About Global
Water Dances
Our History
Global Water Dances began as a collective idea of an international group of individuals, certified by the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS), with decades of experience in producing Movement Choirs: events that use community dance to create social cohesion through non-verbal communication. They met attending a conference on Dance and the Environment in July 2008 at Schumacher College in England. The college, connected to the Dartington Estate, is rich in modern dance history and Laban’s life.
The original group includes Karen Bradley, Richard Bell, John Chanik, Gretchen Dunn, Martha Eddy, Ellen Goldman, Marylee Hardenbergh, Antja Kennedy, Tara Stepenburg, Simone Hoever,and Daniela Schlemm.
Participation in Global Water Dances is open to anyone who loves to move.
Our first event took place in June 2011 where 57 locations came together for a 24 hour movement around the world.
Our Mission
We connect and support a global community of choreographers and dancers to inspire action and international collaboration for water issues through the universal language of dance.
Learn more about Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies:
Who We Are
The LABAN/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies
The LABAN/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, LIMS® is a world-renowned nonprofit organization based in NYC with an extensive global network of Certified Movement Analysts (CMAs). Since 1978, when LIMS was founded by somatic educator, dancer and pioneer dance therapist Irmgard Bartenieff, this women-led organization has been exploring and presenting traditional and new forms of dance, developing interdisciplinary research in Movement Studies, and educating professionals in the Laban Movement System, revealing the impact of movement understanding in cross-cultural interactions, and making a difference in the way people perform, communicate, learn and adapt to a fast ever-changing world.
LIMS’ Arts & Culture programs and events reflect the Institute’s multi-cultural environment and represent opportunities for international dialogue and meaningful exchanges. Through exhibitions, lectures, and live interviews, Spring Forward showcases the current interdisciplinary dialogue between CMA artists and professionals from related fields. For the past 13 years, the LIMS’ annual dance concert MOSAIC has been presenting the work of CMA dancers and choreographers from around the world. The Dance Performance Atelier Award recognizes and advances the work of a recent CMA choreographer by offering a career development program that includes rehearsal space, performance opportunities and choreographic mentorship. Movement News (www.movementnews.net) is an online platform for Laban–based arts’ news and LIMS artistic events.
The Institute proudly welcomes the prestigious Global Water Dances (GWD) project, which is now part of our Arts & Culture programing. GWD’s fusion of dance, culture, media, and online advocacy adds to the organization programming the important aspect of communities’ social engagement through the arts.
We are located in Midtown Manhattan
54 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212 643 8888
