WEAD invites you to view vertical dance rehearsals happening on an epic scale!
Photo credit: Kelli Marsh
Oakland-based BANDALOOP is one of the Bay Area’s greatest artistic exports drawing crowds all over the world to their awe-inspiring vertical dance performances. Seamlessly blending contemporary dance with climbing and rope access techniques, BANDALOOP has performed in over 330 cities on six continents. West End Arts District and Radium are thrilled to invite them to Alameda Point to start working on an exciting project — just across the estuary from their West Oakland home.
This September, BANDALOOP— led by artistic director Melecio Estrella — and Alameda dance company, Tara Pilbrow Dance, begin the research and development phase of a new work which they hope to share with audiences at Alameda Point in Fall 2024. The site-specific work uses the metal girders of Building 25 at the western end of Seaplane Lagoon as a vertical stage to explore themes of climate adaptation, rewilding, and sustainable development in alignment with the City of Alameda’s vision for the De-Pave Park project. Audiences are invited to the eastern facade of Building 25 (home to Brix Beverage, Urban Legend Winery, and Dashe Cellars) to watch the dancers in rehearsal on Friday and Saturday September 15 and 16 between 4pm and 5pm.
Bring a stool or blanket and sit back to watch as the dancers explore the artistic potential of this stunning site, and outline the artistic vision for their 2024 performance “Re-Cycle.” Follow it up with a sunset drink at Urban Legend or Dashe Cellars.
The vision for 2024:
Re-cycle will be a multimedia performance bringing together aerial dance, digital projection, and musical composition to raise awareness of the City of Alameda’s Climate Emergency Declaration and the healing potential of a development plan which centers on sustainability and equity. The sound, movement, and imagery will take us on a journey from the stark industrial present to a greener wilder future.
Contact WEAD Executive Director, Tara Pilbrow, for more information:
tara@westendartsdistrict.org
415-309-8565
About BANDALOOP
BANDALOOP honors nature, community, and the human spirit through perspective-bending dance. An innovator in vertical performance, BANDALOOP seamlessly weaves dynamic physicality, intricate choreography and climbing technology to turn the dance floor on its side. Founded by Amelia Rudolph and under the artistic direction of Melecio Estrella, BANDALOOP re-imagines dance, activates public spaces, and inspires wonder and imagination in audiences around the world. The company trains dancers and youth at home and on tour, and has performed for millions of people in over 300 cities in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia, and on screens in films and digital media. The newly expanded BANDALOOP Studios in West Oakland, CA is where the company incubates and produces work for its local and global audiences and offers education programs for youth and adults of all backgrounds.
Photo credits: Krystal Harfert (bottom) and Basil Tsimoyianis (top)
About Radium
Radium is a catalyst for transformation at Alameda Point—performing arts as a cultural anchor, bringing people together on common ground through shared passions. Radium believes in the power of performing arts to inspire empathy and effect social change—uplifting spirits, challenging perspectives, encouraging dialogue, amplifying underrepresented voices, fostering community.
About Tara Pilbrow Dance
TARA PILBROW DANCE invests in the capacity of the moving body to open us to a fuller lived experience; the power of dance to build empathy, awareness and tolerance; to connect communities and combat discrimination.
Based in Alameda, they produce live performance and film, and curates community events with the intention of weaving dance into the fabric of her community. Tara Pilbrow Dance is fiscally-sponsored project of West End Arts District.
About the De-Pave Park Project
Shape the Future of Alameda’s Next Park
De-Pave Park, located on the western side of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point, will transform the naval airfield into an ecological park. Share your vision and participate in the collaborative park design and engagement phase of the De-Pave Park project with the Alameda community! The 2020 De-Pave Park Vision Plan envisioned a highly sustainable and resilient design approach for De-Pave Park—recycling 100% of the existing site materials, transformation info an ecological park that welcomes sea level rise, and provide opportunities for public access and environmental education.