Project Overview

Gayle Paulson of the University of Central Oklahoma stages a site-responsive choreography at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The work explores how movement can reveal and strengthen communal bonds in moments of crisis and loss, inviting audiences to witness processes of gathering, care, and repair.

Water Context

This choreography responds directly to Lake Hefner’s layered history as a gathering place and to its recent challenges, notably flooding. By framing the lake as a wounded vessel, the piece foregrounds how infrastructure and communities require support and adaptation during periods of uncertainty and fear.

Collaborators

Performers collaborating on the work include Ben Dillsaver, Ella Hurst, Gabi Hudspeth, and Finnigan Cring, working with Gayle Paulson to translate environmental and social themes into embodied practice.

Connect

Follow the artists and the university dance program on social platforms:

• gayle__111
• _ellahurst_
• _gabihudspeth
• finnigancringe
• bennettdillsaver
• ucodance
• _hope_creative_

Artistic Intent

The work invites reflection on communal resilience and the collective actions required to mend water-impacted landscapes and the social ties that sustain them.