JUL 26th - AUG 2nd
Vertical Dance WEek
Save the Date:
July 26 to August 2, 2026
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Vertical Dance Week is an annual gathering dedicated to growing vertical dance practice and mentorship in Atlantic Canada. A collaboration between Neighbourhood Dance Works and Cirque’letics, the initiative brings together dance artists interested in rigging-informed, site-specific movement in both natural and urban environments.
Following a successful inaugural edition in 2025, we’re excited to return for our second edition in 2026.
The week-long program features workshops, creative exploration, and mentorship with experienced facilitators and guest artists. Training begins indoors at Cirque’letics, building 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.
Photos by Scott Humber
VDW2026
This year will involve three experience levels, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Below is a full schedule including the events respective to each level, some mixed, and some open to all:
REGISTER
Ideal for those new to vertical dance or returning after an introductory workshop. It includes 1 indoor orientation session, 2 outdoors excursions, and an invitation to attend our social events, and to witness the community showcase and VDW performance.
Designed for participants who are already familiar with vertical dance equipment and are eager to continue exploring movement at height, in a supportive non-performance-focused environment. It includes 1 indoors orientation, 1 workshop inside The Rooms, 1 outdoors cliff excursion, 1 urban big wall experience, and an invitation to attend our social events and to witness the community showcase and VDW performance.
This is an experience for those already confident in their vertical dance skills and comfortable working at heights, but who are looking to explore site-specific creation and collaboration with like-minded individuals. It includes a 7-day intensive, the opportunity to present work on a 10-storey building, and an invitation to attend our social events and witness the community showcase.
Stay Connected
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.
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.
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.
