Two Stories by Natasha Forrest

4 minutes

Dance, video

In Collaboration with Kristi Minahan, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Dancers: Erin Clementich, Kaitlyn Kopp Winowiski, Natasha Forrest

Videographer: Abby Hermans

This piece is about fish in two story lakes (a type of cold water lake). In the summer, cold water fish are unable to swim in the top part of the lake because the water is too warm. Equally as unfortunate, as organic matter at the bottom of the lake decomposes oxygen levels decrease to a level where fish are unable to swim. Although this is a naturally occurring phenomena in recent years due to climate change and over fertilization, the area that fish are able to inhabit are shrinking too much or disappearing altogether.

Through dance, I explore the freedom of movement allowed in ample space in contrast to the constrictions caused by shrinking space. I played with the idea of how changing space influences the knowledge of oneself and interactions with others.

Not only did I have to choreograph the movement of the dancers, myself included, I also had to choreograph the movement of the camera. I see the camera as being able to go beyond just capturing the piece, but something that can be used to enhance and shape it.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

blue water drop graphic

BIO

ABOUT THE WATER PARTNER

Kristi Minahan has been a Water Quality Standards Specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for the past 16 years. She focuses on policy development related to waterbody classifications and assessments, and has led several WDNR rulemaking efforts around those topics. Two of these efforts focused on lakes that support coldwater fish—known as two-story fishery lakes—and the conditions that need to be sustained to enable coldwater species to survive during the hot end-of-summer months. Kristi has worked with a variety of other program areas at DNR since 2000 including runoff management, water monitoring, and communications. She holds a master’s degree in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development from the University of Georgia-Athens, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUPPORT FROM