A Unique Celebration for a Seattle Artist — A Joyful Memorial Water Ballet

Credit: seattletimes.com

When Seattle-area artist Briar Bates learned she was dying, she wasted little time feeling sorry for herself. Upbeat and quirky before her diagnosis, she continued in much the same vein as an aggressive cancer rapidly stole her life. Diagnosed in November 2016, Briar died seven months later, but not before concocting dozens of ways she wanted her friends to celebrate her life after she was gone. Among them: an amateur water ballet memorial performed by her friends in the kiddie pool of Seattle’s Volunteer Park.

The idea was ridiculous, of course. But when it became obvious to her friends that the 42-year-old artist was completely serious, they decided that was exactly what they would do.

Celebrating Her Own Way

Although too sick to take an active part in planning the ballet, Briar found ways to make her wishes known. When a friend traveling to New York sent her photos of possible fabrics for the swimsuits, Briar quickly gave them the thumbs up or thumbs down. “No, that one is old-lady fabric,” she said, according to her friend, “and that one’s too pink.” Eventually, they settled on a seafoam green, blue and white print suits and seafoam green caps.

Briar Bates relaxing on one of her original pieces, a “bed” made of garden plants Credit: seattletimes.com

Briar also watched videos of her friend’s rehearsals, taking detailed notes that she later shared. She co-choreographed the ballet from her bed on Vashon Island and helped plan the soundtrack, an eclectic mix featuring Bobby Darin’s “Beyond the Sea,” “Happy” by Pharell, and “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince.

A Unique Celebration of Life

A few weeks after Briar’s death on a hot summer day, her friends — faces painted and bejeweled — piled into the Volunteer Park wading pool to perform their memorial dance. Word of the celebration had spread among the Seattle and Vashon Island communities, and a crowd of about 75 onlookers was already on hand. As the DJ began playing, the dancers took their places, and at some point, someone turned on an industrial-size bubble machine.

By the time it was all over, more than 300 people had gathered to watch the spectacle, many of whom spontaneously joined in the fun. In the end, people were laughing and hugging and crying — even those who weren’t quite sure what the party was about.

“It was Briar’s gift to us,” said friend Cari Christie. “It was like her saying, ‘I want to spend time with you, but I don’t want I’m-sad-you’re-dying to be at the top of the list.’

And what a wonderful gift it was! You can watch the whole performance here.