Blue Lapis Light: Belonging Part One

Powerful, athletic, graceful and mesmerizing. That describes “Belonging: Part One,” performed by dancers and aerialists from Blue Lapis Light on Sept. 30 at The Seaholm Power Plant downtown.

A combination of athleticism and dance, Blue Lapis Light is a site-specific aerial dance company in Austin. By transforming urban environments into inspired works of art, Blue Lapis Light seeks to connect our senses through modern and interpretive dance, as well as acrobatics. Its works are mostly large-scale productions, taking place in non-traditional public environments such as warehouses, abandoned structures, federal buildings, power plants and even scaffolding at the shores of Lady Bird Lake. 

With each performance, Blue Lapis seeks to find new apparatuses and develop aerial vocabulary that complements the architecture of the site. Past performance locations include J.J. Pickle and Homer Thornberry Federal Buildings, Hyatt and Radisson hotels, Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

“Belonging: Part One” was meant for audiences to explore our relationship with the earth and the effects of climate change and war, by reconnecting with earth through modern and interpretive dance, as well as acrobatics. The show was a mix of modern and interpretive ground dancing, with solo, duet and ensemble performances; as well as duet and quartet performances by aerialists swinging from the stacks of the power plant architecture. Integrating film with dance, aerialists also swung from the windows of the power plant while video was projected on the building as well. Scenes of the earth, animals and nature were all to honor environmental and climate change organizations, communities, scientists, women, animal rights groups, wildlife rangers and other individuals who dedicated their lives to promote these causes. 

“Belonging: Part One” was the first of a two-part series, with the second show coming soon.