It's a dance performance with a cause. An eco-friendly dance series in Rockaway Beach this month is promoting environmental responsibility. NY1's Shannan Ferry reports.
With the sand as their stage and the ocean as their backdrop, some dancers are taking their work out of the studio and onto the Rockaway Beach shoreline.
"To change the soundscape you know, to include like wind and waves and people, it's exciting for us," said Kora Radella who is a Choreographer and the Co-Artistic Director at Boomerang Dance.
It's all part of 'Beach Sessions’, a free outdoor dance series in Rockaway.
Founder/Curator Sasha Okshteyn started it last year. She said there was a huge demand to bring it back this summer.
One major goal is to inspire creativity along the peninsula.
"It's really fun to see people come off their towels and come watch dance, especially if you don't expect it," said Okshteyn.
Plus, organizers said it's a great way to make performing arts more accessible to the community.
"I think that more people should be able to see art and dance in all of it's forms," said Cammisa Buerhaus, who attended the performance.
"You can pay 20, 30, 40 dollars to go see an evening of dance, and in this situation, you can watch it for a minute, you can watch it for a half hour," said Choreographer and Dancer Laurie Berg.
After the show is over, viewers are encouraged to take part in a beach cleanup. It's put together by the organizers of the show in partnership with non-profit The Surfrider Foundation.
"There's trash, a lot of trash at the end of the day, I think it's important to create a habit in people," said Okshteyn.
Nikita Scott is with The Surfrider Foundation, which advocates for environmental issues.
She said an eco-friendly event like this makes it easier for them to recruit new volunteers.
"I think it really starts to make people realize what an incredible natural resource they have right on their back doorstop