Queens, New York ◦ 2018 - Present

Waggle It

Concept

Salt Tree Art’s annual Waggle It festival celebrates the honey bee (and all urban pollinators) with a community organization fair, an eco-art pop-up gallery, beekeeping photo ops, and our signature performance of the honey bee waggle dance. Honey bees communicate through a “waggle” that expresses the location of food through dance. Inspired by these natural performers, Salt Tree Art has choreographed a dance using the genuine honey bee waggle moves. With help from our dance instructors, everyone is invited to show us your waggle dancing skills and be a part of the performance!

2019 Programme of Artists

Performing Artists

Lauren Alzos-Benke (Dance Lead/Choreographer)

Elizabeth Benzik (Dance Assistant/Instructor)

Jennifer Jurek (Dance Assistant/Instructor)

Jared Blake DiCroce (Event Emcee)

Exhibiting Artists

Nicholas Enna

Clara Fialho

A. King McCarty

Brian J. Soliwoda

Sara Schraeter

Davi Leventhal

Kristen Terrana

Daniel O'Brien

2019 Exhibition Catalogue (printable version)

2019 Partnerships

This project was made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Queens Council on the Arts.

2019 Event Hosts

2018 Waggle It Festival Photo Highlights

Future of the Project

Salt Tree Art continued the Waggle It festival tradition in 2020 by collecting dance video submissions to create a Waggle It Instagram story. For #EarthDay50, we also hosted a live event on Instagram and Facebook with a beekeeping demonstration from local partner Astor Apiaries and a live, remote dance celebration! Waggle dancing was also featured in our at-home learning module for Bees & Other Pollinators, and during our 2020 Fall Festoon bee-themed digital festival. 

The waggle dance will continue to make appearances in our future pollinator awareness events and activities.