AUG 11 - 17
Vertical Dance WEek
Vertical Dance Week is a brand new initiative in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, dedicated to growing vertical dance practice and mentorship in Atlantic Canada. A collaboration between Neighbourhood Dance Works and Cirque’letics, this gathering is designed to build capacity for rigging-informed, site-specific dance training in both natural and urban environments.
Our inaugural edition runs August 11–17, 2025, featuring a week of workshops, creative exploration, and mentorship with a team of experienced facilitators and guest artists. The week begins indoors at Cirque’letics, developing technical and creative foundations through rope and wall work, before moving outdoors to explore vertical movement in varied landscapes — from coastal cliffs to urban facades.
Vertical Dance Week is about connection, creativity, and opening new possibilities for dance artists working with height, harness, and unconventional spaces. As we grow this initiative, we’re excited to build a vibrant community of vertical dance artists in Atlantic Canada and beyond.
Photos by Scott Humber and Jillian Ball
What is Vertical DancE?
Vertical dance is a captivating form of movement that takes dance off the traditional floor and into the air. Using harnesses, ropes, and rigging systems, dancers move along vertical surfaces — like walls, cliffs, and buildings — transforming everyday spaces into unexpected, gravity-defying stages.
Blending contemporary dance, aerial arts, and site-specific performance, vertical dance invites both artists and audiences to reimagine how we move through and interact with our surroundings. It opens up new creative possibilities, using height, suspension, and the pull of gravity as partners in choreography.
Whether unfolding high above city streets or along rugged coastal cliffs, vertical dance connects people to place in bold, breathtaking ways — celebrating risk, creativity, and the thrill of experiencing movement from entirely new perspectives.
Stay Connected
Vertical DanCe WEek full schedule and program details are now live, but this is just the beginning. Sign up for our newsletter to stay connected and be the first to hear about future vertical dance workshops, pop-ups, and other opportunities.
Vertical Dance is taking flight — and you’ll want to be part of what’s next.
Calling Vertical Dance Artists
Are you a vertical dance artist interested in exploring Newfoundland and Labrador? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out through info@neighbourhooddanceworks.com.
