‘Beck Epoch': River dancing on air

An aerial river dance between the Strawberry Mansion Bridge and the Schuylkill River highlights Invisible River’s annual festival on July 15 and 16. Beck Epoch will be performed both evenings at 7:30 by dancers suspended from the bridge.

“When you are on the river, your sense of time begins to shift,” says Alie Vidich, Invisible River artistic and executive director, and one of four dancers to perform over the Schuylkill. “I want to shift your sense of time from the kinetic frenzy of city life…there is no better way to do this than to get in a boat.” Audience members can watch from the bank, rent canoes or kayaks, purchase seats in dragon boats, or bring their own vessels.

Strength, grace, and trust

Aerial dancers need superior core strength to move gracefully while constrained by harnesses. “You are always thinking about how to engage your center so that your chest and hips do not sag and create weird lines…. If you do not keep moving your legs will fall asleep because the blood circulation will be cut off,” Vidich explains, adding that the experience can be sublime “when you are moving through the choreography and forget you have the harness on. Then it feels like you have a hand supporting your back, allowing you to play with your limbs in the air.”

Performing hundreds of feet in the air is something aerial dancers get used to, but never take lightly. “You have to trust your equipment, your rigger, and God,” Vidich says. “We take all the precautions we can.”

Schuylkill: setting + substance

Invisible River’s goal is to build an appreciation of, and stewardship for, the Schuylkill through art. Over the past several summers thousands of people of all ages have joined in the celebration, particularly those living in neighborhoods that bracket the river: Manayunk, Brewerytown, East Falls, and Fairmount.

The Schuylkill (which means hidden creek) provides both setting and theme for Beck Epoch, says choreographer and dancer Tatiana Hassan, “not only in the choreography but in the costumes, set, props, etc…. Sometimes we create movement out of prompts like ‘waterfall, evaporation, or the different textures of water.’”

Everything centers on community and pride of place, Vidich explains. “I want to inspire audiences to dream big about what is possible for Philadelphia, and to see our dance as a metaphor for what is possible when collaboration occurs.”

The year’s festival includes the Schuylkill River Arts Day, a community celebration on July 16 from 10am to 2pm that begins with a procession from Mander Recreation Center. Full event details are available online.

Invisible River presents Beck Epoch on July 15 and 16 at 7:30pm at the Strawberry Mansion Bridge in Fairmount Park, 2200 Kelly Drive, Philadelphia. Audiences can watch for free on the shore, or rent a boat or a seat on a boat (or row their own vessels) to watch from the river. Visit Invisible River online for ticketing details.