Acclaimed dance company stages performance high above BeltLine
ATLANTA, Ga. - A world-renowned dance company is performing a series of free shows in Atlanta this weekend, but it’s not happening on a traditional stage … or even in a theatre.
So, where can you find BANDALOOP premiering its newest work here in town? Here’s a hint: look up!
Atlanta-based Flux Projects presents the world premiere of "Field" this weekend, danced by vertical dance pioneer BANDALOOP…and it’s happening on the side of the 725 Ponce building, overlooking the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine.
What exactly is vertical dancing? It essentially means BANDALOOP’s performers are secured sideways on climbing ropes, literally using the side of a building as a dancefloor. BANDALOOP is an innovator in this kind of performance (you’ve probably seen clips of the group on television or on social media); the company was founded back in 1991 in Oakland, California, and has performed for millions of people in dozens of countries.
We caught up with artistic director Melecio Estrella at rehearsal Wednesday afternoon to learn more about the concept behind "Field."
"‘Field’ is [built] around the ancestral, ecological, and spiritual impacts of textiles," Estrella says. "And as a form of dance that relies on nylon climbing ropes, we think of our form as a sort of fiber-arts form."
BANDALOOP will perform on Friday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 3 at around 5 p.m. each evening; the show can be viewed from the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine, facing 725 Ponce (which houses Kroger). The performances are free and open to the public.
For a look at the performers rehearsing ahead of this weekend’s shows, click the video player in this article!
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