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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 be able to experience his songs in a dance theater production that tells a story of humanity, compassion, and hope. Those viewers familiar with yoga will recognize how the dancers’ yoga practice subtly informs their performance.
Originally staged in London three years ago and then filmed for television, the show will air as 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, “One of the great things about this dance piece is that they’ve woven my songs into a sort of meta narrative, which also reflects my own feeling about the world. It’s a wonderful piece of work, and I’m deeply proud to be part of it.”
Sting adapted 27 songs for the project, including the namesake “Message in a Bottle” as well as “Walking on The Moon,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Fields of Gold.”
In 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 company draws on ballet and yoga as part of their training. One of the dance captains, Lindon Barr, is a trained yoga instructor. Resident choreographer Lizzie Gough has “practiced yoga in her daily life for a very long time,” said Prince. “This influences the choices and structure of company class, warm up and cool down.”
When asked about his experience hearing and seeing his songs interpreted in the show, the 17-time Grammy winner replied, “Well, you know, I studied yoga for 35 years, and I’d come to the conclusion that everything is yoga. Everything is about that connection between the mind and the body and the spirit. You can’t separate it.”
Just like with his daily yoga and meditation practice, everything Sting does is with intention. “I practice every day. I’m sitting here with a guitar now,” he said. “This is my practice time. I start to play, and I’m always looking for something I haven’t discovered before, an interval, something that excites my interest. And from that tiny detail, then I build a song around it.”
When Prince quipped during the press conference that she was “hopeless” at meditation, Sting offered her some thoughtful insight.
“Clearly the result of this play is the result of your meditation,” he told her. “You know, this is what meditation is. It’s the creative outcome of that consciousness. And so you’re being a little hard on yourself, Kate! You’re meditating when you choreograph!”
The uplifting performance can be seen on PBS as well as in person during 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 is her breathe that carries her through life’s oft-challenging circumstances.
