The Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) dance and visual arts conservatories have teamed up with Safe Harbor, an organization committed to the mental health of youth and families, to explore mind and body connection wellness strategies through art and dance.
“Unravel,” six months in the making, will take place on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 featuring dance, live art and an exhibition at 7 p.m. in the Coronado Performing Arts Center and lobby. Tickets are available at CoSASanDiego.com.
“The evening will be a deeply moving, inspiring, and evocative collision of dance, art and catharsis,” said Gina Sorensen, CoSA Dance Conservatory Chair. “The production will feature performances of original dances by CoSA Dance and live art by CoSA Visual Art as well as an exhibit in the lobby.”
According to Jeriah Valentin, a dance student, humans often struggle with emotional entanglements like stress, grief and mental disorders.
These “knots” inspired collaboration between CoSA Dance and Visual Arts. The artists then teamed up with Safe Harbor to engage in mindfulness strategies and art-making to unravel and untie these knots.
“In the dance production of ‘Unravel,’ faculty and student choreographers explore themes such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphia, ADHD, the importance of supportive relationships, self-talk, and more,” said Valentin. “One notable piece in the program is ‘Love and Armor’ by CoSA Dance Director, Gina Bolles Sorensen. The piece features the full CoSA Dance ensemble and draws attention to parent-child relationships, specifically the urge a parent has to suit up their child in the armor they need to meet challenges of living in today’s world.”
There will be an exhibit of paintings on display in the lobby, where visual art students illustrate how they personally incorporate positive mental health practices into their daily lives, according to Karrie Jackson, Visual Arts Chair.
“Join us and witness our dancers and artists as they process life’s challenges and celebrate personal growth,” said Valentin.
