Gather around an electrifying urban campfire this holiday season and enjoy performances and photo ops on select Wednesday nights.
December 4, 2024 – January 8, 2024
Manhattan West Plaza, 385 9th Avenue, Midtown
This holiday season, gather around an electrifying urban campfire on Manhattan West Plaza comprised of 220 light bulbs that flicker and come to life in response to spectators’ movements. Stir the virtual embers by swaying and dancing within this interactive art installation, which in turn creates a luminous experience full of warmth, light, and music for all to enjoy. On select Wednesdays, performances and photo ops will take place around the campfire.
Island of Warmth by Atomic3 is a coproduction of Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE, and is distributed by QDSinternational.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE – Wednesdays from 5 – 7 PM:
December 4 | Dance Around the Campfire
Watch as three pre-eminent NYC-based dance companies–Harlem Lite Feet with Chrybaby Cozie, the Maimouna Keita School of Dance, and Music from the Sole–use Island of Warmth as their backdrop, their unique movements making the art installation soar and swirl in amazing ways. Curated by Works & Process. Plus, enjoy complimentary hot chocolate by Daily Provisions, while supplies last.
December 11 | Caroling Around the Campfire
Nothing says holiday more than a visit by the jolly guy himself! Take your selfie with Santa in front of Island of Warmth; enjoy complimentary hot chocolate by Daily Provisions, while supplies last; and be serenaded by carolers, The Mistletones, around the campfire.
December 18 | Hanukkah Around the Campfire
Musical group Brooklyn Klezmer Trio Plus led by renowned accordionist Ilya Shneyveys will get everyone dancing the hora around the luminous Island of Warmth – Hanukkah is a Festival of Lights after all!
January 8, 2025 | Community Around the Campfire
Join us for one last gathering around the campfire with a community singalong and intention setting for the new year. Artists and special guests to be announced.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Atomic3
Based in Montreal, Canada, ATOMIC3 is a creative design studio founded by director Félix Dagenais and lighting designer Louis-Xavier Gagnon-Lebrun that brings together artists from all backgrounds to create unique experiences that put visitors into the heart of the story. Whether interactive or contemplative, ATOMIC3’s creations transform public spaces to connect with people in their daily lives, inviting viewers to see the world and their environment with new eyes. Outside the “black box” of the theatre, audience members become actors and stories become participatory works, where the physical world, light, music and new technologies come together.
Brooklyn Klezmer Trio Plus
Brooklyn Klezmer Trio Plus is a group led by Ilya Shneyveys, a multi-instrumentalist, educator, composer, arranger, and producer of Yiddish music. Originally from Riga, Latvia, and now based in Brooklyn, NY, Ilya has expertise spanning from traditional klezmer accordion to experimental and fusion projects and has performed and teaches at Jewish festivals around the world from local synagogues to Carnegie Hall. Ilya has received multiple awards for his work, including the 2014 RUTH World Music Award at TFF Rudolstadt, the 2017 Shimon-Peres-Prize, and the Eiserne Eversteiner Preis in 2017. Learn more at ilya.shneyveys.com.
Harlem Lite Feet with Chrybaby Cozie
Raised in Harlem in the late 80’s, Chrybaby Cozie is a creator of Harlem Lite Feet, champions and stewards of freestyle dance’s emergence, which has gained prominence and recognition around the world. Recognized for the dance style’s weightlessness and virtuosity, performances of his training company Bomb Squad showcase how he inspires next generation youth and communities. Learn more at instagram.com/chrybaby_cozie.
Maimouna Keita School of African Dance
Founded by West African dance cultural icon and former National Ballet of Senegal principal Marie Basse-Wiles, for over 30 years Brooklyn’s Maimouna Keita School of African Dance (MKSAD) has celebrated dance across the African diaspora and has toured to Senegal, Mali, Gambia, and Guinea. Learn more at maimounakeita.com.
The Mistletones have been spreading magic, joy, and a capella cheer for the past 10 years with their upbeat, fun and festive vibes. The quartet’s music ranges from classic carols to modern holiday songs, all with a contemporary sound. Learn more at songfulartists.com.
Music From The Sole
Blurring the line between concert, dance, and music performance, Music From The Sole is a tap dance and live music company that celebrates tap’s roots in the African diaspora drawing from Afro-Brazilian, jazz, soul, house, rock, and Afro-Cuban styles. Learn more at musicfromthesole.com.
ABOUT OUR PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS:
Works & Process
Championing performing artists and their creative process from studio to stage, Works & Process features artists from the world’s largest organizations and amplifies under-recognized performing arts cultures. Works & Process commissions, provide longitudinal and fully-funded LaunchPAD creative residencies, and present programs that illuminate artistic process at the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center, and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, with the Jerome Robbins Dance Division. Each summer, Works & Process curates and presents free dance programs with City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage and NYC Parks.
Quartier des Spectacles/Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
The Quartier des Spectacles is Montreal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s greatest concentration and variety of cultural venues. The district is the year-round host to countless festivals and events, many of which include free outdoor shows and activities. The Quartier hosts innovative urban installations featuring cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments and interactive digital spaces. Year round, the Quartier presents artistic video projections on building façades. The Quartier des Spectacles is also a showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content. The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 80 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership is supported by the Ville de Montréal.
QDSInternational
QDSinternational is a non-profit organization that produces and distributes participatory installations for public spaces in collaboration with creative partners, co-producers and exhibitors around the world. An affiliate of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, QDSinternational has built extensive expertise over many years, thanks to the numerous works it has commissioned for North America’s largest cultural district, bringing inspiration to thousands of visitors. The organization’s expertise is reflected in its state-of-the-art processes for the design and production of robust, safe installations suitable for all ages and all climates. QDSinternational relies on a network of first-rate collaborators and technical service providers active in the international exhibition of public artworks and installations.
@quartierdesspectacles_mtl
@mtlenlumiere
@atomic3ca
@qdsinternational
