Wayne and Lisa
For the Trojan Horse Project, they will perform routines based on Greek themes and speak about the origins of acrobatics in Greece 3,000 years ago.
Bliss Dance head
On Friday night columns of Burners will pull our 20-ton beast on its massive cart across the playa and through the Gates of Troy. The Gates of Troy are modern-day obelisks (Note: Obelisk is a Greek word!) designed to fit in style and spirit to the menacing nature of our horse.
Quillface, the Trojan Horse Art Director and project spokesman, describes his vision and announces fundraising campaign.
Help by donating here and posting this video all over the internet!
Ancient Greek Archer
We added an archery section to our website, with a Call for Archers, our Master Archers vision statement, and a detailed plan on how to shoot wire-tethered flaming arrows!
“… On release from the archers’ bows, the arrows will be guided along a steel wire—either galvanized or stranded wire like that used in fishing leaders. Each 150 to 200-foot length of wire will be anchored to the horse with a six-inch target square for the arrow point to penetrate. …”
And we very much recommend to head on over to our Master Archer’s Trojan Horse Archer’s Site, because it is full of exciting videos and pictures, and you’ll even stumble over some fellow Trojans players there like Goddess Artemis, a Mother Fire Nymph and the Queen of the Amazons!
Our art director Douglas Bevans is composing the Trojan Horse March and Processional, which will be performed Friday night by a huge corps of brass players, drummers, and percussionists recruited from around the world and throughout Black Rock City. Our aim is to make this the largest live music event in Burning Man’s history.
“While the composition overall will be rhythmic in nature, the intended mood is dark, dissonant, and abstract, even frightening. [...] The drums will provide a morose plodding rhythm akin to a funeral march. The brass, in addition to playing the main musical theme, will sometimes mimic the creaks and groans of the horse being pulled across the playa and other times will contribute to the cacophony of the crowd. As the horse comes closer to the Gates of Troy, the music will shift and build in a triumphant crescendo. …”
Read up on the details and the sequential overview of the procession on our music page!
Treasure Island’s fabled World Headquarters, home to such iconic playa artists as Mark Lottor, Peter Hudson, and Marco Cochrane, was the scene of much horsing around in mid-April. Work began on the first step in constructing the horse, building a 1/8 scale model. Five core team members–Douglas, Ariel, Ray, Joel, and Eric–hosted an open house that drew several new volunteers and one major funder.
After shooting video at the Triple Door Jazz Club, Alaya, Douglas, and Eric presented plans for the Trojan Horse and recruited new volunteers at Inscape, a space for artists in Seattle’s International District.
Here are some snapshots of the event:
Were you there as well? Got some pictures? Drop us a note!
We’re officially launching our Canadian & US Fundraising Campaign. While we are looking for angels–major donors who support the arts–smaller donations from many folk are essential. All contributions great and small will be rewarded and all donations made within the United States are tax deductible. Spread the word and the love widely!
Interview by Eric Swenson, Trojan Core Team
ES: You’ve established quite a reputation for working on big projects, things like a 180-foot long battleship, 30 feet tall, with a dance floor inside, for a Halloween party. How on earth did you get involved in thinking big?
JDS: I think it started very early. I was always interested in art. My Dad loved woodworking, and he passed that on to me. I grew up moving around a lot, and this experience helped shape me. It gave me confidence that I could go anywhere and make something happen. When I graduated high school, I took a train to New York City with high hopes of becoming an actor. I didn’t succeed at that, but as a lighting technician in a nightclub I felt the power of my creativity to move crowds of people. Continue reading
