Splish, splash, they’ll be dancing a dance — in Heritage Park Fountain

Olympia dance troupe Random Acts of Dance Collective (or RADCo) is sure to make a splash — or several — Saturday at Heritage Park Fountain.

The dancers will move in and with the fountain for their “Random Waters” free outdoor performance.

“The water just adds this exhilaration and excitement,” RADCo dancer Susan Gresia told The Olympian. “We don’t know exactly when it’s going to shoot, so there’s that element of surprise in the pieces.

“It’s been really fun taking movement from the studio out into the fountain,” she said. “What a perfect place to be dancing and joyful. I love the water.”

Dancing in the fountain is something Gresia has wanted to do since its installation in 1996. RADCo had planned to perform there last summer, but the fountain was closed for repairs.

“It’s finally happening,” Gresia said.

In keeping with the spirit of the fountain, there’s a playful vibe to most of the pieces in the show, which will last less than an hour.

“These pieces will have a lot of humor,” Mary Nelson, one of the group’s founders, said in a phone interview. “We will be randomly squirted by random jets and we will be laughing about it.”

One number evokes square dancing and another uses moves inspired by synchronized swimming.

Dancers will play with props during several of the dances. Nelson and Gresia do a duet in wetsuits and flippers. Flotation devices make an appearance in another number.

And then there are umbrellas. Nelson’s dance, “If You Want the Rainbow,” celebrates the rain.

“Sometimes, I hear people complain about the rain, and I’m always surprised,” Nelson said. “The rain is what makes Olympia so great. You put a plant in the ground and it grows because we have so much wonderful rain.

“It’s definitely a positive experience to get soaking wet.”

That’s an experience the audience will be invited to share. The last dance, choreographed by somatic therapist Karen Kirsch, will invite all present to become part of a movement choir — though getting wet will be optional. Following the performance, OlyRad will play and the dance will continue.

“I know people will be in the fountain at that point,” Nelson said.

This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Splish, splash, they’ll be dancing a dance — in Heritage Park Fountain."