Neshamah Performs "Voyager" at NASA's 8th Annual Astronomy Festival on the National Mall

On June 2nd, 2017 dancers from Hannah Cohen’s dance company Neshamah traveled to Washington, D.C. to perform an excerpt from their evening-length piece, Voyager in an ePlanetarium beneath the Washington Monument on the National Mall as part of NASA's 8th Annual Astronomy Festival.  

Neshamah was invited by Dr. Donald A. Lubowich, lead coordinator for Music and Astronomy Under the Stars. Dr. Lubowich enjoys collaboration between the arts and sciences and found Voyager to be particularly fitting for this interstellar celebration

This piece was developed in collaboration with AirSticks co-creator Alon Ilsar whose golden-gilded body and trusty AirSticks triggered the various excerpts from Voyager I & II’s Golden Record to sing out in a new, cohesive soundscape enveloping and interacting the dancers akin to the starscape projections of the planetarium.

As evening approached, the line to the inflatable stage wrapped around and extended out as guests who stuck out the hour in line in anticipation, approached the belly of the structure.

The performance was performed in the round and delighted astronomers and artists alike.