Seal Ballet
Seal Ballet is an expanded version of Shoal, which uses the Orkney legend of the selkies as a way to reflect on relationships between human and ocean. Created during Fleet Moves 2016, Seal Ballet was assembled over the course of three days and included the participation of both visiting dancers and community members. This dance is the second episode in a series of improvised dances that explore folktales as both a narrative structure and a physical practice.
I am a man upon the land,
I am a silkie in the sea,
And when I'm far frae every strand,
My home it is in Sule Skerry."
“It was na weel”, the maiden cried,
“It was na weel, indeed” quo she,
“For the Great Silkie of Sule Skerrie,
To hae come and aught a bairn to me!”
Performers: Zena Bibler, Rebecca Burrill, Hannah Krafcik, Ben Van Buren, Lailye Weidman, Jordan Perry, Laurel Atwell, Paula Erikson, Athena Kokoronis, Jordan Perry, Monica Robles, Katie Schetlick, Jessie Young, Rishauna Zumberg
Performed on June 24, 2016 at LeCount’s Beach as part of Fleet Moves 2016.
Photos: Whitney Browne