WEST FALMOUTH At Chapoquoit Beach, Larry Pratt moves his feet in rhythm, his arms swinging side to side, with the ocean waves swishing behind him. Nobody will ever pay to watch him dance, he said, but the art form has given him a greater understanding of how the ocean moves.
Pratt, a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution senior scientist and physical oceanographer, has been intersecting dance and science for years. He has worked with choreographers to explore environmentalism and taught courses that combine the two subjects.
And on Sunday, the Boston Dance Alliance will present him with the “Unsung Hero” award for his contributions to the regional dance community at an online gala.