“I now understand how powerful the body is alongside other bodies as sites of critical reflection and instruments of change, and I will continue to use community-based movement to bring about the futures I wish to see.”
— Ryan Wong, Wesleyan University student
In collaboration with The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Theatre and Dance, Wesleyan University’s College of the Environment, and World Water Week, Forklift Danceworks led a two-week collaborative project in March 2025 in El Paso, Texas—bringing together college students, local artists, and regional water experts from El Paso del Norte to celebrate the shared stories and deep connections communities hold with water in the region.
Conceived by Co-Directors UTEP Professor Melissa Melpignano and Forklift’s Artistic Director Allison Orr, the project brought students together from the University of Texas at El Paso and Wesleyan University to learn from one another alongside local water experts, environmentalists, conservationists, and engineers about the city’s irrigation system. The students spent their first week visiting water sites and hearing from local experts. They met with staff from the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1, the International Boundary and Water Commission, and Abara, a peace center in El Paso. Students also interviewed local water experts, including Alex Mayer from UTEP’s One Water Cluster, Sergio Samieniego from UTEP’s Center for Environmental Resource Management, Fernanda Lugo from Eco El Paso, and Andrea Everett, a member of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo.
This fieldwork culminated in the collaborative performance Water Moves, presented as part of the El Paso World Water Week Conference on March 20th, 2025. The production offered a dynamic expression of the movement, impact, and significance of water through dance, music, and lived experience. The performance also featured local dancers from Mountain Movement Dance Company and the UTEP’s Department of Music and UTEP’s Chorale.
“One idea I’m still reflecting on is how the same body of water can hold entirely different meanings depending on who you ask. Each expert shared their experiences with the Rio Bravo/Rio Grande, describing it in many ways—some calling it a resource, others a boundary, a healer of the land, or even a metaphor for navigating life..”
—Marina Garbalena, Forklift’s Development & Communications Associate and El Paso native
Water Moves was supported by The City of El Paso/Museum and Cultural Affairs Division, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, and donors to Forklift Danceworks.
Click the image below to access the full photo album from the performance:
