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Once upon the time, Florida was an orchid paradise. More than one hundred native
species bloomed profusely around the state, weaving a colorful ecosystem. In the late
1800s, the new train line to South Florida stimulated exploitation of the landscape,
leading to near extinction of many. Orchids have thus become a call for action to
protect, conserve and understand our connection to the land and each other in
respectfully integrated ways.
Closer Encounters: The Orchid Adventure will take you on an immersive sonic journey, exploring the famous Encyclia tampensis: The Butterfly Orchid as imagined by the composer and artphibian Juraj Kojš, the contemporary dance company Pioneer Winter Collective and Miami Children’s Chorus.
Where does the orchid live? How did it get to South Florida from the Bahamas and Cuba? Can you grow it in your garden? Betzaida Ferrer, the story-telling grandmother, will guide us in an inter-generational sonic journey in which the orchid’s habitat, culture and botanical features will be explored through music, movement, language, technologies, play and performance.
The Orchid Adventure, with the Miami Children’s Chorus, is the first of four upcoming performances of Kojš and Winter’s Knight Foundation Challenge Award project Closer Encounters that aims to rediscover, reclaim and nurture our sense of intimacy and connectives in the post-pandemic era. For the MCC, the performance continues to push the organization’s vision of reimagined performance opportunities for children’s choir.
Whether you are an orchid or plant aficionado, music, dance and technology lover, children of all ages are invited to participate. In addition to the performance, you’ll get to experience an orchid market, including the Encyclia tampensis interactive installation designed by Monica Leslie Travis, Rodrigo Arcaya, Troy Rogers and Juraj Kojš, an orchid exhibit, tables by Coalition for Orchid Species, Million Orchid Project, live drawing by Donna Torres and Kawaii Universe.
