“Fluid Resilience”—A Unique Performance and Workshop Opportunity with Choreographer Shannon Cooney

In a world increasingly disconnected from nature, Shannon Cooney’s latest choreographic work, Fluid Resilience, invites audiences to rediscover their intrinsic connection to the environment through the language of movement.

Set to take place on Thursday, September 5 and Friday, September 6, at the Ottawa Dance Directive (ODD) studio located at Arts Court on Daly Avenue, the evening performances offer a unique exploration of water’s role in the natural world and within our bodies.

The event promises to be a profound experience. Cooney, a Canadian choreographer and dance educator, will bring her fluid, water-inspired choreography to life alongside co-creative performers Jared Gradinger and Sigal Zouk. The production, supported by an array of artistic and scientific collaborators, is more than just a dance; it is a call to reconnect with the biosphere in an era of ecological change.

Cooney’s Fluid Resilience is rooted in resilience theory, a concept used/practiced/operationalized by Dr. Allyson Quinlan, a biologist and Senior Research Fellow, that examines how systems, particularly ecological ones, can absorb disturbances while retaining their essential functions.

With this as her inspiration, Cooney translates these ideas into movement, emphasizing how the fluidity of water within our bodies mirrors the natural world’s ability to adapt and endure.

The choreographer’s inspiration also stems from a 2017 Water Ceremony Circle hosted by Water Walkers on Ward’s Island in Toronto, led by the late Indigenous water walker Josephine Mandomin.

The experience, combined with the teachings of resilience theory, led Cooney to explore how our bodies—composed mostly of water—can be seen as waves, whirlpools, and channels of resilient transformation. Through dance, she illustrates this fluid dynamic, urging us to listen to our inner tides and connect more deeply with the water that sustains us.

Fluid Resilience is the latest in a series of works by Cooney, who has been creating and presenting choreography since 1993. Her international career spans performances and teaching across Canada, Europe, and the UK.

Based in Berlin since 2006, Cooney has developed a unique teaching practice called Dynamic Expansion/Moveable Cinema, which blends contemporary dance with craniosacral principles. This practice is not just about dance—it’s about finding a unique path to explore the relationship between the body and its surroundings, enabling participants to experience a sense of inner-outer connectivity. It also served as the root or foundation for her choreographic projects, including her recent works Fielding (2017) and Everyone Everyone (2013).

On Saturday, September 7, she will lead a transformative workshop titled Finding Fluid Resiliency from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Strathcona Park. The workshop, priced at $35, is open to both professional and non-professional movers, dancers, visual artists, and bodywork practitioners.

Get ready to be inspired and motivated as you engage in Dynamic Expansion, a practice that orients the body to its fluid nature, encouraging a deep connection with the self and the environment.

The weekend of events concludes with a documentary screening at 3 p.m. on September 7 at DARC Microcinema in Arts Court. This screening will offer an intimate and involved look at the creative process behind Fluid Resilience, providing insights into how Cooney’s choreography brings together artistic expression and ecological consciousness.

Fluid Resilience is more than a performance; it’s a conversation with the natural world, a reminder of the delicate balance we must maintain with the environment. Shannon Cooney’s work challenges us to listen to the rhythms of nature and to find our place within its flow—a call that is both timely and timeless.

For tickets to the ODD presents Fluid Resilience performances on September 5 and 6 or the workshop and screening on September 7, click here.

Fluid Resilience: Thursday, September 5 and Friday, September 6
WHERE: ODD, 2 Daly Avenue
TIME: Doors open at 7 p.m., performance at 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: Adults $35, Students and Seniors $25

Finding Fluid Resiliency Workshop: Saturday, September 7
WHERE: Strathcona Park
TIME: From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
TICKETS: $35

Film Screening: Saturday, September 7
WHERE: DARC Microcinema, 67 Nicolas Street
TIME: 3 p.m.
TICKETS: Pay what you can