Has the dolphin noticed that we were practicing moving with each other like dolphins?  Does he intend to show us?  Has his interest simply been piqued to join in?  One thing is certain, there is an attempt to engage in a moment of meaningful, shared movement – we are all listening to each other, we are all working hard to be connected.

Kathleen is a beautiful dancer, whom I met years ago, when she lived in NYC, dancing for the Trisha Brown Company. Kathleen has been living in Bimini for several years in order to spend more time with dolphins.  Following my week with Diana Reiss’ research trip last August, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with her as the Dolphin Dance Project begins to explore the possibilities for composing dances with multiple humans.

In 2011, our goal is to develop this work and for several humans to dance with each other like the dolphins dance amongst themselves – fluid groupings of synchronous members gliding and twirling, often in unison, sometimes in tender physical contact. I am  eager to experience the dolphins’ reactions. How will they dance with us if we can show them that humans can be cooperative and harmonious underwater, just like them? Will it mean something to the dolphins? As dancers, we can also explore the emotional impact on us of moving this way together.  We will be asking questions like these and documenting them on video as we develop the material for the feature length dance film and documentary we aspire to make.

As we work on the next phase of our project, we will offer more of these previews … and we will continue to let you know about additional screenings of “Together,” our award-winning debut film. In January, we have a few screenings in NYC:

On January 15 between 4 and 8.30 pm, “Together” will screen during the Japanese American and Japanese in America (JAJA) New Year’s party at the Japanese American Association (JAA) Hall at 15 West 44 Street, 11 floor. Admission is free and you will enjoy many performances and exhibits by Japanese and Japanese American artists living in NYC.

On January 27th at 6 pm, our festival tour continues with a screening of  “Together” on the Big Screen Project, a huge new outdoor screen near 6th Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets in NYC as part of the 39th annual Dance on Camera Festival. The best viewing will be from Bar Basque, which will be hosting the Dance on Camera short film celebration that evening; but “Together” and the other short dance films in the program will be visible from the street, the Eventi Hotel plaza and Foodparc.

If you can’t join us on the 27th, the Big Screen Project will show “Together” and the Dance on Camera shorts program several times following the celebration. For specific dates and times, please check their calendar.

As always – thank you so much for continuing to support us through your Facebook ‘likes,’ Tweets, word-of-mouth and your attendance at our screenings.

Happy New Year!

The post Popping the Cork on an Exciting New Year! appeared first on Dolphin Dance Project.

As I entered the water for my first attempt at filming, I was immediately approached by four calves, young Spotted Dolphins less than 4 years old, who had not yet gotten their spots. Tilly, a dolphin well-known to the dolphin boat (captained by Al Sweeting) and one whom I recognized from my trip here in June was in the lead. Tilly  is very recognizable as she has almost no dorsal fin, thanks to a run-in with a shark. As often occurs with Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Tilly came up very close, eye to eye, inviting me to play (see video).

While normally, I’d follow the invitation by diving down, in this instance I was only allowed to follow…no ‘dancing’ that might skew the data collection, so I just swam along side her, the camera pointed at her face. Tilly was so close, I knew the shot was not at all what Daisy wanted, but I didn’t feel as though I could move away and yet also stay ‘connected’ enough to follow with the camera. As I was pondering my dilemma, one of the other dolphins came up under Tilly, inverted, and started rubbing pectoral fins with Tilly. Tilly kept her eye on me, even as I moved away just a little, trying to get both dolphins’ faces in the frame. Ignored, the second dolphin swam away and Tilly started to dive down. Great, I thought…I’ll stay on the surface as instructed and this will put a little distance between us. But when Tilly saw I didn’t follow, she rose up again next to me, made a burst of bubbles from her blowhole and and slapped her tail three times on the water’s surface.

When I popped my head up, the crew were yelling warnings to me to stop following Tilly (even though I already had). I can’t blame them. Big bubbles and tail slaps are a dolphin’s way of indicating displeasure. I was feeling a bit shocked. I didn’t feel I was chasing Tilly, we were maintaining constant eye contact. In fact, I felt that I was trying to keep more of a distance than Tilly wanted to allow. As the dolphins swam away, I could see that Tilly had been with me, separate from the other three dolphins. I think if she were trying to get away from me, or didn’t want to be near me, she would have been with the other three dolphins. Back on the boat, I was chastised for being too close to Tilly…and I didn’t argue. But inside, I couldn’t help feeling that it was actually the opposite…that Tilly had expressed her dissatisfaction at my unwillingness to play.

Regardless who was ‘right’ about the interpretation of Tilly’s behavior, I knew that I had to keep a bigger distance between me and the dolphins if I wanted to get footage that could contribute to Daisy and Diana’s research. So the next day, I tried following a dolphin who didn’t approach me first. I thought maybe eye contact and proximity meant something to Tilly…and perhaps dolphins in general. I guessed that they meant, ‘let’s play!’ or at least, ‘let’s engage’. So I tried to avoid those signals from the beginning of the next ‘focal follow’.

As a young adult dolphin and calf came up to surface, I followed them first from behind where they couldn’t see me. I then maneuvered to their side, but far enough away so that their entire bodies were in the frame. The calf took ‘baby position’, swimming synchronously with its head under the adult’s belly. So sweet! I felt we had negotiated a very satisfactory distance for acquiring useful data.

Just as I was feeling very good about my ‘scientific’ footage, however, another bigger calf came between me and my subjects, peering into my eyes and into the camera lens. And then, appearing tail-first in my viewfinder…as if she had been waiting there for me to catch up…just in the right position to ‘ruin’ my ‘focal follow’…the chopped off dorsal fin…it was Tilly! There she was again, peering into my eyes. How could I not interpret her look as mischievous?

