Written By Elaine Bean
As formerly published in The Courier.
“Dance and music have gone together since the beginning of human existence, from tribes hitting sticks and performing rituals around a fire to dancers and singers joining together on big stages at the Grammys today,” Fiona O’Brien said. “It’s about community, expression, and compassion, which I think we could all use more of.”
O’Brien is a producer, musician, choreographer, and director from Ocean City, Maryland. Co-founder of Saltare in Elementis Dance Collective, where she serves as music director, choreographer, and executive producer, she serves as the bridge between musicians and dancers, bringing together artists from different mediums.
In 2021, she co-directed with the other SIE co-founders Zoe Couloumbis and Sebrena Williamson Terra: An Appalachian Dance Film that screened on opening night of the Ocean City Film Festival.. In 2022, O’Brien produced and directed Hurricane 6, a film that unpacks the relationship between women’s labor and the natural landscape of the Eastern Shore. Hurricane 6 featured an all-female cast, recognized women’s historical contributions to Ocean City, and was awarded Best Female Director at the Film Festival. Currently, O’Brien also serves on the Film Festival board and on the Women in Music Board for the Washington, D.C. chapter.
O’Brien is leading a dance festival on June 7-8 at the Ocean City Center for the Arts, home of the Art League of Ocean City, and invites the public to attend. “Dance on the Shore is about community, environmental awareness, and movement,” she said. “The 2nd annual festival will have live performances by Saltare in Elementis Dance Collective centered around water, including a short workshop from our partner Global Water Dances, an adult Mat to Movement workshop, kids’ crafts, and a community improv dance party. We can’t wait to share more dance with the Art League of Ocean City.”
“I would consider myself a dancer who sings, but not the Broadway type, more of a contemporary modern dancer who loves choral music,” she observed. “I once sang the National Anthem at the Ocean City Air Show! I have danced since I could walk and sang ‘opera’ in the shower since I found my voice (my family loved this). I took these gifts to college with me at Radford University where I focused my individualized study of both these skills.”
O’Brien was born is Bishopville, Maryland and graduated from college with majors in dance and music with a concentration in music business. “My instrument was voice,” she said. The artist relocated a few years for a career in the music industry in Washington, D.C., but soon moved home. “I missed the community and purpose I found myself within in Ocean City. I really enjoy traveling and learning about other cultures, but the culture in Ocean City is so unique and comforting to me. The Town of Ocean City was built of off hard work and dedication, which is why it has become a successful destination for tourists.”
O’Brien creates impactful multimedia pieces by combining visual movement with music production. As a musician, choreographer, and filmmaker, her artistic themes are driven by activism. Her choreographic works have ecofeminist influences, and her subject matter has ranged from mental health to social justice to climate change. O’Brien produces works that recognize and benefit rural communities and is passionate about regional land conservation as well as women’s labor and leadership in the region. Through her work, O’Brien brings dance opportunities to rural areas and hopes to help cultivate local artistic identities.
O’Brien affirmed she was raised on community service. Her parents are involved with the Delmarva Irish American Club that puts on the Ocean City St Patrick’s Day parade every year. “My mom used to run Art Fest and Art Camp programming at Berlin Intermediate School,” she said. “This taught me my love for events, seeing people happy, and volunteering. I continue to dance and teach with Clan Rince Irish Dance in Salisbury, market events and businesses around Ocean City within my role in the Tourism Department, make films about Ocean City, and collaborate on the Dance on the Shore Festival with the Art League.”
O’Brien serves as the Town of Ocean City’s marketing coordinator in the Department of Tourism. “I received an offer from the Town of Ocean City where I knew my creativity would directly impact my community,” she said. “It fell right in line with my mission to advocate for the arts and continue to make film and social media content all while spreading my love of Ocean City. My goal has been to become more involved with the Art League of Ocean City, learn from other local artists, and bring more accessible dance opportunities to the Eastern Shore.”
“The staff at the Art League has always been so kind to me,” O’Brien continued. “The annual Ocean City Film Festival is my favorite event of the year. And Rina Thaler [executive director of the Art League and Film Festival], is a gem of a collaborator. The Art League wants to make art happen, and I think that’s extremely important in every community, especially mobilizing rural communities like the Eastern Shore.”
O’Brien’s choreography is inspired by her personal experience growing up in dance and by global environmental and social issues. “Dance has been on the verge of a dying art for some time now (I could talk a lot about my thoughts on this!), but essentially I want to help make dance a safer place for people of all ages, shapes and backgrounds,” she said.” You don’t have to be Tiler Peck or Misty Copeland to make it in dance. The rise of Tik Tok has been a savior to dance in my opinion by making people not only spend time learning choreography, but getting up to move in general!”