Forward for Waggle Ballet by Lessa Andrews,

I was a ballet dancer along with my colleague for many years in the Lenapehoking Ballet Collective. In 2045, I fell ill after being in contact with a fungus that spread as a result of rising temperatures and moisture levels. My health returned, but my eyesight was gone. I was understood at the time that I would no longer be able to see or write critiques for the ballet, which was how I transitioned careers after my dancing career ended. I was set to write a review for my colleague’s final retirement performance, "but access for blind audiences has rarely been offered, probably because it is rarely requested" (Kleege, 2014). I was not sure how I could possibly experience her dancing without being able to see.

I spoke with Kiara about what we could do and she told me of her “vision” for blind accessible ballet. She reminded me that my experience dancing was sensational and not only a visual experience. Together we brainstormed the Waggle Ballet. We wanted to create a piece that honored the bee population that was able to help our community decontaminate our food resources. We also wanted to create a ballet that honored the sensations of dancing that cannot be seen but are rather experienced by dancers. We wanted to bring the audience into that experience and thought it would be a particularly special experience for those who cannot see or hear or have other reductions in some of their senses. A ballet that taps into all the senses is more accessible than a ballet made purely for sight.

At the premiere of the ballet, I was still able to write the review. I was able to describe and be critical of the experience from pre-show until the curtain closed. I had a memory of the texture of the costumes and the shape of dancers arms and feet, and I familiarized myself with rhythms that the dancers made with their feet and voice. My audio description was immersive and captured spatial differences in the dancers thanks to the binaural recording technology. It felt like I was onstage with the dancers steeped in the onstage experience. The work inspired other theaters and ballet companies to incorporate these practices, and ballet audiences grew as they were able to include the blind community that would have otherwise chosen not to attend the ballet.

-Lessa Andrews

WAGGLE BALLET
experience the hive

The Earth’s temperature has increased. Everyone is affected and the collapse of ecosystems has begun.

The human community must come together to adapt to a changing world where everyone is experiencing different abilities needs. We have turned to honeybees, for assistance to decontaminate our food sources.

Waggle Ballet tells a mythical origin story of the triumphant honeybee that led her colony to safe foraging sources, and how she was able to navigate the chaos by listening to others feedback, and communication with other non human life. The result is a healthier thriving community of harmonious cooperation of living species.

Explore the the immersive accessible ballet experience.

Set

Minimal Set Pieces:

There are minimal set pieces used in this ballet. The main set piece is a hexagonal platform that can be moved around the stage. This platform represents the beehive and all audio in the audio description is from the perspective of this platform. When the platform moves the audio focal point will also move.

The soloist dancer will occasionally board the platform or dance very close to the platform. The ensemble will often dance around the platform.

Flexible venue space

Due to the minimalistic qualities of this ballet, it can be adapted to several different venue spaces. The only set requirement is a portable platform. This will accomidate for large theaters or a smaller more intimate venues that are less stimulating.

The piece must be performed on sprung vinyl dance floor for the safety of the performers.

illustration of theatre stage with a hexagonal platform at the center of the stage. A neutreal light is shinign on the platform

Illustration of a gray hexagonal platform that is used as a set piece

An ilustration of a theatre stage with warm pink toned lighting

Lighting

There is minimal use of lighting effects in this ballet.
The lighting is used mainly to convey tone and help direct the audience in following the story on stage.
There is a use of a warm toned follow spot that at times follows the soloist dancer or illuminates the ensemble.
Cool tones will indicate a more sinister mood and warm tones will indicate a more nurturing and positive mood in the performance, which will match dancers’ expression and movement.

Costumes

Costumes are made with materials that make sound when moving to help convey movement of dancers audibly.
All dancers are wearing long heavy chiffon skirts in tones that match their skin color.
All genders are in the same style of costume adapted to fit comfortably.
Some dancers will wear pointe shoes and others will not. The use of pointe shoes is not based in the gender of the dancer.
Costumes have feminine flowy structure.
Costumes are made with materials that make sound when moving to help convey movement of dancers audibly.
All dancers are wearing long heavy chiffon skirts in tones that match their skin color.
All genders are in the same style of costume adapted to fit comfortably.
Some dancers will wear pointe shoes and others will not. The use of pointe shoes is not based in the gender of the dancer.
Costumes have feminine flowy structure.

Illustration of a dancer en pointe with a brown skin toned top and long flowing ankle length skirt

Illustration of 3Dio microphones at the center of theater stage on top of a hexagonal platform

Audio Capture

“As with verbal description of fine arts and theater and film, there is a dictum that the description must be objective and detached; there must be no interpretation or subjective response on the part of the describer. I find this dictum problematic because it comes from what I believe to be a shaky assumption that the words describing the work of art will create a picture of it in the blind person’s mind’s eye, which the blind person can then form independent aesthetic judgments about” (Kleege, 2014)
Audio of dancing is pre-recorded using 3Dio microphones. The microphone will be placed in space on the moveable platform to capture sound relative to the platform. When the piece is performed dancers will sound closer as they are dance closer to the platform and farther away as they move away.
Supplemental audio will be used from mic’d dancers. In addition to the binaural 3D audio recording, dancers and the floor can also be recorded with standard microphones to enhance the sound of their feet and their breathing for dramatic effect.

Choreography

Cast of 6 dancers

One solo for dancer in pointe shoes (any gender)
One duet for dancers in pointe shoes (two female presenting dancers)
Three dancers from group where pointe shoes, three dancers where flat shoes.

Choreographic notes

In classical ballet productions typically, “the sounds created by the dancers’ footsteps, ground contact, audible breathing or voices take a back seat” (Bläsing and Zimmerman, 2021). Waggle Ballet moves these elements to the forefront as an intrinsically valuable element to the development and experience of the piece. The piece will use vocalization and breath to emphasize movement and indicate location of dancers in the audio experience.
If the opportunity arises the of sign languages will be incorporated in the choreography to represent the deaf community.

The choreography is in 4 movements and is set to an arrangement of music composed by Julius Eastman

Movement I, Collapse - If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich
Movement II, Adapt - Joy Boy
Movement III, Forage - Feminine No. 1, Prime
Movement IV, Renaissance - Feminine No. 10, The Pianist will interrupt

Choreographic Trajectory

Movement at the beginning of ballet is uniform and rigid and chaotic representing the rise and collapse of a destructive capitalist regime. In the second movement the soloist leaves the hive and journey’s through obstacles represented by voice and sound of feet hitting the floor emphatically. As the ballet progresses into movement 3, the choreography becomes softer and representative of a gentle nurturing quality. In the final movement, there is more varied but cohesive movement that will sound like mixed rhythmic drum circle.

Photo of a dancer with their back to the camera looking to the right over their shoulder. Another person places their hands on the dancer's arm and shoulder

Haptic Access Tour

Photo of a person touching a tulle tutu with their hands

Audience members will have a chance before the performance to interact with the production.
This allows for patrons to familiarize themselves with the height of dancers, their basic movement, hair styles, wardrobe, and other important sensory details that will be present during the performance.
Patrons will also be allowed onstage to familiarize themselves with the size of the performance space and they can interact with the set piece.
Personal descriptions of cast members are given describing their physical appearance their costumes worn during the show.
Dancers will sign informed consent forms that layout clear boundaries during the tours that involve physical contact with dancers.

Audio Feed Emission

The recorded audio of the dancing will be emitted to the audience members during performances. The descriptive audio of the performance will be read live over top the sound of the dancers. There will also be a transcription of the audio available.
Audio description is scripted, but read live to account for descriptions for anything that occurs in the live environment (a dancer falls, a dancer adapts to the live performance, and any other interruptions).
Audio will be accessible via an app that can be downloaded to your personal device and connected to a pair of headphones. There will also be headphones distributed at theaters if needed that can be connected to outlets in seats that will play the audio if the venue space allows.

black and white icon of an ear receiving sound waves

References

Bläsing, B., & Zimmermann, E. (2021). Dance is more than meets the eye—how can dance performance be made accessible for a non-sighted audience?. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 643848.

Kleege, G. (2014). What does dance do, and who says so? Some thoughts on blind access to dance performance. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 32(1), 7-13.

WAGGLE BALLET experience the hive