Water Bodies aims to raise awareness about the historical and ecological significance of water in the context of greater Vancouver, as well as highlighting movements and organizations that are working to protect our waterways and ‘water bodies.’

In collaboration with filmmaker Leslie Kennah and activist Hannah Carpendale, Water Bodies began its journey in the days leading up to Canada Water Week 2013. Past and present dancers in the project include Jen Aoki, Olivia Davies, Jen Dunford, Sanya Hung, Angelina Krahn, Philippa Myler, Kara Nolte, Daphné Paquette, Lindsey Shaw, Rianne Svelnis, and Maria Turner.

The project has several tributaries:

WATER BODIES: THE ORIGINAL. site-specific performance at the rainway mural that honours te statlew, (otherwise known as St. George’s creek). A public rehearsal of the work-in-progress was documented in a short film by Leslie Kennah (below). Water Bodies were then invited to perform at the Creek Forum in November 2013, a day of activities designed to inform and inspire engagement with place-making (view the video from the Creek Forum)

WATER BODIES: PIPED. a film (shot in the location pictured at top) that will enliven the subject of Vancouver’s lost creeks and waterways by combining dance, archival imagery, and water soundscapes.  The project will layer water-inspired choreography and cartographic documents with creek sounds and spoken word narration. The goal of the work is to inspire in community members and the wider public a more impassioned connection to the subject of water stewardship and, in turn, a deeper sense of place and ecological understanding. This project is naturally situated within broader issues of water conservation; however, it will remain firmly rooted in the particular issue of lost creeks in the False Creek Watershed. Currently in-progress.

WATER BODIES: SALTED. explorations and research in ocean locations, where the rivers meet the sea…