Dance performance highlights threat of plastics to Sable Island

A new dance performance is highlighting the danger posed by single-use plastics to Sable Island and the wider Atlantic Ocean.

Mocean Dance, in partnership with the Sable Island Institute, is presenting “Sea Unseen” at the Halifax Central Library this month. The group first put on a dance about Sable Island in 2015, which spurred the institute to reach for a possible collaboration in 2021.

“Sable Island is both romantic and tragic,” said Sara Coffin, co-artistic director of Mocean, in a news release. “It’s a tragedy that lends itself well to dance. The overconsumption of single-use plastics and the way our waste has become entangled with the natural world makes for powerful storytelling. This tiny island reveals a much bigger story – one we cannot ignore.”

The project incorporated input from Sable Island researchers, artists, Mi’kmaq ecologists, and youths.

“Plastic pollution is a complex problem,” said Coffin. “Bringing diverse ways of knowing to the issue ensures that we can look at it from many angles and benefit from the gifts of Indigenous knowledge, science, and the arts.”

The free show will run at 2 p.m. on Nov. 9, and at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13 in the Paul O’Regan Hall.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Valentine Nkengbeza.

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