(Earth Day is on Monday, April 22, but many activities will take place during the preceding weekend.)
"We want people to come with a sense of adventure," says founder Dale Andree, who has a background in professional dance and instruction. "We want people to see that our dances can take them deeper into the natural experience."
Andree, who taught at the New World School of the Arts for more than 20 years, runs NWD Projects, which, along with Live Arts Miami and the nature center, is presenting the National Water Dance.
The 77-year-old says she has always loved site-specific work — doing work outside of the theater — and was inspired by the movement choir, which connects masses of people with the natural environment as the stage.
"I wanted to connect our state and give young dancers a sense that dance could be potent and stimulating and fulfilling, not just on stage but as part of a larger conversation," she adds.
National Water Day has dancers focusing on a body of water important to their community.
Photo by Mitchell Zachs
Andree initiated the first water dance event in 2011 by connecting art institutions throughout Florida. Three years later, it became a national event, with dancers focusing on or near a body of water important to their community.
"Bit by bit, it has become a much greater force of focus of environmental and social justice through dance," Andree explains.
The National Water Dance happens every two years and has expanded to more than 30 states. Performances will be happening all over the U.S. at 4 p.m. on April 20 and will be livestreamed at nwdprojects.org.
Past performances have been held at Deering Estate and the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay.
The audience will be guided by members of Miami Dade College's Jubilation Dance Ensemble along the trails and will end up on the beach to hear live music from the Miami Sound Choir.
A sunset beach cleanup will commence at 5 p.m., followed by happy hour at 6 p.m. Pre-show activities, which include artwork and environmental dance films, will be shown inside the nature center's upper gallery from 3 to 4 p.m.
"It has become a much greater force of focus of environmental and social justice through dance," says founder Dale Andree.
Photo by Mitchell Zachs
Visual artist Jenny Llewellyn-Jones made replicas of native birds, which the Jubilation Dance Ensemble will hold.
Andree says that specific climate and environmental issues won't be directly addressed at the event; rather, the viewer decides which issues they see and feel in the natural environment.
"The more we can connect viscerally and with all of our senses, then it's harder to turn away from the issues that we're facing," says Andree.
She stresses that what we're currently experiencing with sea-level rise, extreme heat, saltwater intrusion on our water supplies, overdevelopment on our coasts, and the effects of elected officials who make decisions on our behalf will be passed onto future generations.
"Bring yourself into the space so that you can walk away and find which issue you want to be a part of," she says.
National Water Dance. 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center, 6767 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne; nwdprojects.org. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.
