WILD 2020 - A Virtual Dance for the Animals

For the last two decades Crystal Silmi has been a professional dancer, dance instructor, and choreographer whose repertoire ranges from classical Middle Eastern dance to modern-day hip hop. An ardent animal rights advocate, Crystal follows a compassionate vegan diet and uses her talent to fight for our helpless animal friends.

Following her 2017 stage production of 'WILD – Endangered Species through Dance' in Madrid, Spain, Crystal produced a virtual WILD show in the wake of the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak. Joining her in this noble project were talented dancers from around the world that Crystal knew or had worked with. Each dancer improvised a dance related to a specific animal. The proceeds from the event went to The Wildcat Sanctuary in Minnesota, USA, which provides a natural safe haven for wild cats in need, and works to end the captive wildlife crisis.

Today’s show will present excerpts from this special production. "Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for joining us for this special virtual edition of WILD – Endangered Species Through Dance event. With our spectacular cast of international dancers, we are going on a journey across the globe, through air, land and sea to discover the lives of some extraordinary earthlings, whose lives are in danger of being deleted from our planet forever. What we know is that we can’t rely on governments and policies alone to save our planet. It has to start with us. Climate change has been called humankind’s greatest challenge and the world’s gravest environmental threat. The livestock industry is currently responsible for almost HALF of ALL greenhouse [gas] emissions, and therefore is the most significant factor in climate change and the one thing that every individual can take accountability for. So please, I urge you to consider joining the international movement in adopting a plant-based diet and being a torch bearer to light the path for future generations for a greener, healthier, and more peaceful and abundant Earth."