All filming was outdoors.  In the summer, we filmed on some of the hottest days of the year.  In the winter, we filmed on some of the coldest days of the year.  Kudos to the entire cast for loving nature and the outdoors, for being adventurous, and for connecting so beautifully with their surroundings during the filming.  Many of the photos below were taken by Tina Gutierrez, the fearless photographer who dazzled all of us with her creative expertise.

A true collaborative with a creative vision

This film project is a labor of love.  We have all gathered to create original interpretations of the lifecycles that we witness in nature, among the trees. Dancers and musicians have interpreted a wide range of nature's cycles, from seeds dropping, to bursting out of the seed and competing for space, rooting, emerging through the soil, flowering into spring, growing and branching out in the full summer sun, leaves turning into rich autumn colors and dancing in the wind, through the ultimate release and portal into the darkness of winter.

Alissa and Talia Stachowski

Photos by Tina Gutierrez

Alissa Stachowski grew up in Alliance, Ohio, where she studied and performed in a variety of art forms including dance, acrobatics, music, and theater.  At the University of Akron, she earned a BA in Dance, focused mainly in ballet and modern dance.  Since then, she has studied many dance forms at Contemporary Dance Theater in Cincinnati, including Modern, Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Afro-Caribbean and Tap.  Recent dance performances in Cincinnati through Contemporary Dance Theater include Area Choreographers Festival and Performance and Time Arts shows with various choreographers (www.cdt-dance.org).  Her recent outdoor performances include Global Water Dances-Cincinnati 2013 & 2015, and Bodies in Urban Spaces in conjunction with Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center.  Alissa is happy to get this chance to dance and move outside among the lovely trees in Cincinnati in The Whisper of Trees project.
 
Talia Stachowski enjoys being outside and dancing around, climbing up, and running among trees with her mom.  At the time of the filming she was 6 years old.

Irene, Amelia, and Dyana Mirci

Photos by Tina Gutierrez

Irene Mirci is originally from Rome, Italy, but spent her youth in Australia. Her travels around the world as a tour leader have taken her as far as India, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen and all over Europe, but her real passion is for dance. In Italy, Irene was introduced to Belly Dance by American anthropologist Louise Melita, and she later continued her studies with two instructors from Egypt, Amal Khalifa and Saad Ismail, who passed on their deep knowledge of this ancient art in different ways. Amal Khalifa is a dancer and performer who interprets the Egyptian style with impeccable elegance, while Saad Ismail, highly esteemed with more than 40 years teaching experience, shares M. Reda’s style and a deep technical insight. Irene’s studies then continued with Maria Luisa Sales, who's Belly Dance teaching techniques are strongly influenced by her background in Classic Indian Bharatanatyam and Classic Persian dance. Here in US Irene continued her studies with Niran al Ubaidi and Shakira al-Fanninah, and has attended workshops with Morocco, Karim Nagi,  Faten Munger, Hadia (Canada), just to name a few. Presently she is studies deeply embodied movement with Fanchon Shur. Irene teaches classes at the Contemporary Dance Theater in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Melissa and Laura Calmes

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Romana Bereneth

 Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Click HERE to learn more about Romana Bereneth

Katy Moeggenberg, Director of Anaya Bellydance

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Katy Moeggenberg has a passion for being active. As an internationally published Fitness Author/Model, Kung Fu black belt (5th degree), Professional Dancer/Choreographer, and Yogi, she's been able to share her passions with others. She has enabled a variety of goals for her clients to come true - fine tuning professional dancers' technique, honing martial artists' skills for complex competitions, and empowering clients to lose as much as 100 lbs.

She performs belly dance and Kung Fu over 50 times a year across venues and audiences. In addition, her teaching has been featured and sought after at national dance conventions and NFL cheerleader training camps.

She owns/manages/instructs at both Cincinnati Kung Fu and Anaya Belly Dance, and has been doing so for more than a decade. A Cincinnati native, she lives there today her husband, Kung Fu master Joe Harmon. Learn more at anayabellydance.com and katy.me.

Amirah Al-Shuruq

Video still by Lisa Thornbury

Click HERE to visit Amirah Al-Shuruq's website.  

Kristin Osborn and Matt Schnuth

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Avasa

Video Still by Lisa Thornbury

Lisa Thornbury

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Click HERE to see Lisa's bio

Terpsichore

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Terpsichore Bellydance is a Tribal Fusion troupe from Northern Kentucky.  In 2005, a passionate group of bellydancers came together, combining our love of dance and our creative energy to create Terpsichore.  Our main focus is American Tribal Bellydance, which allows us to have an organic sisterhood as our organizational model. 

Diana Humbert is the troupe director, choreographer, and manager.  The Whisper of Trees project included Diana and dancers Lisa Reed, Jen Sonsma, Valerie Poore, and Kathy Wolfe.    Visit their troupe website at https://www.terpbellydance.com/

Judy Peace

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Judy Peace is known for the service she provides through helping others "know thyself."  She offers tools for transformation and self understanding by utilizing the ancient art of Astrology, Palmistry, and Tarot.  Her services are available through private sessions, entertainment/events and teaching. She offers talks and lectures on how these tools are able to help us know ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, and how this knowing can serve us. 

Judy created and co-hosts the radio show Waves of the New Age/WAIF 88.3 FM-Cincinnati, Ohio in November of 1988.  Through the years she has either been behind the mic or behind the scene working to make Waves a source for soul-filled sounds and conscious conversations.  Waves still airs every Tuesday, 3-5 PM EST. 

From 2004-2008, she worked to bring Conscious Choice Cinema to the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area.  She provided an evenig of music, art, and film to help expand conscious community.

Judy spends her down time either in the garden, taking pictures of nature's wonders, or going on adventures with her Grandson.  She is grateful that he gives her the opportunity to experience magic and wonder through the eyes of a child.

Patti Lightflower

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Shelley Berman

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Lara Radkey

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Sarah Honu-Heart Gallant

Photo by Lisa Thornbury

Alexandra Kassouf

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Mateo Rhodes

Photo by Tina Gutierrez

Mateo writes:  "I've been a musician since childhood and I've been fortunate to study at schools like University of North Texas and Berklee College of Music.  I've played the roles of singer, songwriter/composer, band leader, guitarist, trumpet player, steel guitarist, saxophonist, bassist, keyboardist, and most recently a (hand) drummer.  I got into drumming out of necessity:  the Hawaiian trio I was working in at the time had a limited sound as our only instrumentation was bass, steel guitar and ukulele.  We needed to spice things up a bit.  I eventually became interested in Middle Eastern hand drumming when I found out that classes were offered at a local dance studio in my home town of Houston.  After 19 years of working in the home improvement industry, I moved to Lexington to be closer to my family and am working to become a property manager.  For me, the most rewarding element of being active in music is the people I work with and meet.  The dance artists are a wealth of inspiration, ideas, and styles.  They continue to have quite an influence on my creativity."  You can visit Mateo's youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFEApl-NJna3Ldu5Zi2SzLw