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Dancers across the United States — from Seattle to Mississippi, from Maine to Miami — will join together on Saturday, Apr. 23, at 3 p.m. EDT, in a nationwide simultaneous dance event at water sites ± rural and urban, remote and public — to bring attention to the collective need for everyone to be accountable to, and, for the water that sustains life on the earth.
National Water Dance is an artist-driven collective of dancers, students, educators and community members who create simultaneous performances across the country. Everyone is invited to come dance, and engage in the actions on climate.
Dancing Out of Time – National Water Dance/Miami 2022, directed by dancer, choreographer, teacher and climate activist Dale Andree, is a celebration of nature and a call to action, recognizing a collective responsibility “as we are running out of time against climate change,” according to Andree.
“We are bringing together multiple dance companies, musicians, and visual artists for this free participatory afternoon in order to highlight the influence and importance of the Seminole and Miccosukee communities and their experiential understanding of the natural world of the Greater Everglades. From the first peoples to a multi-cultural city we are asking: What have we done? Where are we now? Where are we going?”
Activities will begin 3 p.m. at South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211 St. in Cutler Bay (bring blankets and chairs).
Live stream begins at 3:30 p.m. — visit www.nwdprojects.org/national-water-dance//. The event is open free to the public.
Dancing Out of Time – National Water Dance/Miami 2022 begins at 3 p.m. with:
• “Interwoven,” an art exhibit featuring work by Wilson Bowers, a Bird Clan artist, and Deborah Mitchell, a conservation artist, both of whom are inspired by their relationship to the Everglades.
• Conversation stations will offer audience members the opportunity to hear stories of the Everglades and engage in conversation with people who have lived there and still call the Greater Everglades home. Available for a one-on-one conversation will be Betty Osceola of the Panther Clan, Houston Cypress of the Otter Clan, both part of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and Samuel Tommie of the Bird Clan of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. An ASL interpreter will be present.
3:30 p.m. — Felipe Barral and IGNI Productions will be live streaming interviews and providing information from each of the participating sites.
4 p.m. — Dance Performance, with soundscape provided by Afrobeta. The audience will be called over to the grassy performance area behind the theater by Samuel Tommie’s flute and the rhythms of Miami Bloco Community Samba School.
Performers include Miami artists: Karen Peterson and Dancers, Ife-Ile Afro Cuban Dance and Drums, Arthur and Polly Mays Conservatory, Jubilation Dance Ensemble of MDC Kendall Campus, Dimensions Dance Theater, Olujimi Dance Collective, NWD Projects, and Miami Sound Choir.
Bringing the winged life of the Everglades to South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center will be moveable sets featuring Everglades photography by Brian Zepeda, a Seminole artist, and flying props created by students of Carver Middle School.
“Collective action is the only answer to climate change. It’s not one community’s problem. There is no place to run. We are running out of time, the time is now,” Andree said.
