Performances of "Body of Water" at Luther College starting Thursday will merge performance and science

A teaching partnership between the biology and dance departments at Luther College is producing a series of performances this week that are aimed at influencing how people think about water use.

Performances of "Body of Water" will combine dance, live music, live video and science to influence audience members.  The performances will be held at 9:30 p.m. Thursday; 7:30 p.m. Friday; and 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Jewel Theatre, Center for the Arts, on the Luther College campus. Tickets are $12, available through the Luther Ticket Office, (563) 387-1357, (800) 458-8437, or tickets.luther.edu.

"Body of Water" specifically touches on water usage and quality within the Dry Run Creek Watershed--as well as within the broader community.
 
The teaching partnership between dance professor Jane Hawley and biology professor Jodi Enos-Berlage began in 2006. Enos-Berlage began using movement to teach scientific concepts and Hawley used standard science research methods as a framework for her dance students' research.

When she decided to create a dance project about water, Hawley wanted her students to understand water in a profound way, down to its molecular activity, and that's where Enos-Berlage came in.  Hawley's dance practicum class joined Enos-Berlage's microbiology class on a tour last fall of the 20,000-acre Dry Run Creek watershed, which Enos-Berlage has been researching since 2010.

"Body of Water" incorporates brief videos narrated by Enos-Berlage that explore the essential nature of water and how we interact with it.  She also interviewed Decorah-area farmers and community members, focusing on their concerns and connections with water.

Audiences are encouraged to arrive a half-hour before the perofmrances to view an exhibit highlighting the experiences and findings of the science and dance research in the Dry Run Creek Watershed. The exhibit will include detailed data on the watershed, preliminary data on Decorah urban water research, video and a live dance element. There will also be maps of the area on which viewers can place a pin where they live and read about water issues in their area.