[8.20.15]

Strolling through Fort Greene Park with the intention of finding a nice area to lay down and relax in the sun, music was heard in the distance. The music got louder as approaching the top of the hill, reminiscent of a heart beating faster and faster. Reaching the height of the summit a rainbow of people could be seen dancing, intertwined with electricity and good vibes (one could even say spiritual). I couldn't help but sway myself. #SoulSummitMusic. 

[8.9.15]

“This piece is dedicated to my father, the original piece is called Presley,” began Mana Hashimoto, a blind dancer and choreographer, “Elvis Presley is my father's favorite artist. When I was little I used to sing together with my dad, he used to play beautiful guitar even though he was a medical doctor he had this side as a very talented musician…Unfortunately my father passed away when I was 13… He used to ask me if I love him and because of the age of 13 I once said if you keep asking me if I love you I’m not going to tell you I love you and he never asked me that question again. I really regret that when he passed away, that’s the only thing that I wanted to share with him but he is not there anymore”

Hashimoto extends the tribute to all those who have experienced the loss of someone they love, paying special honor to those that died in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

This performance took place in Times Square on August 6th and was part of the #ShadowPeopleProject - a movement dedicated to bringing a voice to the voiceless, a face to the faceless, and a name to the nameless through art, music, and events. Shadow People Project was inspired by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where thousands of people were blown away, leaving only their shadows printed by heat on streets, bridges, walls, and granite steps. 

[8/6/15]

On Saturday, August 1st from 9pm - midnight the Empire State Building featured 5k projection footage of endangered species. 

Standing amongst hundreds of onlookers with our heads tilted upwards toward the iconic building there was a special moment shared. In between the 'oohs' and 'aahhs' brought on by the awe and beauty of the live art display there was a sadness. A sadness in the realization that these beautiful images truly represent species that are likely to become extinct. "I used to see monarch butterflies all the time as a child," expressed a lady standing next to me, "and now I don't see them anymore." 

"The production was the collaborative effort of the Oceanic Preservation Society and the filmmakers of "Racing Extinction," an upcoming documentary film that highlights humanity's role in the loss of the world's endangered species. Helmed by Louie Psihoyos — the director of "The Cove" — "Racing Extinction" follows a team of activists on a mission to expose the two largest threats to biodiversity — the international wildlife trade and society's growing carbon footprint." [TheVerge.com] 

[8/1/15]