Tilly ‘ruined’ my shot, but I was happy and a bit relieved, of course. I felt as though Tilly was still my friend after I had not followed her invitation the day before. I know these are interpretations that cannot necessarily be validated scientifically…they are difficult to avoid when interacting with dolphins who are so engaging.

Later as we talked about how challenging the encounters were for me, Daisy responded with a comment that gave me pause. “Well, of course,” she said, “if you let the dolphins determine the distance, they’ll be right in your face.”

So then, I understood. As the researcher, YOU – the human – have to be the one to determine the distance (and if possible, type) of interaction, if you want to get the footage best suited for your data gathering. It can’t be left up to the dolphins. No wonder I had so much trouble…my usual intent is to negotiate a ‘leaderless’ dance of cooperation. If the dance must be led (and it sometimes is), I always want the dolphins to lead. To get a good ‘focal follow,’ however, I have to be more in the lead, even if it looks like I’m just following from a distance. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that…that’s not the kind of relationship I want to develop with the dolphins.

For the next couple of days, I filmed mostly Daisy. I shot footage that she can hopefully use for her grant applications – showing her in action, gathering data. I felt much more comfortable following Daisy. With the dolphins, I felt a bit like a sociopath – constantly avoiding interactions.

I learned not only about field research but a lot about dolphin biology and cognition during the trip. Each day before we set out on Al’s boat, Daisy and Diana  gave ‘lunch and learn’ lectures about dolphins. I was incredibly impressed with Diana’s enthusiasm when speaking and teaching about dolphins. After decades of studying them, dolphins are obviously still absolutely fascinating to her. Indeed, she struck me as having a mind much like a dolphin’s – quickly moving from one profound observation or topic to another. Like a dolphin she is also very gregarious, easy to approach, and so supportive – engaging her students in conversations that really seemed to feed their new and growing interest in dolphin field research. I had some great conversations with Diana, too…and I am looking forward to our continued work together studying dolphins in our respective ways.

The post An Introduction to Dolphin Field Research appeared first on Dolphin Dance Project.

(if you enjoy this clip, please rate it on youtube; you can also see it and a breakdown of the interaction in our new gallery.)

On that morning the ocean had quieted after days of high surf. Leaving the harbor at sunrise, we quickly found dolphins cavorting in a bay not far away. The dolphins must have had a good night of fishing as many dolphins were playful and interactive, not yet resting, even though that is what they had come to the bay to do. As we slowly and carefully approached in the boat, several dolphins gathered around, spy hopping to see us. The water was not very clear, churned up by the surf from the days before…but I could hear the dolphins chattering as soon as I entered the water.  As I glided towards the chatter, seven dolphins quickly surrounded me…inviting me for a swim in their midst! Leina and Ben joined me in the water… as did, eventually, Kasumi and Patrice. And the dolphins seemed to enjoy us all. Often separating into twos and threes, those seven dolphins stayed with us for over an hour that morning…leading us this way and that…diving down with us…and circling around…choreographing us in a lovely dance. The clip you see here is just one moment from this human-dolphin dance.

Moments like this are incredibly precious – but not actually rare. Dolphins seem to be as attracted to us as we are to them, and often approach us with great trust. Still, I think footage like this is quite uncommon, and perhaps that is because this moment is really a ‘trio’ between the dolphin, me and Brett, who was filming. As we dance, I am following the dolphin’s lead…and I hardly know where Brett is. So it had to be Brett, who positioned himself just so…and the dolphin who had to lead me towards Brett.

No doubt it was helpful that Brett is a veritable ‘dolphin magnet’! As Brett stayed many feet below, holding the camera – and his breath, for what sometimes seemed an incredibly long time – I often saw the dolphins circling over his head in seeming admiration.

Please rest assured that as we pursue the Dolphin Dance Project we are always diligent about dolphin ‘etiquette’ – as everyone who swims with dolphins should be. Our encounters with wild dolphins are completely voluntary; we never coerce them in any way. Only the dolphins’ generosity and curiosity leads our interactions. If you have the opportunity to meet wild dolphins – please follow these guidelines, which also guide us. They were written by Kathleen Dudzinski, PhD who has conducted one of the longest standing field research projects on wild dolphins and is quite expert in interacting with wild dolphins.

In my experience, wild dolphins of all kinds are amongst the most generous and inviting ‘cultural groups’ that a person could ever hope to encounter. Indeed, visiting dolphins is a little like visiting a foreign country. The more I learn about the ‘local’ culture – through books, videos, or observation – the better I can ‘fit in’…be polite…and have the best social interactions possible.

Thank you for viewing my very first video clip! I hope you enjoyed it and that you will enjoy the series of clips that I will post soon! I am very interested in your reactions…so please post any and all of your comments…anything that strikes you…or any questions that may come up

In the next few weeks, I’ll be posting more clips from the Dolphin Dance Project. As I do so, I’ll tell you more about our experiences with the filming and also about any relevant scientific knowledge regarding dolphins. I hope this will inspire increased interest and regard for our incredible dolphin friends. And I hope this will lead us to consider dolphins in our daily lives: what we eat, what fuels we use, what we do with our garbage, and so many other human activities, affect the well being of dolphins, the oceans in which they live, and the planet we all share.

And thanks again to all who are making this Dolphin Dance Project possible…truly a dream come true. Thanks to Heather Delaney and Kimio Wheaton for helping procure the necessary hard- and software for this endeavor, my crew for their continued help and support, my donors – those of you whose generous donations helped pay for our trip! – Bryce, Kasumi, Patrice, Leina and Brett…and above all, the Pacific Spinner Dolphins!

May we all dance together for a long time to come!

The post Dolphin Dance Project presents . . . our first underwater video clip! appeared first on Dolphin Dance Project.