Dancing Trees is a site-specific dance theatre performance created in collaboration with the Belgrade Dance Institute, which explores the importance of trees preservation. The show engages 6 performers, with the original music, and
it aims to sensitise the audience and encourage initiatives in defence against excessive tree felling.
In addition to the performances in the parks, the extended Project includes talks, a digital platform, a webinar, a video film and other activities that connect art and ecology.
The performance
The dance theatre performance uses a poetry, stories from community and facts about trees that have their “life”, interwoven with memory, communication, care for young and breathing that releases oxygen – so necessary for the human
survival. But also the worrying information about the tees cutting. One of the initial inspirations was the book by German forest engineer Peter Wohlleben, “The Hidden Life of the Trees”, together with other sources and researches.
Original music by Ivana Stefanovic and video projections accompany the the out door performing.
The Project also includes conversations with citizens, round tables with experts, activists and artists about climate change and tree protection, the webinar “Create Your Own Action“, media campaign with a digital platform that will connect artists, activists and citizens.
We are witnessing excessive trees cut down in our city in order to build shopping malls, garages, gondolas and other tourist attractions. Is Belgrade gradually becoming a city of concrete? Faculty of Forestry (University of Belgrade) data shows that in 2018, 19% more trees were cut down than in previous years. In 2019 increased for more 2% and the tendency continues. Global deforestation continues at an alarming rate: 7-8 million hectares of forests are destroyed every year, which is approximately the size of Portugal.
Experts warn that consequences of the Global deforestation are far-reaching – from air pollution to floods, wildfires and complete destruction of ecosystems on the Earth. Trees are an important factor in the fight against rising global temperatures, due to their ability to absorb carbon dioxide. The authors say that planting trees is currently the most efficient solution for climate change in the world. If the world wants to limit the growth of temperatures by one and a half degrees by 2050, it is necessary to plant another billion hectares of forests.
Our project aims to sensitize the audience and encourage urban initiatives in defence against excessive tree felling . By using creative ways, the project wants to inspire resistance and to motivate citizens to connect and network, be proactive in the defence of trees and forests.
DANCING TREES is one of five five international projects awarded by the FIXING THE FUTURE program of Austrian Radio Ö1 / ORF. It was invited to be presented at the Innovation Festival “Market of the Future” in Graz, from 1 to 3 October
2021. Our Project is the Case Study in the course Teaching Artistry for Social Impact on www.kadenze.com – as an exemplary artistic project about the climate change.
Direction and Dramaturgy:
Dijana Milošević and Jadranka Anđelić
Performers:
Vladimir Čubrilo/Rade Obradovic, Đurđija Jelenković/Katarina Bucic, Ivan Nikolić, Miona Petrović,
Ivana Milenović Popović, Zoran Vasiljević
Texts and sources:
Peter Wohlleben „The Hidden Life of Trees“; Diana Beresford Kroeger
„To Speak for the Trees“; Hermann Hesse „About Trees“; Manoel Penna “Street Tress”;
Affonso Romano Sant’Anna “Arboreal Love”;
Miona Petrović “Message to the Trees”; material from internet
Music: Ivana Stefanović
Electronic: Dragan Mitrić
Voices: Ivana Milenović Popović, Ivan Nikolić, Neša Paripović, Miona Petrović, Milan Popović,
Vid Popović, Aleksandar Vasiljević, Andrija Vasiljević, Zoran Vasiljević
Vocal: Ljubica Damčević
Sound design: Zoran Jerković
Video, projections, mapping: Jelena Rubil
Costume: Ivana Samolov, Ferenc Varga
Object doll: Snežana Arnautović
Light design: Milomir Dimitrijević, Radovan Samolov
Production manager: Nataša Novaković
Executive production: Milica Petrović
Director’s assistants: Rumena Šopova, Ana Bošković
Technical production: Milomir Dimitrijević, Radovan Samolov
Technical support: Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade
Text recording and technical support: Zoran Vasiljević
Translation from Portuguese: Jovan Tatić and Jadranka Andjelić
Finance: Dragana Živanović Marketing: Ivana Milenović
Popović
PR: Tanja Rapp
Social Networks: Aleksandra Atanacković, Meri Zec
IT support: Miloš Jovanov (Green Friends)
Photography: Djordje Tomić
Graphic design: škart Film
Film Director: Strahinja Savić
Camera and Editing : Una Škandro
Sound recording and design: Aleksa Račić
Camera assistant : Bogdan Spasojević
Light: Gavrilo Nenadović, Marko Jahura
REALISED IN COLLABORATION WITH BELGRADE DANCE INSTITUTE
The Project supported by: ITAC – Climate Impact; Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs; International Relief Fund of the German Federal Foreign Office, the Goethe Institute, and other partners: http://www.goethe.de/relieffund; City of Belgrade – Secretary for Culture; Ministry of Culture and Information of Republic of Serbia.
Performing in Serbia supported by:
Thanks to Museum of Contemporary Arts Belgrade, UK Parobrod, Ivana Abramović.
Spacial thanks to composer Ivana Stefanovic.