Overview

The Remember Balloons is a staged adaptation of the children's storybook The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros and illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte. The story is told by an unseen narrator, 3 dancers, and an original score. Through the 10 songs composed by Theron Brown, the three dancers tell the story of a boy (James), his mother, and his grandfather as they learn to adapt to the grandfathers memory loss and the new way of life this creates. 

Choreographer and Dance Artist Dominic Moore-Dunson was inspired to create this piece of Dance Theatre after reading the children's storybook during a trip to the library with his own children. Moore-Dunson uses the extended metaphor in Oliveros' book of balloons as symbols for memories. As the grandfather looses memories these balloons float away even as he or his grandson try to catch them. Moore-Dunson and his production team use music, projection, props, and lighting design to bring this extended metaphor to life.

In this story and dance production both Oliveros and Moore-Dunson have explored themes of intergenerational relationships, multigenerational families, memories and memory loss, Alzheimer's, Dementia, family legacy, and empathy. These are expressed through the narration and explored further through the choreography and interaction of dancers on stage.

This Work of Art can be relatable to all ages, cultures, creeds, and races. However due to the intensity of the emotional content we recommend this work of art for grades 2-6. 

Dance Magazine wrote an article about the show, which can be found HERE.

Below are definitions and video's of themes seen in this work of art. Feel free to explore these themes and watch these videos with your students.