Origin & Intent

Created by flamenco dancer and choreographer Lindsey Bourassa, El Lobo y La Paloma (The Wolf and The Dove) is a multimedia, contemporary flamenco performance that explores themes of loss and connection. Through all original flamenco dance, Arabic music and song, poetry, and projected imagery, the filmed live performance tells a story about the loss of a loved one and the mystical connections between physical and spiritual worlds.

Inspired by the loss of Bourassa’s father in 2015, El Lobo y La Paloma strives to honor the universal experience of loss; that of losing a loved one, a homeland, a freedom, a right, an identity, an ability. It honors the reconstruction of our relationship with our lost being or object, and grief being vital to the process of healing.

El Lobo y La Paloma was produced to empower viewers to honor that which they’ve lost and grieve, to contemplate how they might take steps toward healing, and in some cases, to ponder the legacy they wish to leave this world. Since its 2019 premiere, the filmed performance has been seen via theatrical screenings, streaming online, and distributed by Edovo, a nation-wide digital platform to meet the education, communication, and rehabilitation needs of justice-involved people and their loved ones.

The decision to make El Lobo y La Paloma available on this platform was expedited by the shock and devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic, and in contemplation of such unprecedented disruption and loss, it is the wish of the artistic team that this work can be used as a means to create space for grief and form connections for those who grieve.

Viewing Guides

The responses from our audience members have affirmed that this work has the power to encourage profoundly healing dialogues with others and within ourselves, inspiring the program’s producers to develop accompanying materials for Bereavement Counselors and End of Life Caregivers to share and review with those they serve.

The Viewing Guide explains the intent and narrative arc of the choreographed performance. Reviewed before screening the film, this document encourages the viewer to engage with the content in a more informed and meaningful way by accessing poetry and paintings used in the film, and insight into the historical and cultural origins of Flamenco.

Once a screening of the film has been completed, the Post-Film Discussion Guide provides a facilitated contemplation on the performance that can be completed by an individual or within a group conversation setting. This document includes written reflections by End of Life Educator Carol Schoneberg (Hospice of Southern Maine) as well as El Lobo y La Paloma’s creative team. Included are a series of reflective prompts to help viewers access and explore their own experience with grief and loss. Please contact us to discuss accessing the Post-Film Discussion Guide guide.

Reviews & Audience Reactions

“El Lobo y La Paloma is part filmed performance, part art film, a lyrical, meditative, visionary exploration of the experience of loss..." Megan Grumbling, Portland Phoenix

“Bourassa and Camlin have created an immersive experience about processing grief that has clearly struck a chord." Dennis Perkins, Portland Press Herald

"The film and accompanying guide provide incarcerated learners with a new perspective on how to approach their grief and what to do with the anger, sorrow, or confusion they are struggling with. El Lobo y La Paloma steps forward to teach how art can heal.”

-John Timpone, Principal Product Strategist, Edovo

"Maine DOC is so fortunate to be able to share El Lobo y La Paloma with residents through the Edovo tablets. This film has allowed DOC's residents to work through the past and move towards the future."

-Katy Grant, Manager of Adult Education and Vocation, Maine Department of Corrections

"I was able to completely open my heart and mind to let myself grieve.”

“The dance and music reflected some of my innermost feelings..."

"This film has helped open me up to a whole new level of grieving in a healthy, positive way.”

-Maine Department of Corrections Residents

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