Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre (HDDT) has commissioned Juhi Bansal to create an original score to accompany the company’s site-specific performance series, FISHEYES, at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Culver City and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro.  The performance takes place on HDDT’s 15 foot steel Fish installation, which has been travelling to various public spaces throughout Southern California over the past two years, including: Estrella Park in South LA, Marsh Park along the LA River, TreePeople in Studio City, Pershing Square and Grand Performances in Downtown LA, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, and San Bernardino Valley College.  Most recently, Bansal’s music was presented during the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook performance on November 3, 2017, in which Bansal performed live with her musical ensemble including Andrew Tholl and Nic Gerpe.  Bansal and Gerpe will perform again at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium on May 12, 2018.

The November 3rd performance was free and open to the public with approximately 150 attendees.  Moreover, HDDT provided transportation for underserved students from St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood and the Culver City High School Academy of Visual and Performing Arts to attend the performance through HDDT’s California Arts Council-funded Off-Site initiative.  In 2018, HDDT will partner with Point Fermin Elementary School, Dana Middle School, Toberman Neighborhood Center and LA Harbor Boys & Girls Clubs to bring San Pedro’s underserved youth to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium performance on May 12.  After the performance, HDDT will moderate a post-performance discussion featuring a panel including: HDDT’s founder and Artistic/Executive Director, and project director and choreographer, Heidi Duckler, HDDT’s Associate Artistic Director, Toogie Barcelo, Bansal, Gerpe, the dancers, and Ed Mastro (Exhibits Director of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium) – to discuss the project’s role in evoking themes of the environment, climate change and our relationship to water.

The Fish was designed by Alex Ward and constructed by Jeff Kleeman (Technical Director of LA Opera).  FISHEYES is important to HDDT because it allows the company to integrate its site-specific and community building work with important social justice issues facing the region, including responding to the drought and inequities in access to nature and clean water.  The project is important to the community because it allows families to come together and explore these issues and their environment through a unique and innovative artistic experience.  HDDT already made the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook performance happen, and it was highly acclaimed by the audience members who attended.  HDDT has already secured a commitment from the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium to bring the Fish back to its venue, where the company produced a successful performance in April, 2017, and the company will work with venue, community partners, its performers and musicians to make another successful FISHEYES performance happen in 2018.  Meanwhile, the Fish currently resides at the Overlook, a state park, where daily visitors are tagging themselves interacting with the sculpture on social media.