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It’s not unheard of for Sting to create adaptations of previously recorded songs. But when “Message in a Bottle” makes its PBS premiere on Friday, November 3, viewers will give you the option to experience his songs in a dance theater production that tells a story of humanity, compassion, and hope. Those viewers aware of yoga will recognize how the dancers’ yoga practice subtly informs their performance.
Originally staged in London three years ago after which filmed for television, the show will air as a part of the “Great Performances” arts series on PBS. Conceived and choreographed by Kate Prince, the production focuses on the international refugee crisis through a fictional, visual tale of three siblings whose village is under siege.
At a PBS press conference held via Zoom in early October, Sting told reporters, “Certainly one of the nice things about this dance piece is that they’ve woven my songs right into a type of meta narrative, which also reflects my very own feeling in regards to the world. It’s a beautiful piece of labor, and I’m deeply proud to be a part of it.”
Sting adapted 27 songs for the project, including the namesake “Message in a Bottle” in addition to “Walking on The Moon,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Fields of Gold.”
Within the performance, the dancers express athleticism in countless ways, including instances of one-armed handstands and what appears to be Warrior 1 stances. Prince explained that the corporate draws on ballet and yoga as a part of their training. Certainly one of the dance captains, Lindon Barr, is a trained yoga instructor. Resident choreographer Lizzie Gough has “practiced yoga in her each day life for a really very long time,” said Prince. “This influences the alternatives and structure of company class, warm up and funky down.”
When asked about his experience hearing and seeing his songs interpreted within the show, the 17-time Grammy winner replied, “Well, , I studied yoga for 35 years, and I’d come to the conclusion that every little thing is yoga. Every little thing is about that connection between the mind and the body and the spirit. You’ll be able to’t separate it.”
Identical to together with his each day yoga and meditation practice, every little thing Sting does is with intention. “I practice day-after-day. I’m sitting here with a guitar now,” he said. “That is my practice time. I begin to play, and I’m all the time in search of something I haven’t discovered before, an interval, something that excites my interest. And from that tiny detail, then I construct a song around it.”
When Prince quipped throughout the press conference that she was “hopeless” at meditation, Sting offered her some thoughtful insight.
“Clearly the results of this play is the results of your meditation,” he told her. “You understand, that is what meditation is. It’s the creative end result of that consciousness. And so that you’re being a little bit hard on yourself, Kate! You’re meditating while you choreograph!”
The uplifting performance will be seen on PBS in addition to in person throughout the North American tour of Prince’s ZooNation dance company from February through May 2024.
“Message in a Bottle” will air Friday, November 3, 2023, at 9/8 CT on pbs.org/gperf and the PBS App.
RELATED: A 2010 Yoga Journal Interview With Sting
About Our Contributor
Susan L. Hornik is a veteran entertainment journalist, and has contributed to the BBC, Los Angeles Times, Closer Weekly and Hello magazine. A lover of kundalini yoga, she believes it’s her breathe that carries her through life’s oft-challenging circumstances.