William Shakespeare said it best: “For so work the honey bees, creatures that by a rule in nature teach the act of order to a peopled kingdom.”
Today, honeybees are dying off from a number of reasons including malnutrition, loss of habitat, disease, climate change, and man-made chemicals. Bees play an important role in a healthy ecosystem, and on May 6 and 7, the Kahilu Performing Arts Classes presents “Dance of the Bees” featuring local dancers of all ages.
“A lot of people are scared of bees or have a very strong aversion to bees,” said KPAC Director Angel Prince. “We’re trying to show the life cycle of the bee colony through our performance. Come springtime the bee population will nest and our show follows this life cycle. Using contemporary dance, aerial dance, trapeze, hip-hop and break dancing we will showcase all the aspects of creating a new colony.”
Dance of the Bees is an original multimedia dance show that examines the life and plight of bees. Prince collaborated with local beekeepers to create an artistic and educational show based on a topic that is both relevant, and urgent. More than 100 students from the Kahilu Performing Arts Classes, ages 5 to adult, will appear in the show.
“This is a topic that is relevant to every human being,” said Prince. “We’ll also have bee inspire art by local artists displayed in the gallery. One of our local bee keepers will be there as well to give information about bees on the Big Island, what’s happening to bee colonies in general, and what people can do in this fight against the loss of bees.”
The show’s music and costumes are inspired by bees with choreographers choosing their own musical compositions.
“I was looking for music that had a sense of the bee’s movement, the texture of their wings, and the sound their wings make when they’re in flight, or cooling or heating the hives,” said Prince. “For costumes, we’re working with a local designer named Kalena. She’s also a gymnast so she has a background in movement. She worked with me on the overall vision, and with the other choreographers to incorporate their vision of what they needed to create a cohesive design for each dance.”
Prince is passionate that we care for, and cherish our bees and do what is necessary to become good stewards of the environment and help our pollinators flourish.
“This should be in everybody’s awareness because it does affect our food sources,” she said. “If we lose the honeybee, the human population would dwindle at a rapid rate. Our diet would completely change. Many people don’t realize how dependent we are on the bee and how important this symbiotic relationship is. If people are interested in the bees or just want to alleviate their fear of bees, this will be a great show with lots of local talent. Everyone should come see our show and be inspired.”
Dance of the Bees is at the Kahilu Theatre in Waimea on Saturday, May 6, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, May 7 at 4 p.m. It is choreographed by Prince, Lynn Barre (Kona), Elizabeth McDonald, Mana Hoopai (Hilo) and Kat Reuss, with exciting and eclectic music from Mum, Zoe Keating, Jon Hopkins and more.
The Dance of the Bees art exhibit being held in conjunction with the performances will remain on display through June 2. Click here for more details.
Tickets range in price from $16 to $38 and are available online at www.kahilutheatre.org. ■
