Now that we are all dancing in our private spaces— be it a living room, backyard, or kitchen—our intention is more important than ever. The movement that powers the collective energy being created by our simultaneous dances asks more from us as we physically embody our dances.
By collecting movement phrases from participants around the country we selected a beginning phrase and an ending phrase that everyone will incorporate into their dance. The links to the movement and their intentions are below.
Creating the Choreography
- Whether you create a solo or work with Zoom to create a group choreography, everyone will share the first and last gestures. The rest of the phrase is yours to use as you wish. In this way we can find communal movement but not lose our independence in creating our dances.
- Everyone will begin their dance with the same movement phrase at 4:00PM EST on April 18, 2020.
- Everyone will end their dance, according to the length of their choreography, joining in the final shared phrase.
- Because this is a fully online performance, we recommend that groups keep their pieces to within 5 to 10 minutes. Solo artists can choose to make their solos shorter (under 5 minutes). Shorter pieces will upload faster to share on social media.>
- The music and what you wear is up to each individual choreographer.
- Make sure you have proper permissions for the music that you use. This article on the Creative Commons website provides basic information and resources on finding music you can legally use. We also recommend reading Facebook and Instagram’s resource pages on copyright.
Movement Phrases
Opening Phrase (https://vimeo.com/386376798)
Created by Michelle Grant-Murray, Miami, FL
Water is the quintessential livelihood of our universe. We are completely dependent and uniquely tied to Water as a way of life. Water holds physical, intellectual, spiritual, and universal knowledge that extends beyond the comprehension of humankind. Water is mystical, and informs our bodies and shapes the way we navigate the world. It is of ABSOLUTE importance that we give reverence, acknowledgement, and gratitude to the Water that heals, sustains, gives, and provides.
(Michelle has suggested that we all have a container of water where we are to touch as we kneel for her first movement)
Closing phrase (https://vimeo.com/386377663)
First section created by JC
The motivation for my phrase was discovery and self-preservation. I wondered how S-L-O-W-L-Y I can move. I am someone who usually and joyfully burns the candle at both ends and in the middle, too. Something must change if I am going to balance, recuperate and continue on. My challenge, my mission is to move slowly into each new moment.
Second section created by Susan Reiger, Kansas City, MS
Our phrase was developed in a collective process of three separate groups. Comments from the groups included: feeling the rain on your face, water inside and outside of the body, diving in and swimming. Although not spoken, my group is composed of people recovering from cancer and moving lymph is one of the exercises that we do. Lymph is the only bodily fluid that does not have its own pump. When we move, we are recycling lymph back to the core and helping the healing process.