CONTACT:
Karlyn Haas
Institutional Advancement Office
220 Grove Ave.
Prescott, AZ 86301
928-778-2090 ext. 4503
pr@prescott.edu or
Dennis Willis
Price Field Office, Utah BLM
Price, Utah 84501
435-636-3623
Dennis_Willis@ut.blm.gov
BLM/COLLEGE COLLABORATE TO COMMUNICATE BEAUTY OF CANYONS THROUGH DANCE
Price, Utah - In the first ever collaboration of its kind, the Price Field
Office of the Utah Bureau of Land Management and Prescott College (Ariz.),
are working to elevate public awareness of the beauty and value the Green
River's Desolation and Gray Canyons.
 Upon the invitation of Dennis Willis, outdoor recreation planner for the
Price Field Office of the Utah BLM, Prescott College students will "dance" the
canyons for the local community as the culmination of a three-tiered academic
course.
The goals for the project are outreach, connection with community, and communication
of the beauty and importance of the Desolation Canyon area to people who
may never travel there themselves.
"Part of this project is to instill appreciation and pride of the area
in the community," explained Willis. "[The canyon is] part of our
landscape and heritage, and it is a special place. Through the arts, we can
communicate this to a group of people who may never go there, but who have
an interest in the value of the place."
Desolation Canyon is the deepest canyon in Utah and the largest roadless
area in 48 lower states that is not designated as Wilderness or a National
Park. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1969 on the centennial anniversary
of John Wesley Powell's historic journey down the Colorado River. Of all
the Colorado River System, Desolation Canyon is the least changed since the
time of Powell's expedition.
"Desolation Canyon is one of very last strongholds of native endangered
fish in the Colorado River system. It offers an intact ecosystem and an abundance
of wildlife," explained Willis, who has lived in the area for 22 years. "The
canyon has the youngest rock exposures on the Colorado Plateau. When you
take a trip down the river you launch in the age of mammals and take out
in the age of dinosaurs. In my opinion, it is the best wilderness river trip
in the lower 48 states."
 To learn about this unique area, faculty, staff and students will embark
upon a 10-day raft trip through Desolation and Gray Canyons to study the
natural and cultural history of the region. In addition, they will study
choreography, performance and improvisation and the political, artistic and
ecological landscapes of the region. Upon returning to Price, they will collect
stories about the canyons from local residents and artists for their performance.
"Our interest is centered on helping folks develop a deeper connection
with wilderness lands," said Prescott College Environmental Studies
Professor Bob Ellis. "One way to connect people to place is through
narrative - dance is just another kind of narrative."
On Dec. 7, the class will present "Celebrating Desolation and Gray
Canyons: A Performance Art Tribute," at the Price Civic Auditorium.
"This will be a multimedia performance incorporating dance, music,
slides and spoken word," explained Liz Faller, a Prescott College performing
arts faculty who will direct the show. "For us, this is an act of reciprocity.
Prescott College has rafted this river for more than 30 years. We have gained
so much, and this is our opportunity to give back - a creative action for
common purpose."
# # #
Prescott College strives to educate students of diverse ages and backgrounds
to understand, thrive in and enhance our world community and environment.
The College is nationally recognized as a leader in experiential and self-directed
student learning, as well as for its outdoor education and environmental
curriculum.
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