The Lift Project
The Lift Project
October, 2007
The Lift was a one on one dance experiment where we spent a month in Seattle's Pike Place Market Juxtaposing approaching individuals and asking them to let us give them a "lift" (push) up the hill to 1st Avenue.
The project was funded by the Artist Trust GAP grant and 4culture site specific projects.
Parts of the score.....
Aaron is on the south side of the street and KT and B are on the North side. Scott is there videoing KT and B doing the “thing”. Aaron comes across a stranger….
"Have you ever been pushed up a hill?"
"Wouldn’t it be great if a gentle wind suddenly came and lofted us up the hill?"
"Do you want to be pushed up the hill?"
What if the world is constantly more magical than we give it credit for?
The hill is a metaphor for a quest – an odyssey – approaching the pinnacle
Hurtles to getting people to engage – won’t steal your stuff – won’t take your time – won’t ask you for money – won’t hurt you.
When is the last time you really trusted a stranger?
How do we convey that we are sturdy and you can give your weight to us?
October 20, 2007....
Magical Day.
Perfect moments kept coming.
Parking spot RIGHT in front of our post - a FREE spot in the market - one of five free spots left in Seattle.
A thunderstorm complete with hail turning a corner 20 minuets later as the sun broke the sky wide open in reverse.
Scott brought "moving man: blue, one piece suits for he and Aaron to don. Five minuets later, Ricki showed up in her same, EXACT outfit (no, really, no one called her). Lisa T. brought her lightness of being into the mix.
I SWEAR everyone we asked said yes.
Scott literally CARRIED a small, Japanese woman up, baby style. If that weren't enough, a few minutes later I turned around to witness him carrying a homeless guy up on his BACK, arms threaded through arms, head thrown back. With his legs crossed and dangling, the man resembled Jesus on the cross, no way to get around it.
Lisa was relentless in her fabulous way. "No....lean back...no, REALLY lean back....we're just going to wait here until you honestly give me your weight. Don't you trust me? Come on, trust me..." She had people walking up leaning back so far they were virtually parallel with the ground. They went slow and she got their stories - their names.
We tried to get the UPS man to let us roll him up on his cart. He considered it....
Light, Laughter. So different than our first try. Thunderstorm to blue sky.
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