Photos: Bandaloop teaches aerial dancing like its Transamerica Pyramid show
Learn how to rappel and dance like the vertical Transamerica Pyramid trio
OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Becca Dean (left) instructs Dave Cox hanging from a rope attached to a harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renown vertical dance troupe, that have performed their aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group)
BANDALOOP, the Bay Area’s original aerial dance troupe, dangled from the iconic Transamerica Pyramid and performed over downtown San Francisco on Monday.
Three of the Oakland-based troupe’s dancers were seen in social media posts documenting their performance, which the troupe said in a press release it planned in concert with city officials and the Transamerica Pyramid.
Three people were spotted rappelling down the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. They were part of Oakland-based BANDALOOP, an aerial vertical performance troupe, that was putting on a planned performance related to APEC, according to city officials. https://t.co/tjQS6tQ1cLpic.twitter.com/3MikhlaYxH
Relating the rappelling dancers to the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in the city, the group said its performance delivered a message: “We are dancing for human connection and expanded possibility – how we can have hope in impossible times.”
BANDALOOP also seized the stunt’s popularity Monday to promote the grand opening of its newly renovated studios in West Oakland one day earlier. That event included the opportunity for the public to learn how to “fly, similar to how the dancers were in the air like the Transamerica work that took place.”
OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Becca Dean (right) instructs Dave Cox hanging from a rope attached to a harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Becca Dean (right) instructs Dave Cox hanging from a rope attached to a harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: (Left to right) Elliot Smith has a harness put on by instructor Krystal Harfert, while Avery Smith has a harness put on by instructor Sarah Keeney and Memo Rehberg is shown how to wear a harness by instructor Becca Dean before flight test vertical dance lessons at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Krystal Harfert (left) instructs Elliot Smith how to secure their harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Avery Smith waves to her mother Taylor Samuelson while hanging from a rope attached to a harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson under the instruction of Sarah Keeney (right) at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed their aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Memo Rehberg (left) attempts to hi-five instructor Becca Dean while swinging on a rope attached to a harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Carolyn Choy of Berkeley runs along a wall while hanging from a rope attached to a harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Taylor Samuelson of Oakland (left) hi-fives her son Elliot Smith while he hangs from a rope attached to a harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Students are instructed in flight test vertical dance lessons at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed their aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Student Arlo Dean of Oakland (left) performs aerial maneuvers while hanging in the air from a rope attached to a harness while instructor Roel Seeber holds the rope while laying on the floor during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Tim Hausler of Oakland (right) performs an aerial maneuver while attached to a rope connected to a harness while instructor Krystal Harfert (left) looks on during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: May Funabiki of Alameda (left) performs an aerial maneuver while hanging from a rope attached to a harness while instructor Sarah Keeney looks on during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: May Funabiki of Alameda (left) hangs from a rope attached to a harness while instructor Sarah Keeney looks on during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Randee Paufve (right front) of the Shawl Anderson Dance Center teaches a modern dance class during the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Randee Paufve (center front) of the Shawl Anderson Dance Center teaches a modern dance class during the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Roel Seeber (center) instructs a student hanging from a rope attached to a harness during a flight test vertical dance lesson at the BANDALOOP open house at their studio space in Oakland, Calif. on Nov. 12, 2023. BANDALOOP is a renowned vertical dance troupe that has performed aerial mid-air performances on international landmarks around the world. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Bay Area News Group)
