Audience Location:
Beginning at the pond at McConnell Springs; procession to the Amphitheater for the dances.
Date and Time:
June 24, 2017 at at 2:30pm EDT
Water Locale:
McConnell Springs
Choreographer(s):
Pamla Wood
This is Pamla’s third Global Water Dance event. She has studied dance in Lexington at Modern Dance Kentucky, Syncopated Inc, Mecca and other places, but has been at Dancers’ Studio with Laurie Fields for more than a decade. Her choreography and performances include, among others, River Dance, Take Back the Night, Peace Dance at Woodland Dance Festival, a Rainbow Coalition event, and others. Most of this year’s dancers also danced at the River Dance and the 2015 Global Water Dance – which was done only for video because it was raining so heavily there was no audience!
History of Site and Related Water Issues:
McConnell Springs was selected because of its place in Lexington’s history, its beauty and its suitability for an audience. The local water dance focuses on water issues for the entire Kentucky River Watershed. The most common issue is bacteria, measured as E. coli from leaking septics, old or leaking sewage pipes, or even straight pipes, or from animals in creeks or in fields adjacent to creeks that lack sufficient vegetation along their edges. Erosion, sedimentation and channelization limit stream health and cause flooding. In addition, mining creates acid streams and excess selenium in upland streams. In some spots, issues are caused by specific industries.
Music:
Chimes for the Ritual (part I) provided by Laurie Fields.
Poetry for the Local dance (part II) written by Barry Tonning and Pamla Wood, performed by Steven Shindle.
Music for the Global dance (part III) provided by Global Water Dances.
The Performance:
Dancers include Andrea Kay, Elizabeth Hisle, Jenn Jackson, Laure Segre-Lewis, Mayumi Okabe, Pamla Wood, and Virginia Ballard. Costumes are provided from Dancers’ Studio, and all the dancers study with Laurie Fields at the studio.
Anyone who would like to dance with future Global Water Dances or other projects of Pamla Wood should contact her at [email protected]. No dance training is required!
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Environmental Impact:
Environmental partners for this event include Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA), Kentucky River Watershed Watch (KRWW). KWA works statewide for healthy waterways and healthy communities, being a voice for clean water across the state. Check them out at KWAlliance.org.
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KRWW volunteers sample streams throughout the Kentucky River basin. You can be a volunteer, it only takes a few hours of training and a commitment to sample a stream of your choice a few times each year. Find out more at KRWW.org.
Directions to the Site of Performance:
McConnell Springs is off of Old Frankfort Pike. From Old Frankfort Pike, turn onto McConnell Springs road. There are signs.
If you are coming from New Circle Road, it’s a Right turn; if coming from Manchester Street, it’s Left. (And be careful; visibility is bad from that direction!).
Take the first Left, then a Right, into the parking lot.
To get to the amphitheater, go through the entry at the visitors’ center, then continue on the trail that goes generally straight ahead (i.e. don’t go off to a trail on the right).
Email for more information:
How can I get involved?
KWA works statewide for healthy waterways and healthy communities, being a voice for clean water across the state. Check them out at KWAlliance.org.
KRWW volunteers sample streams throughout the Kentucky River basin. You can be a volunteer, it only takes a few hours of training and a commitment to sample a stream of your choice a few times each year. Find out more at KRWW.org.