Process

Even if you have only seen wild dolphins on video, you know how gracefully they move. They nuzzle each other and touch fins as they glide and swirl, seamlessly moving from pairs and trios into bigger groups and back again. By their very nature, dolphins are beautiful underwater ‘dancers’. Dolphins are also very playful, and what appears to us as beautiful dancing, is often the dolphins’ socializing and play. Having visited several species of wild dolphins, I know how much many of them enjoy playing amongst themselves and also with humans.

In our process four human dancers will join a pod of dolphins in their play. As dancers, we’ll watch the dolphins and learn their ‘movement language’ – just as we would learn any choreography. To the best of our abilities, we will mimic and ‘converse’ with them through that language…diving, spinning and swimming alongside the dolphins in a way that is responsive to their lead and interest. For us and – and we hope, for the dolphins – the play will be transformed into something higher. Through playing together we’ll discover things that we want to ‘say’ together. Our movements will become a collaborative, artistic expression. We will dance an inter-species dance together.

The dance will be recorded on high definition video. The footage will be edited and scored by musicians who will incorporate the dolphins’ sounds into the music, and the resulting film will be made available for viewing online and in independent film festivals so that the dance can be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible.

During our dance-making process, we will invite dolphin scientists to observe, record and analyze our interactions. We will also engage contemporary dance improvisers and theorists in discussions about whether and how our process is truly ‘dance’. These activities will be recorded for the purpose of creating a documentary called ‘Reunion: Sharing the Dance’ (working title).

As we proceed with our process, I’ll be reporting on it through my blog.

When we interact with wild dolphins, we are guided by a Code of Conduct written by a world renowned dolphin research scientist

(more on our approach here).

Our process is truly multi-disciplinary and will require the cooperation, imagination and love of many talented people. If you have an expertise in researching, recording or swimming with dolphins and would like to be involved or would like to offer your talents in music composition or video editing, please contact me!

Please also feel free to email me with any questions or comments about the Dolphin Dance project.

To make a donation of goods, services or funds, please click here.

Artistic Process: Dolphins and Humans Dancing Together on FIlm