There Is No Planet B is a professional evening-length dance work that bridges performance and environmental activism. Originally developed within Colorado State University’s Dance Repertory and Ensemble/Engagement courses, the work began as a classroom initiative. What started as an academic experiment soon evolved—through institutional support, student leadership, and artistic collaboration—into a fully produced, public-facing performance, sponsored by the Sharon Prize Colorado.
Rooted in education and driven by urgency, the piece is designed not only to be seen, but to spark conversation, reflection, and action around one of the most pressing issues of our time.
The project was deeply informed by the choreographer’s participation in CSU’s Climate Across the Curriculum (CATC) program—an initiative committed to integrating climate literacy across academic disciplines. CATC encouraged a blend of research, reflection, and interdisciplinary thinking, empowering students to view their artistic practice as a form of environmental inquiry and civic engagement.
The original version of There Is No Planet B was created by CSU students in Fall 2024, and their voices, ideas, and movement remain at the heart of the work. Through reflective dialogue, collaborative choreography, and multimedia exploration, they laid the creative and conceptual foundation for what would become a larger, professional production.
Together, the students explored themes such as:
Environmental justice and systemic inequality
Urbanization and ecological loss
Climate grief and collective hope
The fragile bond between humans and nature
The power of individual and communal action
One student shared, “Choreography makes hard topics more approachable and inspires people to care.”
In Summer 2025, the work was expanded into a professional evening-length production featuring a new cast of 11 dancers, building directly upon the structure and spirit of the original student-created piece. This next chapter brought depth, scale, and new perspectives—while continuing to honor the core values and vision shaped by the original ensemble.
There Is No Planet B exemplifies how art, education, and activism can converge to create meaningful, lasting impact. It proves that a classroom can become a catalyst. That students can become changemakers. That dance can be more than expression—it can be a form of advocacy.
By expanding a student-initiated project into a professional, public performance, the work stands as a model for collaborative, interdisciplinary, and socially engaged practice.
It is more than a piece.
It is a platform.
It is a movement.