Dancing in the Body of Light № 1

 

Model- Janneke Raaphorst

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For Francesca

Dream Station- Space

 In search for Dutch wilderness (really not easy to encounter) on one september morning, a group of friends arrived in Vlieland - an island in the north of Netherlands. To raise the vibrations of  location of the music + art festival ''Into the Great Wide Open'' a sacred geometry dome was built, a sculpture  and happening ''Dream Station Space'', by Melanie Bonajo, who invited us to take part in it.
For a couple of days we've spent time healing the Earth, assisting people in awakening to beauty, unity and love that's the essence of everything. Just by our presence, by meditating, dancing, playing music, healing and the high energy frequency the dome possesses and emanates. The geometrical structure  assisted us and aid in radiating good energies. To make people even more happy, a trampoline was installed inside of it, but gravity didn't work there well anyways...
That dome - for me, became also one of the most amazing working studios, where the masks of the healers came into existence (with help of Joseph Marzolla).

The lovely people, because of all of this could happen, were: Melanie Bonajo, Janneke Raaphorst, Joseph Marzolla, Jasper Griepink and Boelle Zwanenburg, love them all!

Apart from that, Melanie's and Joseph's band ZAZAZOZO, had a concert on the festival and the rest of the gang put on crazy costumes, danced and made some magic on the stage...

The left  time on the island we've spent cycling through sand dunes, wandering through the night forests, swimming in the sea abundant in bio luminescent phytoplankton, shining like the starry sky...  And of course dancing and dancing more to some great music :)

PS. Two bottom pictures were taken post factum, 

the models are my beautiful sisters :) Kamila and Agata.

Matrix Botanica / Biosphere above Nations

In August, on the day of the Grand Sextile, had place a beautiful event, ''Matrix Botanica / Biosphere above Nations'' by Melanie Bonajo,  part of Land Art Live program curated by Martine Van Kampen,  Museum de Paviljoens, Almere, Netherlands. It took place in a Green Cathedral, a land art piece by Marinus Boenzem; it's an artistic planting of Lombardy poplars that mimics the size and shape of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. There had happened a reunion of indigenous people with the land they inhabit, by accompanying music and voice of the forest telling the story, joy and love filled everyone´s soul.

Here are some photographs (by Lot Meijers, slightly touched by me) taken before the event, following is the documentation, a beautiful film by Melanie Bonajo. I had great pleasure, to both make the costumes and take part in the performance / healing ritual.

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from Melanie:

'Matrix Botanica / Biosphere above Nations' touches upon the issue that all people are indigenous from somewhere and belonging, alongside all other life forms, to the Earth. In the video the Voice of Nature explains her outlook at humans.  Looking at us humans from the other side, she explains many mis-understandings and interpretations caused by Western philosophical framework, especially the absurd construction of placing human identity  ‘outside’ nature. Nature as the protagonist, becomes a character with personhood, one who we can identify with. Through music the listener can feed in to the image and identity of Nature.

"Matrix Botanica/Biosphere above Nations" re-shapes contemporary human / plant / animal rituals in a desacralised global society. Trying to remake relations with nature  on the basis of recognising them not as things but as creative, self-directed, originative others. To care for things such as trees, rivers, forests, grasses and mountains as friends is a commitment everybody will grow from. To disband a model of human identity as only minimally and accidentally connected to the earth, a ritual is created in which  “re-earthing” is used for Modern individuals to intuitively gain a stronger eco-centric perspective in a more connected universe. 

So, everybody on this spaceship earth, please fasten your seat belts for a long-overdue homecoming from human dominating attitudes- back to the Earth. 

Matrix Botanica / Biosphere above Nations - film ------password- MATRIX

credits:

camera: Willem Aerts

editor: Willem Aerts

sound editor: Tommie Bonajo

text: Melanie Bonajo & Janneke Raphoorst

costume design: Karolina Daria Flora

production: Martine van Kampen

sound design: Tommie Bonajo

Set Design: Boelle Zwanenburg

Props Assistant: Elke Boegen

cast in order of appearance:

Melanie Bonajo

Joseph Marzolla

Jasper Griepink

Marcus Bruystens

Roberto Pérez

Janneke Raphoorst

Karolina Daria Flora

Aida van de Brake

Princess

Steelband Imro Aalse

Still Photographer: Lot Meijers

Titlle Design: Philippe Karrer

Boom Operator: Nathan Azhderian

Audio Installation: Beam Systems

Contrabass player: Marcus Bruystens

Flute player: Roberto Pérez

Voice-over: Melanie Bonajo