Dance film shot in Glacier explores impacts of garbage

By Julie Engler

Whitefish Pilot

Typically, a dancer’s costume is made of a material such as silk or satin but this summer, one dancer came to Glacier Park to perform in a dress made of plastic recyclables to remind us of the harmful effects plastic waste has on the environment.

The Glacier National Park Artist-in-Residence Program offers artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being surrounded by the park’s inspiring landscape and the artists for the month of June were Ilana Goldman and Gabriel Williams.

Goldman is an associate professor in the School of Dance at Florida State University and serves as the performer, choreographer, director and editor of their film while her husband and fellow dancer, Williams, is the videographer.

They combine their artistic talents to create short dance films. Previous works by Goldman and Willams highlight spectacular natural landscapes so the duo was well-suited for the program.

“We had been to Glacier before and thought it would be the perfect setting for this project, which is a short dance film that will be investigating human impact on the earth,” Goldman explained.

“Glacier’s landscapes are grand and imposing and speak to the power, strength and resiliency of the natural world but the melting glaciers are a constant, clear reminder of human impact on the environment,” she added.

Goldman and Williams have made three short dance films that screened at a number of international film festivals and they intend to submit their Glacier Park film, as well. The artists will give their film to the park when it is completed and as part of their residency, the pair hosted three filmmaking workshops, one in Glacier and two in Waterton Park at the end of their stay.

For the short film they produced while staying in Glacier, the pair focused on the effect humans have on nature. Composer Patrick McKinney is providing the score for their film that features the park and Goldman’s dance with the “not so subtle” message of environmentalism.

Goldman made her costume from plastic trash she generated over a four-month period. She said that looking at a bag full of her plastic recycling is what inspired this project.

“Collecting my plastic trash was very humbling,” Goldman said. “It makes you conscious, aware of your impact when you see, clearly, how much waste you are producing.”

The Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent figures, from 2018, reveal that of the 35.7 million tons of plastic generated in the United States that year, 76% of it ended up in landfills.

Goldman suggested that while individuals can make a difference, real change will come when large organizations become involved.

“If corporations and businesses start using biodegradable materials instead of plastics the impact will be enormous,” Goldman said. “That was something that I’ve learned from this experience.”

For their stay, the two were furnished with a “very special, highly coveted moose sticker on our dashboard” that allowed them to travel throughout the park. The artists were also given use of a furnished, rustic cabin on the shores of Lake McDonald with no cell phone service or internet.

“It is a huge luxury to spend a whole uninterrupted month working on an artistic project as well as being able to spend a month exploring Glacier,” Goldman said. “It’s a dream come true.”

In addition to working on their film project, the couple had the opportunity to explore Glacier. Goldman discovered that the Iceberg Lake hike is her favorite hike of all time.

“It is just stunningly beautiful,” Williams agreed. “We saw four moose and a grizzly on the way up there.”

Although Williams admits the two did pick up plastic trash in the park to throw away, he and Goldman said their time in the park made them feel hopeful.

“Even with the human activity (and) impact here, you can get a sense, a little taste, of the wildness this country used to have everywhere and that is very special,” Williams said. “The ruggedness of the mountains, the awesome raw power of the water that’s moving through this park. It’s nature in a different scale, a magnitude than most people don’t get to experience in their normal, daily lives in our tamed cities and towns.”

Goldman says the park has been inspirational and added, “I have a lot of hope being here because I see the resilience of the earth and its incredible ability to shift and adapt.”

It is her belief that watching a dance film or experiencing any kind of art allows the viewer to think about their own relationship to what is being presented. Goldman explained that in the film she is a human being in a beautiful natural environment and that by watching, people can feel empathy for this place.

Williams’ hope is that when people experience the park, either in person or through their film, transformations occur.

“Maybe it will make them a little more open to changing their relationship with the earth, the environment, their impact, how they conduct themselves, their awareness,” Williams said. “I think a place like this has the potential to be a catalyst for change for people.”

Their film should be completed by the end of the year. To see the film, go to Glacier Park’s website or www.ilanagoldman.org