessed the whole process of recovery from bereavement. Many dreams have crossed the boundaries of time and space, reappeared in reality, and connected the past, the present, and the future. Dreams have also allowed me to further think about the meaning of life, the world after death and the existence beyond the visible world. After the sudden breakout of COVID-19, pandemic, violence, discrimination and death, miserable stories in the news have become part of our new normal. Regardless of all the sufferings in the human world, nature repeats its endless circle. In May 2020, I suddenly suffered from unbearable nerve pain. In great pain, I began to explore different esoteric healing methods and reconnect with nature. After I returned back to studio practice, I sought to use hat making as a way to describe the scenes I saw in dreams and meditations. I wish these fascinators could be presented through a dance theatre where visual and texts, body and space, art and nature are intertwined. Through the unique interactions, the audience will be able to reflect on the daily patterns of our attachment and desire, and experience a glimpse of awakening in the midst of a dream.
Words from the Director Zi Ye:
I have always been interested in the performances that break the boundaries between the regular stages and the audiences. When I first visited Fou Gallery, I found that this space was so unique . It has a special energy field, which can bring people into its own world as soon as they enter it, and that quality makes this space a perfect immersive theater. For people who visit here for the first time, they will find many details in this space that seem to be deliberately laid out. For instance, the creaking noises made by people going up and down the stairs in this old brownstone building have become the most precious sound effects of this performance. And that’s one of the most important reasons why I wanted to create an immersive dance performance here. Another thing that I was thinking most frequently during the creating process is that our body helps us store our emotions subconsciously, and dreams help us express those feelings. Through this work, I want to shed light on the subtle relationship between our body and our memories, and the state of struggle in this relationship for the most of the time. I hope this performance can serve as an exit for those emotional memories that are holding you back even momentarily, or it can evoke those memories sealed in your bodies, and help you make peace with them in the days to come.
Ching-I Chang performing. Photo: Xi Zhou, Weihan Zhou ©Ching-I Chang, courtesy of Fou Gallery and How Forests Dream production team
Ching-I Chang performing. Photo: Xi Zhou, Weihan Zhou ©Ching-I Chang, courtesy of Fou Gallery and How Forests Dream production team
Thank Debutea for supporting this performance.
Music:
November; written by Max Richter; performed by BBC Philharmonic Orchestra & Rumon Gamba.
In the Dark Woods; composed & arranged by Akira Kosemura.
Letter from a Distance; composed & arranged by Akira Kosemura.