Inside My Ocean is Never Blue
by Ilana Silverstein
Today, Daniel Burkholder/The Playground shared the current project, My
Ocean is Never Blue as part of the New Joe’s Open House: A piece that
explores emotional, environmental and societal relationships with
water. I appreciate the format: open rehearsal, informal showing,
anything that welcomes the audience into the creative process! Dance
is fluid and constantly evolving, and a performance in a black box
theater is just one piece of that. But how much is too much? too
little? How much is communicated without speaking? What would be
helpful to share with an audience as an introduction or program note
to have an understanding of the work?
About 20 people sat on one side of the studio and hung over the open
window to watch a group of 18(ish) dancers. We performed five of the
sections that we have been playing with in rehearsal. Before each
section, Daniel explained to the audience what they were about to see,
shared the section’s connection to water and the exact improvisational
score. It felt satisfying to put the work out into the world and hear
a response. The comments were on the literal side like, Is there a
direct connection to the environment? Will there be an advocacy
component? And to those literal questions, Daniel gave literal
responses: explaining that the piece will incorporate water statistics
and we are looking to partner with environmental organizations to host
fundraisers for environmental issues, etc. But wait. Hold the phone.
Isn’t ART political? Does ART about water issues not raise awareness
of water issues? The ART is a direct reflection of the time period
and society of when and where it is created. I don’t think we can
extract that from the work. Perhaps this is too farfetched, but this
investigation of water is making a difference, starting conversations,
expressing what we are experiencing.
For more information/upcoming performances visit:
http://improvarts.alkem.org/myoceanisneverblue
Ilana Silverstein
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“I appreciate the format: open rehearsal, informal showing,
anything that welcomes the audience into the creative process! Dance is fluid and constantly evolving, and a performance in a black box theater is just one piece of that.”
Totally. And I think modern dance/improv based dance might generate bigger audiences if people get a chance to take part of the process like on Sunday.
It was cool to see that also Stephen Clapp and Laura Schandlemejer and Nancy Havlic’s group had open rehearsals. Joe’s really has unique stuff to offer!
Comment by Lotta — January 29, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
I was very curious about the show when I saw everyone involved practice at the Joy of Motion once. Water has always played an important part of my growing up mainly due to it’s scarcity.
I grew up in a squalid lower middle class neighborhood in Bombay where there was no running water and we had to share a bathroom and toilet with 15 other families. The water used to be turned on for 2 hours a day from 4-6 pm and that too in the community bathroom which had 2 taps. It was a community gathering everyday from 4-6 pm to stock buckets, utensils and various other items that could hold water. All kids and their moms used to line up with empty utensils and regular altercations were not uncommon due to limited supply of water. After procuring our share of water we used to stock it in big plastic tank in our home for everyday use. Water was pretty much rationed, one bucket for bath in the morning, 1/2 bucket for washing your face, hand after work, rest for cooking and so on. It was always an adventure to live in a “water-centric” community. We referred to the more privileged people living in upscale communities where they had all day long water as “those with 24 hour water people” Kids were summoned to borrow water from neighbors when there were guests in the house.
The suburbs were a different story all together. Where my aunt lived, a big truck used to come and deliver briny water every evening which everyone would line up to stock up in their house. The water tasted horrible due to very high salt content as it was retrieved from wells in close proximity to a bay. Even the milk tasted salty *that is why I asked Ilana if she actually had salt in the water she was drinking!) . The salt content was so high that even after using up half a bar of soap there would be no lather. All this was part of one’s life and no one thought it to be an incovenience. My only dream was to own a house one day where there would be 24 hour water and hot shower. I was pleasantly surprised when I moved to U.S. for graduate school and there was running water and hot shower all day long in my dumpy apartment in Kansas. However, interestingly the “water centric” community shaped my ambitions, goals and dreams in a manner which made them easily attainable relatively.
Even now when I see someone forget to turn off the tap in a restroom my first instinct is turn it off as I still cannot see such a great resource being wasted anywhere in the world!!
Comment by Milind — February 1, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Reading your comment, Milind, reminds me of the split second of India I experienced…the solidarity fast with a community protesting mercury contaminated water, the studies of communities built around borewells, the iodine tablets, the outdoor shower with a view of the water windmill, the biking through monsoon drenched muddy roads, the nalgene bottles signifying we were American, the sweat, the sweat, the sweat.
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