WATERWAYS AND THE CONFLUXCITY 2009 was part of the WATERWAYS project. WATERWAYS was an international collaboration fusing creative methods of science, architecture, media, music and movement. This collaborative research culminated in a series of public actions surrounding the theme of water.

A Sunday in September, WATERWAYS launched the second project event at the Williamsburgh Waterfront in the East River State Park in Brooklyn as a part of ConfluxCity 2009.

New York waterways formed 11,000 years ago and have since changed shape and course in response to glacial movement and human development.

This event was formed around a series of site-specific water stories flowing from personal interactions, kinetic experiences, and possible past and future scenarios. A fluid timeline connecting past to present and nature to a city.

Incorporated in the park and city, different actions occurred at different scales:

– at 3000 feet, dancers were performing across the river, only to be to be viewed through on site binoculars.

- at 300 feet, other dancers blended with people enjoying a sunny day in the park.

- at 3 feet miniature glaciers, which could be held in the palm of the hand - was melting.

- and yet another place dancers were “swimming” in what might be the future waterline in 50 years.

- viewers had the possibility of listening to a pre-recorded water score as they were watching the different actions. Or they could choose to engage with the on-site percussionist performing with the sounds of dry ice. (Dry ice is uniquely resonant when the evaporating carbon dioxide interacts with metal).

Apart from the key WATERWAYS group this event was joined and performed by the dancers Carmela Torchia, Irene Hsi and Kristina Skovby, Madeleine Söderberg, Frida Danell, Johanna Moritz, Marie Vestermark and percussionist Kevin Sims.

For more detailed information about the work and development of WATERWAYS you can check out the WATERWAYS blog.

Also check out The Conflux Festival website.

WATERWAYS was under the umbrella of an iLAB residency, and further supported and funded by iLAND (= Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Art, Nature and Dance), The Danish Arts Council and The Danish Actors Association.