Unique local/national partnership
Ocala/Marion County participants will be part of a simultaneous performance on April 18.
National Water Dance participants are part of simultaneous performances across the country. [Photo courtesy AIHOM]
Arts in Health Ocala Metro and Silver Springs State Park will host a National Water Dance & Festival on April 18 at the park. The event is in honor of the springs, which are among the highest-flowing first magnitude springs in the nation.
“This fun and meaningful event will feature dance, artists and information on the importance of Florida’s precious springs. At 4 p.m. dancers from Arts in Health Ocala Metro and Belleview High school will perform in a live-streamed, synced performance with dancers throughout the United States, the AIHOM news release noted.
National Water Dance is an artist-driven collective of dancers, students, educators and community members who create simultaneous performances across the country. Our focus for this year’s performance is celebrating our stories in relationship to the Earth, its website noted.
“As we recognize this year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, National Water Dance acknowledges the uniqueness of our multicultural citizenry and the many stories that weave into one in solidarity, empathy and equity, giving and sharing. We invite everyone from every corner of our country to come dance with us — to be accountable for our environment and bring us back into balance with this precious planet that we all call home,” the organization noted on the site. “National Water Dance expresses the best of who we are through the collective spirit of the movement choir. Uniting through dance and celebrating community, from urban to rural areas, from the subtropics to the snowy north. We acknowledge our interconnectivity to our environment and the shared concerns we have for its preservation, using the power of artistic expression to reimagine our future.”
[Photo courtesy AIHOM]
Arts in Health Ocala Metro is a nonprofit organization that supports mental and physical health by “delivering the healing power of the arts to those who need it most.”
“Arts in Health Ocala Metro is excited to join NWD Projects in assembling a movement choir across the United States for the seventh and final Biennial National Water Dance on April 18. We are joining dancers from 32 states in a simultaneous dance performance at water sites in our local areas. Dancers embody the collective spirit of our movement by weaving a shared movement phrase into their choreography at the beginning and end of their unique dance. From Seattle to Atlanta, Maine to Florida, participants are joining together to delight in and take responsibility for protecting our environment and call attention to climate change,” AIHOM noted in its release.
To learn more, the “Gazette” asked some questions of AIHOM Executive Director Patricia Tomlinson.
Why did AIHOM decide to be part of this?
Arts in Health Ocala Metro was interested in participating in National Water Dance for several reasons. We believe it encompasses our dedication to the arts and community collaboration in addition to incorporating our mission to integrate the arts to heal. We feel this special day honors our communities, Ocala’s incredible natural resources including our beloved first magnitude mammoth spring, and the power and beauty of the arts.
How many local dancers will be involved?
AIHOM Artist Practitioner DeNaya Wilkerson will lead 10 to 15 student dancers from Belleview High School. The National Water Dance Performance will take place at 4 p.m. EST next to the picnic tables near the Silver Springs entrance. All of the NWD participants throughout the United States will perform simultaneously in their time zone.
Will they have special costumes?
To honor the spring, the dancers will wear blue outfits.
Can people watch a live stream of the event?
Yes, National Water Dance will be live streamed on the Arts in Health Ocala Metro Facebook channel at fb.com/aihocala. On April 19, at noon, there will be a watch party to view all of the NWD performances throughout the country on its website at nwdprojects.org/national-water-dance
Are there activities before the dance?
Yes. Our friends at Silver Springs partnered with us to create an exhibitor space near the entrance. Exhibitors will feature booths from noon to 3 p.m. AIHOM will have a booth, in addition to a juried art student exhibition from West Port High School and other exhibitors focusing on the importance of our springs, ecosystem and natural waters.
Silver Springs State Park is located at 5656 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Admission to the park is $2 per person.
To learn more, go to ahiocala.org and nwdprojects.org/national-water-dance
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