SIEDC NEWS: “Hurricane 6” to Premiere May 21st

SIEDC’s next dance film, Hurricane 6, focuses on a fateful hurricane. Dedicated to the women who rebuilt after the Storm of 1933, Hurricane 6 is a tribute to the community of Ocean City and Assateague–and much more. 

From back to front: Daria Gilbert, Celinna Haber, Mailey Paupore, and Zoe Couloumbis in Hurricane 6. Photo by Reed Morgan. 

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND, 1933: Hurricane 6 devastates the Eastern shore, as the ocean engulfs businesses, homes, and entire landscapes; but the disaster is not what it seems. 

Years before Hurricane 6— popularly known as the Storm of 1933—the people of Ocean City petitioned the local government to create an inlet to promote the fishing industry within the region. Long story short, they didn’t build the inlet– nature provided one before they could. On a fateful day in 1933, Hurricane 6 spontaneously created an inlet, which gave rise to Ocean City’s iconic present-day commercial identity. However, forever separated by the same storm and inlet is Assateague Island: a protected State and National Park.

Hurricane 6, Saltare in Elementis Dance Collective’s (SIEDC) latest work, unpacks the dynamic created by the inlet. On one side of the inlet lies the bustling Ocean City, and on the other side lies the sacred Assateague. Director and SIEDC Co-Founder Fiona O’Brien, an Ocean City native, says that her inspiration for the film comes from her desire to reconcile the natural beauty of the Eastern Shore with the industrious identity of Ocean City: 

“Ocean City and Assateague are vastly different landscapes. As a kid, I would go surf fishing on Assateague with my dad. These memories connected me with my family and my environment. How lucky am I to have grown up so close to the Atlantic Ocean? As I grew older, I began working in Ocean City and got caught in the fast-paced swing of summer every year and found myself not even having time to enjoy the beach. When filming on Assateague for Hurricane 6, I found myself circling back to the character in the story, longing for [the past] and connecting with nature again.”

From left to right: Sebrena Williamson, Fiona O’Brien, and William Strang-Moya look behind the camera while filming a hotel scene. Photo by Reed Morgan.

While the dynamic between these two lands is a key theme to O’Brien, she also wanted the film to broadly focus on the relationship between woman and nature. By using eco-feminist concepts, SIEDC creates works that center around the connection between time, place, natural landscapes, and women’s experiences. Terra, SIEDC’s debut film, focused on climate change within Appalachia, and featured an all female cast and executive team. By concentrating on women’s historic role in Ocean City’s economic boom, moreover, Hurricane 6 adds another layer to SIEDC’s eco-fem focus. The main character, played by Daria Gilbert, represents both the land and the generations of working class women who helped build Ocean City. Zoe Couloumbis, rehearsal director and co-founder of SIEDC, states that the relationship between woman, work and water is central to the film:

“Hurricane 6's narrative, [executive] production, and execution were all solely created, facilitated, and performed by women. Being presented completely from a female perspective, we are able to understand the storm of 1933 in relation to [the women] as they are connected to this planet… This storm both brought in and wiped out life around the Eastern Shore, and that is not mere coincidence. Hurricane 6 personifies the event, giving a tangible character to the earth's elements; this way, as the audience we can physically see the relationship between woman and water.”

Zoe Couloumbis performing as an “Assateague Spirit” in Hurricane 6. Photo by Reed Morgan.

While the essence of the work is focused on women, the structure of Hurricane 6 also advocates for women in dance and dance as an artform. Compared with other art industries and their workforces, dance is often seen as a secondary artform and its woman workforce is often underpaid. SIEDC wants to challenge these industry norms and champion the female-dominated artform first– continuing with Hurricane 6. Dance is the primary vehicle in which the story is told, with narrative research, poetry, film and music composition secondarily bolstering the visual narrative. Couloumbis hopes that Hurricane 6 will highlight the sheer amount of opportunity, collaboration and versatility that dance offers: 

“I hope that dancers will be able to see what is beyond the information that is consistently passed down in the dance world--- this can be options for career building, choreography, collaboration, or even merely the versatility in what dance styles they can perform. Both Hurricane 6 and Terra are perfect examples of this, as the projects themselves carry so much versatility.”

Although dance is the primary voice, inter-art collaboration helps set Hurricane 6 and SIEDC apart. Will Rothermel, Resident Composer at SIEDC, worked with O’Brien (Director of Music at SIEDC), to create the essential score which guides the film. Like the choreography, narrative design, and film, Rothermel looked towards the natural and social landscape for inspiration:

“The settings of both Assateague and Ocean City had a great impact on the music compositions. Stirring Tides featured ocean waves sampled straight from Assateague. These wave samples are used throughout the film. I find Assateague to be very pure and true to its barrier island identity. This belief struck the inspiration for the ambient yet rhythmic and chugging opening. Ocean Commotion just screams commercialism and a lighthearted attitude.  I sampled a few sounds from the Town of Ocean City including the bumper car bell used at Trimper’s Rides. Taking inspiration from timeless surf rock classics, I tried to recreate that sunny, warm feeling.”

The entire cast of Hurricane 6 performing on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Photo by Reed Morgan.

From dance, to music, to film, to spoken word, Hurricane 6 is a testament to the Eastern Shore. All of the material for the film, whether that be choreography, music, speech, or film, was pulled from the landscape by local talent. Although Ocean City and Assateague are popular tourist destinations to those outside the town, they represent something else entirely to locals. For William Strang, Director of Photography, Hurricane 6 is a work that protects, preserves, and promotes Ocean City’s history, identity, and artwork: 

“This film serves as not only an artistic celebration of the town, but it is also a unique way of preserving history. I do consider this film to have a heavy documentary influence. We were fortunate to use primary source material and place images of the town's past alongside images of the town's present. On top of that, I think people need to see content like this in Ocean City. Audiences, prospective filmmakers, local leaders should understand that high quality and unique content is being made in Ocean City. Projects like Hurricane 6 are perfect demonstrations of how easy it is to make a fairly impressive film in our town. Without the support from local businesses, the Art League of Ocean City, and our team of local talent, this film would not be possible. All of the resources are here for this kind of art to happen and local audiences should understand that.”

As a representative of the working class women within the broader landscape, O’Brien also feels called to advocate for her home region’s identity. “I hope viewers outside our region get a taste of resort life. The boardwalk doesn’t roll up and get put away for the winter, the locals are who make this town a wonderful place to enjoy for summer travelers.”

While the film is a beloved tribute to the Eastern Shore, its story can be universally understood outside of the region. As humanity continues to technologically advance, we also remain at the mercy of the natural world. Rothermel summarized the theme and the intent of the film quite nicely:  “For anyone who watches the film, I hope they takeaway the fact that you are the product of your environment. The fact that one’s environment is impacted by both natural and manmade influences.”

Hurricane 6 will premiere May 21st at 7pm at the Art League of Ocean City in Ocean City, Maryland. For more information, see SIEDC’s Facebook event page.

The cast of Hurricane 6 poses at the Ocean City Boardwalk. Photo by Reed Morgan.

ARTICLE NOTE: Sebrena Williamson served as Director of Research and performed in Hurricane 6.