series created January 2016 by Nita Bowerman
dancer-in-residence @ Joe Creek Artist Retreat

City gal took the ferry to the Sunshine Coast and danced in the forest for a couple of days.

danced, filmed & edited by Nita Bowerman.
filmed on The Queen of Surrey, BC Ferries

music:
Do I Wanna Go Home ( Remix ) by Dysfunction_AL. (c) 2015.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. dig.ccmixter.org/files/destinazione_altrove/51585
Ft: MATT0223

danced & edited by Nita Bowerman
filmed in Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park

Music:
New New Earth by Dysfunction_AL (c) 2013
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. dig.ccmixter.org/files/destinazione_altrove/44118
Ft: Snowflake
moveandtell.com

danced & edited by Nita Bowerman
directed & filmed by Kendra Fanconi
filmed in the proposed expanded Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park
danced in duet with Big Snag

danced, filmed & edited by Nita Bowerman
filmed in the proposed expanded Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park

danced, filmed & edited by Nita Bowerman
filmed in the proposed expanded Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park

danced, filmed & edited by Nita Bowerman
filmed in the proposed expanded Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park

music:
Foolish Game by Dysfunction_AL (c) 2014
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. dig.ccmixter.org/files/destinazione_altrove/46192
Ft: Snowflake

I was recently invited by The Only Animal to stay at Joe Creek Artist Retreat and explore, as dancer-in-residence, the surrounding forests. The Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park and surrounding area captivated me, not only because of it’s incredible beauty, but also because of the efforts underway to preserve this emerging old-growth forest through the proposed expansion of the existing 140 hectare Provincial Park. I’m not an expert in biodiversity or ecological conservation, but I can tell you that stepping into these woods changes a person. For this city gal, accustomed to walking on hard, flat surfaces surrounded by urban night lights and the constant buzz of electrical wires, dancing in this forest was a departure from my every day. In some ways I felt cared for by the emerging old growth, thick layers of moss providing cushioning when I lost my balance on uneven terrain, for example. Moving in these forests, I became very aware that I had entered into a living world that moved with me, as the ground gave way under my feet or a branch I was using for support disintegrated in my hand causing my body to reorganize itself in response to this changing physical landscape. The evidence of relationship between site and self, that the movement of one so clearly affects the other, begins to break down this very notion of ‘one’ and ‘other.’ On my last day dancing in this forest a local guide and guardian of the emerging old growth told me that I was part of the living forest as much as (touching with his toe) this fern. As I left this area, teeming with growth and the gentle decay that will bring new life, I found myself staring down a patch of clearcut, contemplating the nature of living relationships and the value of sustainability.

Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park, near Roberts Creek, BC, is currently 140 hectares. Conservationists and local eco-group Elphinstone Logging Focus are calling for a 1500 hectare expansion of the park to include the surrounding endangered old-growth and mature “Dry Maritime” forests. The proposed park spans shíshálh (Sechelt) and Squamish First Nation traditional territories, now considered public or Crown land. It is managed under BC Timber Sales and the Sunshine Coast Community Forest. For more information about the proposed expanded Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park and to discover how you can take a stand for for the forest check out loggingfocus.org

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/