AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

Global Water Dances is a world event planned for June 25, 2011. On this day, a 24 hour series of dances around the globe will be danced, centered around water issues. Beginning in the Western Pacific Rim, and encircling the globe, the series of dances will also be broadcast online.

Global Water Dances is a bold visionary artistic initiative focused on the critical need for safe drinking water. Already today, there are an estimated 5 million deaths per year globally from polluted water. By 2025, over half the world's population will be facing water-related problems. (See Water Issues page for more info.)Global Water Dances is a model of how to use participatory art-making to raise consciousness about environmental problems and how to bring people together to work on solving these problems. Participants and viewers of Global Water Dances will learn about the critical role of humans in protecting water supplies.

The initiators of Global Water Dances are an international network of dance and non-verbal communication experts. In working with local choreographers around the world, we will be drawing on Rudolf Laban and Irmgard Bartenieff's practices with human movement to mirror the universe's dynamic patterns. Using Laban's technique of Movement Choirs, the choreographers will create dances which will not only move the participants, but also the observers.The activities in Global Water Dances will be simple; creating bonds using time, space and rhythm. The dances will be professionally choreographed and people of all ages and abilities from the local communities will be participating. Each dance event will reflect the importance of water as seen by that local community and in the eco-systems we share world-wide.Flow, the medium of dance/movement, can connect community, just as water connects people. Communities grew up and were often defined by the water nearby. Movement also provides an embodied practice for community-building and can foster new understandings and behaviors.

Through Global Water Dances we want to connect the local to the global community to safeguard that all humans have access to clean drinking water, so that the water flowing through us is sustaining and not harming us. Taking responsibility for, valuing and protecting water, can shift people easily into other ways of caring for the planet.Global Water Dances will raise the awareness of participants and observers about the importance of water, and to provided a model for empowering local communities to take action. The Global Water Dances event will bring local environmental experts and organizations, artists and members of the community together in a process that can build ongoing collaborations.

To be part of a dance, find out more at Join The Dance

To find the locale which is closest to you please visit our map.To join the mailing list, please sign up here.

globalwaterdances.org

Timeline

Year One: 2010Create website and develop a plan for networking eventsConsult with leading experts about local water sources and ecosystemsNetwork with local art and environmental organizationsNegotiate with local officials establishing appropriate sitesDevelop outreach plan for broadcast media

Year Two: 2011Select choreographers and musicians for the 15-20 sequential events across the globeSelect 10-100 performers per locationImplement outreach plan to broadcast mediaPrepare and rehearse in each locationConduct eventsEvaluate impact of global event, prepare document and lessons learned

Year Three: 2012Continue to build out website as a base for learning and engaging in new participation

Repeat Global Water Dances in previous locations and in new locations

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from Art4Development