This is my second season with Ann Arbor Dance Works, but the first as a University of Michigan graduate student, and so far it has been a really exiting and enriching process to have been involved with this project early on. Last fall, Jessica brought me in to help her with this project because of my interest in promoting environmental stewardship through dance. Now that rehearsals are in full swing, it has been a pleasure to work in the studio and see how all the ideas that Jessica has shared with me throughout the year come to life. In addition, it has been great to meet all the collaborators in this project. Their expertise, whether scientific or artistic, will no doubt guide and inform the work we do in the dance studio.
On Friday, May 9th collaborator Sara Mills, Doctoral Student, University of Michigan Urban and Regional Planning, paid us a visit during rehearsals to share some of the research she has been doing throughout Michigan’s communities in relation to wind energy.
Something that really struck me was the fact that while most people are in favor of wind energy, the truth is that a large percentage of people (80%) live in cities where a wind turbine is unlikely to affect their landscape. It is the rural communities that will have to deal with having turbines in their properties. Therefore, it is incredibly important to find out how and why would these communities want or not want to have wind energy developers put up those massive turbines on their land. An understanding of the community and the relationships between neighbors is key because a landscape belongs to the community.
Meanwhile in rehearsals, it’s been interesting to explore various ideas involving wind within the body. What is wind? How is wind created? How can we create wind (breath) with our bodies? How can we figuratively become wind and thereby understand it? Perhaps by understanding the relationship between humans and our ability to harness our breath as a source of movement we can understand the relationship between communities and the ability to harness wind as a source of energy.
Patty Solórzano
Note: For Sara Mills’ bio, please click on the ‘collaborators’ tab under ‘2014 Season: Into the Wind.’
On Friday, May 9th collaborator Sara Mills, Doctoral Student, University of Michigan Urban and Regional Planning, paid us a visit during rehearsals to share some of the research she has been doing throughout Michigan’s communities in relation to wind energy.
Something that really struck me was the fact that while most people are in favor of wind energy, the truth is that a large percentage of people (80%) live in cities where a wind turbine is unlikely to affect their landscape. It is the rural communities that will have to deal with having turbines in their properties. Therefore, it is incredibly important to find out how and why would these communities want or not want to have wind energy developers put up those massive turbines on their land. An understanding of the community and the relationships between neighbors is key because a landscape belongs to the community.
Meanwhile in rehearsals, it’s been interesting to explore various ideas involving wind within the body. What is wind? How is wind created? How can we create wind (breath) with our bodies? How can we figuratively become wind and thereby understand it? Perhaps by understanding the relationship between humans and our ability to harness our breath as a source of movement we can understand the relationship between communities and the ability to harness wind as a source of energy.
Patty Solórzano
Note: For Sara Mills’ bio, please click on the ‘collaborators’ tab under ‘2014 Season: Into the Wind.’
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