Birds fly, humans don’t. Or do they?

Dancebirds do as they morph from one state to the other

The wings, the wind, the sky

they fly high up

up above the sky above

Minsmere, there you can occasionally spot dancebirds doing what they do

They form a line (sometimes also called a lyn) and they play and they flutter their wings and they look

at

and

away

from each other

little people come to visit them and see what they do

they giggle and watch in awe

then they get bored and play with bits of grass

and the dancebirds keep dancing and flying

and it is all quite magical

and mysterious

Signed: ‘a dancebird’ https://youtu.be/dox5ksUonIQ

(excerpt found in the vicinity of Minsmere)

Next time Dancebirds gather I shall let you know . . .

On a beautiful sunny day in September, dancers gathered at Whin Hill RSPB Minsmere, to bring to life the creative project by Lyn Matthews. This dance project was called “BIRD” and inspiration came from birdsong and bird behaviours and relationships. The piece represented ‘a day in the life’, split into three sections: morning – with bustling activity; afternoon – more languorous and peaceful; and evening – again busy and interactive. It was set to beautiful ambient music composed by David Duffield, who interspersed recordings of birdsong with appealing melodies. It was a really enjoyable project to be involved in, with all of us wanting to do our best to bring to life Lyn’s vision of captivating nature and movement.

The performance was filmed by RSPB filmmaker Steve Everett who beautifully captured our movement in the open air. Dancing on the uneven ground was a little challenging, so Lyn had deliberately kept the choreography contained and manageable, focusing on the movement of birds when not in flight. The surroundings and the music combined to make us feel at one with nature and infused us with a wonderful sense of wellbeing.

Members of the public who supported us commented on what a magical and inspiring experience it was, which made the day truly special. Thank you Lyn.

From your DanceBirds!