March 18, Loyola Dance Theatre participated in the Loyola University Climate Change Conference. LDT performed a moving piece to “Earth Song,” sung by our very own University Chorale. Collaborating with the choir made the auditorium come alive, and the performance received one of the two standing ovations of the conference (the other being for the keynote speaker, Naomi Klein!). Our company owes a huge thank you to Nancy Tuchman, who put together and allowed us to join in this incredible, collaborative opportunity that is the Climate Change Conference.

The dance program at Loyola strives to use the art of dance as a mutual language that can be understood and discussed on multiple levels. We have made it our mission to collaborate with different fields in order to pursue social justice through interdisciplinary works. As both artists and activists, we have made it our goal to expand upon more than just the scientific facts of climate change. In researching factual evidence, we were able to generate movement that represents the urgency for change among a broader spectrum of humanity.

The piece we performed at the conference, beautifully choreographed by our wonderful faculty member Amy Wilkinson, touched on the connection between human behavior and the environment. We were thrilled to bring our art and passion into a room full of people eager to make a drastic change in saving our planet. We hope our work has affected many in a new way that will allow for deeper thought and action on the matter.

Missed the performance? No worries, you can find a video here.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Aaron Greer