Overview and Production History of Dance of the Orcas

We are a reflection of nature. Nature is a reflection of us. Together, we tell the story of one. In this film adaptation of a 2018 phenomenon, Tahlequah is assisted by her ancestors and forces of nature on an emotional excavation and untethering. The harmonizing and renewal she experiences is worthy of the visibility of her vulnerability. DANCE OF THE ORCAS is the reminder we all need to dance and cry the river in order to find freedom in our truth. 

DANCE OF THE ORCAS was first performed on November 7 at the 2019 Conference of the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora: Remembrance, Renaissance, Revolution: The Meaning of Freedom in the African World Over Time and Space. The performance was re-conceived for film in 2020, and has enjoyed screenings at the 2021 Afrikana Independent Film Festival (Richmond, VA), the 2022 Ampersand International Film Festival (Williamsburg, VA), and the 2022 Africa and Diasporic Religious Studies Association Conference.