Reflection

Reflection

For my project, I decided to do an interpretive dance, coupled with projections of the ocean, and a poem I wrote conveying my thoughts on sea level rise. I have danced since I was three years old and have always been astounded and inspired by the sheer impact movement can have; how the texture, level, speed, and size of different movements come together in an equation that can, in my opinion, express just about anything. There is something incredibly impactful about the “human-ness” of dance. It has a natural vulnerability and fragility that struck me as the perfect way to approach this project. In dance, one must be her own entity, even within a crowd of many doing the same movements as you. I feel that this principle is important when thinking about one’s role in climate change. While we all seem to be moving together, practicing the same harmful habits, and unanimously suppressing the guilt of our impact on the planet, it is imperative that you see yourself as an individual; someone who can alter the “set choreography” of life in her own way and be unique in how you approach a standard. Additionally, often us dancers find ourselves alone on a stage. Alone on that stage, we must consider the impact we have when all eyes are on us. We have the opportunity to be free with our movement, but must be intentional in everything we do because we have the power in that moment to change someone's perspective; to spark a connection through shared vulnerability. I used the poem in addition to my dance as a way of adding yet another “human” layer to the piece. I speak from the “I”perspective as I try and comprehend the changes I will see in my life due to sea level rise. By doing this, I hoped to spark a conversation within other people’s minds about how they see their own future, and what they want that to look like. This project taught me a lot about the ways in which I have taken part in the “dance” of climate change, and failed to see myself as an individual within the crowd. In watching this, I hope to inspire you to do the same.