Vertical Dance

Vertical dance is an aerial discipline in which dancers, held by a harness and rope, perform on a vertical surface such as a building façade, a cliff or a wall built for the stage. Using the wall as their floor, they run, leap, turn and fall in slow, suspended arcs, as if gravity had been tipped on its side.

It combines contemporary dance with climbing and rigging technique, and depends on a rigging team that sets and controls each rope. Vertical dance is known for site-specific shows on city landmarks and natural sites, often for large outdoor audiences.