Decatur, GA — Core Dance in Decatur is partnering with Global Water Dances once again for a week-long cultural immersion and environmental activation project in Hawaii from June 6-13.

Global Water Dances uses dance to illuminate water issues on an international scale. The founders believed that community-based dance performances could be a powerful non-verbal way to mobilize people to learn about water issues and take action to protect access to safe drinking water, according to a press release from Core Dance.

The biennial celebration includes a week of festivities and actions that take place at different locations around the world an include site-specific performances or community gatherings that connect the geography of a particular place, a call to environmental action and the creative arts. Participants are planning to perform at rivers, lakes, beaches, parks, pools and other places related to water where they want to activate and incite change.

Core Dance, as environmental activists, will be taking action on the frontlines of the urgent environmental crisis on the Big Island of Hawaii. Core Dance artists and artistic director, Sue Schroeder, will work alongside environmentalists and movement artists to aid in local cleanup efforts and build connections with community members who have been impacted by the issue.

Core Dance with partner with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund at Kamilo Point and Hawaii Environmental Restoration of Keau’ohana, according to the press release.

Before going to Hawaii, Core Dance will take a pledge to be righteous on the island, seek wonder, care for the land and sea and embrace the concept of being a steward of the land.

“Prior to arriving in Hawaii, the Core Dance Artists have taken the pono pledge and participated in the carbon offset of our travel to Hawaii through Carbon Buddy – both as actions to hold ourselves accountable for any cultural or environmental impact incurred during the trip,” Schroeder said in the press release. “In doing so we acknowledge the responsibility to actively practice and share our findings to our audiences around the globe.”

The bulk of their work will be within the Ka’ū Forest Reserve, said Megan Lamson, one of Core Dance’s collaborators from the Hawaii Wildlife Fund.

A typical day down there, we couple reconnaissance efforts and marine-debris recovery together, so we’re often scoping out both how our ongoing restoration projects are going along the coast and around the anchialine pools, which is a unique kind of coastal ecosystem, and the war between the native and invasive species in the native coastal strand plant community,” Lamson said in the press release.

During the week, Core Dance artists will participate in four days of cultural immersion with hula instructor Ryan McCormack. They will also offer a series of dance and movement classes at Volcano Art Center. The classes will end with an event on June 13 in which Core Dance will gather with local community members to offer a blessing to the Niaulani Rainforest. The event will be livestreamed on the Core Dance Facebook page.

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