VERTICAL DANCE COMPANY BANDALOOP CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF EXPANDED WEST OAKLAND HOMEBASE WITH FREE COMMUNITY EVENT
November 12, 2023
WEST OAKLAND, CA (21 September 2023) — Internationally acclaimed vertical dance innovators BANDALOOP, whose aerial feats have stopped traffic around the world with breathtaking mid-air performances on international landmarks, will open its newly expanded headquarters, BANDALOOP Studios, in West Oakland with a free community event, Sunday, November 12, 10am-4pm. The BANDALOOP open house invites members of the public to enjoy a free Flight Test to experience vertical joy in person, view free performances by the company, take a dance class, meet BANDALOOP company members, register for public programs and classes, and learn about and support the BANDALOOP Anchor Fund making all this possible. All activities are free of charge, but space is limited, those interested in attending can reserve free tickets at bandaloop.org/openhouse.
The open house celebration invites the community to explore the newly expanded home of world famed BANDALOOP, recently returned from performing on the façade of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Open house events begin at 10am with These Walls Are For Dancing, free flight tests that invite members of the public to float in the air, jump into space, explore surfaces and play with verticality in a new way. BANDALOOP’s kind and experienced teachers will guide guests through a safe, exploratory look at what’s possible when the dance floor is turned on its side. No experience necessary, all gear is provided; walk ups only, ongoing from 10am to 1pm, ages 8 and up. Also scheduled from 10am to 11:30am are advanced modern dance class with Randee Paufve of the acclaimed Shawl Anderson Dance Center. From 11:45am to 1:15pm, the public can participate in the get down, a terrestrial guided improvisation class with lauded choreographer, poet, performer Maurya Kerr.
At 1:30pm, BANDALOOP will hold a community ritual led by Artistic Director Melecio Estrella and special guests, paying honor to its new place and celebrating the opening of this modern space dedicated to dance and wellness. It will be followed by two performances by the BANDALOOP dancers, at 2pm and 3pm (seating is limited, free reservations required.)
“BANDALOOP has choreographed and produced more 350 performances in over 35 countries, seen by millions. But first and foremost, we consider ourselves members of the Oakland community,” said BANDALOOP Artistic Director Melecio Estrella. “With this larger, redefined space, we have a beautiful new home not only for our dancers to train and rehearse, but to provide a community space for West Oakland amidst so much change and displacement. Here we plan to share our work with the public, and collaborate with other cultural institutions, civic entities, schools, community organizations, and major corporations, to expand our public programs, as well as offer team building experiences, and of course, continue to create transformative art.”
In 2022, BANDALOOP signed a 20-year lease to expand its artistic and administrative headquarters and has now grown its single 3,500 square foot studio to 8,000 square feet across two studios. The new and improved BANDALOOP Studios include two 40x40 ADA dance floors, three 28-foot dance walls, a double wide mezzanine office suite, plus wardrobe and fitting rooms for costume design, changing area with ADA bathrooms, added climate control and insulation, and updated glass storefront door access. The new space features dance floors, dance walls, climbing walls, and vertical trampoline, and a state-of-the-art sound system, providing ample possibilities for artist innovation and incubation, along with opportunities for world-class arts education on and off the wall. The new and improved BANDALOOP Studios are made possible by the Anchor Fund, a capital campaign to sustain dance space and programming in West Oakland; there will be opportunities throughout the free event to support the campaign in ways large and small.
“The obvious aspects of exhilaration, joy, confidence, and strength that come in BANDALOOP learning spaces are powerful,” said Estrella. “What is even more impactful is our Culture of Safety, which is at the very core of all our work. These skills and awareness are proving absolutely transferable to life outside the studio, especially in our times of overlaying environmental and social crises.”
ABOUT BANDALOOP
BANDALOOP celebrates the human spirit, nature, and communities, through dance that uses climbing technology to expand and challenge what is possible. An innovator of vertical performance, BANDALOOP weaves dynamic physicality and intricate choreography to turn the dance floor on its side. Founded by Amelia Rudolph and under the artistic direction of Melecio Estrella, the company’s work re-imagines dance, activates public spaces, and inspires wonder and imagination in audiences around the world. BANDALOOP trains dancers and youth at home and on tour, and has performed live for millions of people.
Education and outreach are intrinsic parts of the Oakland-based company’s mission. BANDALOOP offers open level and intermediate/advanced classes, youth and adult camps, weekend intensives, and team building programs for public and private enterprises. Adult and young adult classes offer students ages 15+ a chance to ascend into BANDALOOP’s signature style of harness assisted dance. From a foundation of safety, care, and equipment training, students can activate the dance walls, trampoline wall, and low flying floor space of BANDALOOP’s home studios with fun and rigorous dancing. Youth classes introduce students ages 9 to 15 to safety awareness, athletic creative expression, coordination, core strength, confidence, and collaborative skills.
BANDALOOP’s is funded by the City of Oakland, The California Arts Council, The MAP Fund, The Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and a diverse set of individual and Bay Area corporate donors who support the work that starts in Oakland and tours the world.
For Calendar Editors
WHAT: Internationally acclaimed vertical dance innovators BANDALOOP, whose aerial feats have stopped traffic around the world with breathtaking mid-air performances on international landmarks, will open its newly expanded headquarters, BANDALOOP Studios, in West Oakland with a free community event, Sunday, November 12, 10am-4pm. The BANDALOOP open house invites members of the public to enjoy a free Flight Test to experience vertical joy in person, view free performances by the company, take a dance class, meet BANDALOOP company members, register for public programs and classes. All activities are free of charge, but space is limited, those interested in attending can reserve free tickets at bandaloop.org/openhouse.
WHERE: BANDALOOP Studios, 1601 18th Street, Oakland
WHEN: 10am-4pm, Sunday, November 12, 2023
INFO: FREE – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. To reserve tickets for free activities and performances throughout the day, the public may visit bandaloop.org/openhouse.
PRESS: Contact Courtney Heimbuck, Carla Befera & Co.
650-308-4390 | courtney@cb-pr.com
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