Discovering La Mer

Friends, as some of you know, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has recently collaborated with the Boston Ballet on a new piece about the ocean. The choreographer, Nanine Linning, and Boston Ballet's Artistic Director, Mikko Nissinen, visited WHOI a few weeks ago, and then WHOI scientists had a chance to visit the Ballet and see a rehearsal. 

Being involved in this partnership has been an incredible experience. I danced ballet at my local studio growing up, and it is such an honor and a thrill to have a peek back into that world. Nanine's piece, La Mer, uses dance to convey the beauty and complexity of the ocean and how humans have affected it through climate change and pollution. The piece poses a question to the audience: is this the end of life as we know it, or is this a new beginning? 

WHOI's role in the partnership is to provide the scientific background for La Mer. It's not often that I get to discuss my research with artists, but Mikko and Nanine wanted to learn as much as they could. The partnership between WHOI and the Boston Ballet has been documented in a short film, which premiered on YouTube last night. I invite you to check it out. 

The mini-documentary, Discovering La Mer, can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7yZ8i5Lm0o