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 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
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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.
