Temple Water Dances
On Sunday, March 22, dance students at Temple University presented Temple Water Dances, a performance to raise awareness for water rights and sustainable practices. The event, a collaboration between graduate and undergraduate dance students at Temple University under the direction of Professor Merián Soto, was scheduled in observance of World Water Day, a United Nations holiday devoted to raising public attention for the critical water issues of our era. The event consisted of a series of dances and videos that responded to the theme “Hot Water-Water, Peace & War”, as well as presentations by environmental scientists from Temple University and the Philadelphia community, Fletcher Chmarra-Huff and Tony DiLudovico.
Temple Water Dances celebrated the spiritual and life giving properties of water. Water is an intrinsic part of our being; 70% of the adult body is water. In fact, the body’s structure and form reflect the fluid form of water and trace our evolution from water to land. As such, the movement of water is a great teacher for dance.
Presentations also addressed the global water crisis and questioned the corporate view of water as a “resource” rather than an intrinsic right. Water has been privatized in many places around the globe with devastating consequences for the communities whose water is sold to large corporations.
Temple Water Dances explores and advocates for useful responses to a global crisis that threatens the stability and subsequent motility of all living bodies. “As improvisers we see the themes inherent to this crisis – flow, survival, sustainability, conservation, and freedom – as vital parts of our creative process. Rather than force water to a point of stagnation, we want to keep it moving. Rather than dictate its path, we consent to its liberated choosing.” Amanda Di Ludovico.
Temple Water Dances included works by Long Cheng, Brooke Frieling, David Heller, Leslies Cornish, Kailey McCrudden, Katie Adkins, Blythe Smith, Muyu Yuan, Angelica Spilis, Amanda DiLudovico, and Elisa Davis.
Check out Julia Davis’ review of Temple Water Dances in GreenPhillyBlog
http://www.greenphillyblog.com/philly-events/world-water-crisis/