Eli Whitney Museum

Inspiration for our 2020 Summer Finale
With Special Surprise Visitors

Watch the Video Below!

In 2005, Matt Harding, not quite 30, quit his job as a game designer to explore the world. A companion began videoing Matt dancing a simple jig to mark the locations they visited. They compiled and posted this travelogue on the then new service, YouTube. It touched a chord.

Matt returned to his travels, supported by a sponsor, and committed to probing deeper. He wanted to dance with people, not in the background, but as his partners. His Where the Hell is Matt? videos became a viral phenomenon.

Sponsors had set boundaries - countries not to visit. That limit compromised the core vision of the project: that music and dance connect all hearts. Matt returned to his travels that have now included 94 countries, unbounded. Matt Harding's authentic curiosity and respect found the Internet's capacity to express hope and joy.

When we realized that we would have to present our summer workshops through online exchanges, we returned to Matt's quest for inspiration. In 2005, Matt described the work and commuting he was escaping as bubbles. We have tried to make our workshops a respite from current bubbles.

Connecting with the World, One Dance at a Time.

This workshop honors Matt Harding's inspiration. We have designed and adapted our kind of projects and wooden figures to follow Matt's journeys to Indonesia, North Korea, Afghanistan, Hawaii, California, and more – animated by fundamental forces and young hands. We will build, experiment, watch, listen and, every day, dance.
We will find new ways to connect.

Watch the Video Below!

Apprentice design credits: Nina Chang, Emily Lathers