‘The Way of Water’ Gathers Miami-Dade Water Workers For Dance-Theater Performance

“Quality Monitoring,” Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources accompanied by the Miami Sound Choir,”  is part of “The Way of Water: Miami” at the Dennis C. Moss Center on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8. (Photo by Ronnie Khalil)

A large-scale outdoor dance-theater performance piece with a message features some unlikely performers: Miami Dade County water workers.

Allison Orr, a choreographer from Austin, Texas, is teaming up with the Dennis C. Moss Center for “The Way Of Water: Miami,” featuring the workers along with Miami dancers and artists.

Performances are free on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8 at the  Moss Center, 10950 SW 211 St., Cutler Bay.

Mayor Danielle Levine Cava will be in attendance Friday night and says she’ll be playing a role, The Water Warrior. “Miami artists have been meeting with our water employees and they’ve created this new work combining music, dance and theater. The frontline workers and stewards of our water actually play themselves in this piece.”

Houston R. Cypress, Otter Clan, “On the Way to School.” (Photo by Ronnie Khalil)

Orr uses the arts to spotlight, in this case, the challenges and day-to-day work that keeps Miami’s water moving.

“The Way of Water: Miami” features the participation workers who steward Miami-Dade County’s water system – everyone from wastewater plant operators to water quality testing technicians, distribution field crews, canal maintenance teams, and scientists.

“It’s a groundbreaking collaboration,” says Cava. “I’m pretty excited about it; to see how they’ve put it all together and hopefully make people understand how critically important our  water is to all of us.”

Teo Castellanos, a Miami arts treasure, a writer, director and actor, whose award-winning solo performance “NE 2^nd Ave.” commissioned by Miami Light Project, toured extensively for a decade and earned the Fringe First Award at the 2003 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, has been signed on to work with Orr as dramaturg.

John Toohey-Morales, Chief Meteorologist, WTVJ, NBC6-TV, “A Weatherman’s Story.” (Photo by Ronnie Khalil)

All in all, about 75 Miami-Dade County water workers, artists and people from the community, along with two choreographers from Orr’s company Forklift Danceworks, have worked on the project. Forklift bills itself as an organization activating communities through a collaborative creative process. Miami is one of four cities participating in the global project. Austin played host to the first installment of the series, which also includes productions in El Paso, Texas, and Venice, Italy.

“I am working closely with Allison helping her shape the piece and make sure that it flows correctly. The importance about this being presented here is that we are living on the front lines of climate change here in Miami,” says Castellanos.

Castellanos says that in the process of doing the research for the piece, he became even more dedicated to getting the message out about the fragile state of our water. He believes presenting the message in an entertaining and enlightening dance-theater performance piece will be impactful.

“This is all about community and the people who are living and working here and who are constantly overlooked. We just open our faucets and drink and use our water, but don’t really think about how that happens.”

Orr’s work is inspired by what she calls “the often-overlooked choreography of work that sustains our everyday lives, inspired by the beauty and virtuosity in the practiced, habitual movement of labor.”

Bryan “BJ” Blackshear, dancer, “Oath of the Masterminds.” (Photo by Ronnie Khalil)

Partners for “The Way of Water: Miami” include Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Water and Sewer Department, Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Office of Resilience, and the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, along with Eric Fliss, managing director of the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Center.

Castellanos says “The Way of Water: Miami” will be “unlike anything seen before.”

“What’s amazing about Forklift’s work is that they don’t just choreograph people they choreograph machines, too,” says Castellanos.

WHAT: “The Way of Water: Miami”

 WHEN: 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8; 7 to 8 p.m., community resource fair.

WHERE: Dennis C. Moss Cultural Center, Backyard Concert Lawn, 10950 SW 211 St., Cutler Bay 

COST: Free, but RSVP requested

INFORMATION: (786) 573-5300 or mosscenter.org

ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.