The Forest Embryo:
Chris Bisram had the opportunity to be a part of the first ever City of Forest Day celebration at Roosevelt Island. Thank you to iDig2Learn for giving them the opportunity to present their work and be a part of the day.
The dance, The Forest Embryo, choreographed by Chris Bisram, was about the trees and their stages of life. Starting with the sprouting of a sapling, imagining the equation of a baby in the womb trying to reach out into the new world. The following stage is adolescence and all of the joy and play that children may feel running through a yard exploring all they can. The last stage is the end of their journey, where they are asking us to see them and listen to them. All of this after living a long life filled with wisdom but also the horror of seeing all their loved ones be chopped down to serve another's needs.
The choreographic process caused Chris go on a journey. It had him trying to understand the trees beyond a physical sense. Chris learned a lot from just sitting being around them. Chris had to internally understand that the trees are a living body. With this image in mind he personified the trees to understand what they might be feeling. This shift in thinking that the trees were alive, sparked the interest to dance with them, not for them.
Photo credits: @audreygray
Director/organizer: