Forklift Danceworks, led by founder and artistic director Allison Orr, is embarking on an innovative project titled The Way of Water: Colorado River. This initiative focuses on highlighting the essential role the Colorado River plays in the lives of Austinites, as well as the importance of stewardship for this vital resource.
As part of this multifaceted project, Forklift Danceworks is collaborating with various local experts, including employees from the Austin Water utility. These utility workers, who are intimately familiar with the river and its ecosystems, will share not only their expertise but also participate in performances that connect the community with the river’s significance.
Alvin Dedeaux, a lifelong fly-fishing enthusiast and owner of All Water Guides, is one of the key figures involved in the project. Known for his extensive knowledge of the Colorado River, Dedeaux will advise the team, guide them in understanding the river, and even contribute to the choreography of dance movements.
“Somehow or another, I got roped into it,” Dedeaux remarked playfully. “I know I’m advising, I am showing people the river and talking about the river and, supposedly, I’m gonna be doing some kind of dance movements or helping somebody else choreograph some dance movements. I’m pretty open. I’m pretty flexible and I’m super open-minded and it would be one of the least weird things I’ve done in front of people.”
Dedeaux’s long-standing connection to the river, spanning over two decades, has made him confident in his expertise. “I don’t know of anybody who I would say knows the river better than I do,” he stated modestly. “The amount of time I’ve spent on the river in the last 20 plus years, I can say that without being cocky. Yeah, I’m an expert on the river.”
Orr elaborates on the project’s purpose, emphasizing the need to deepen the community’s understanding of the Colorado River as their primary source of drinking water. “The intention of The Way of Water: Colorado River is to deepen all of our connection to the river, to understand how we can be better stewards of it. It is challenged, like most rivers across the world, and it is central to the quality of life of not just us but the full ecosystem of animals, plants, and… fish.”
The project will kick off with an event at Laguna Gloria on October 18, followed by performances at Hornsby Bend on November 6, 7, and 8. Between these events, Forklift Danceworks is hosting a river-themed scavenger hunt organized by Kate Murray from Unfine Arts.
Murray describes the scavenger hunt as an opportunity for deeper engagement with the river’s story and its caretakers rather than a traditional object-collecting exercise. “My goal is to help take people on a journey along the river in between [the opening and closing events],” she explained. “Really, the goal is to get people to engage more deeply with the inspiration behind the show and with the stewards that care for the river and the different people that can speak for the river.”
She clarified that the scavenger hunt is focused on completing missions rather than gathering items. “It’s really more about getting as many points as you can along the way by completing missions. We have about 21 missions sketched out that people can do at their own pace. Some of these missions can only be completed at certain times and spaces, while others can be done in your own home, in your backyard. So it’s a more experiential approach; it’s less about the things you collect and more about the lessons you learn.”
Orr stresses the critical importance of the Colorado River to the city’s residents. “One key goal for us is to understand that we drink the Colorado. That it is our single source of drinking water for the city of Austin,” she stated. The city extracts water from the river at the Davis Water treatment plant, treating and returning it back to the river downstream at Webberville.
Orr raised awareness about the impact of human actions on the river, stating, “Everything we put on the ground, everything we throw down the drain, everything we flush down the toilet – it eventually in some way ends up back in the river. So all of the toxins, cooking oil, wipes (which are actually never flushable), all of those things make it a lot harder for our utility employees to treat the water and keep it clean.”
She emphasized that protecting the Colorado River is vital for the health of the local ecosystem and the community. “Central Texas has tens of thousands of years of history with this river. The way we relate to it now is actually pretty short in the river’s timeline, but it is a treasure that we must protect. All of our lives depend upon it, and we want more people to care about how their actions impact the river.”
By involving community members and experts through The Way of Water: Colorado River, Forklift Danceworks aims to inspire collective responsibility for the river and its surrounding ecosystems. Through artistic collaboration and engagement, the project hopes to foster a deeper connection with the natural world that Austinites depend on.
image source from：kut
