grace & peace  

은혜와 평강

This dance film emerges from conversations between dancer Dr. Candice Salyers and marine scientist Dr. Jill Hendon about kinesthetic empathy between humans and whale sharks.

What is kinesthetic empathy?

Kinesthetic empathy means that we have the capacity to feel connection to and care for other people and elements of nature through the materiality and movement of our bodies. While this concept has been popular for many decades in the field of Dance, it is now widely studied in other disciplines including Psychology and Neuroscience. The movement of our bodies can offer valuable ways to understand the movement of other species as well.

As Director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Hendon studies large-scale movement of whale sharks through their migration patterns off the coast of Mississippi. Whale sharks are an endangered species, and Dr. Hendon’s work aids in conservation efforts for this global population. Follow this link to learn more about Dr. Hendon’s work on the migration of whale sharks.

Whale sharks are the largest species of fish in the ocean, but we still know very little about them. Because they are a global population with wide migratory range, it is vital that we work together to learn about them, protect them, and understand their significance to our ocean ecosystems.

Film credits:

Created by: Dr. Candice Salyers & Dr. Jill Hendon

Additional footage of whale sharks provided by: Stock Media provided by footageoftheworld / Pond5, Stock Media provided by seafootage / Pond5

Music: New Beginnings, Vence Ray, Artlist