In December 2017, Astraeus Aerial Dance Theatre was awarded an Artist in Residency at the San Diego International Airport. Here's a look at the work they have done.
Astraeus Aerial Dance Theatre was founded by Jennifer Curry Wingrove after she produced award-winning work at the San Diego International Fringe Festival.
The company is named after the Titan god of the stars and the father of the wind. She describes its mission as "to ignite imagination and inspiration in audiences through thrilling storytelling that fuses the traditions of ballet, dance theater, and cirque nouveau."
Astraeus boasts a company of professional dancers and aerialists. Curry Wingrove produced "Save My Soul" at the 2015 San Diego International Fringe Festival, which took home Best of Fringe. In 2016, the company won Fringe Pick and "Outstanding World Premiere" for "Mythos: Opening Pandora's Box," and last year they won Outstanding World Premiere for "Echoes of Gallows Hill."
Chris Chalupsky, senior manager of Arts and Community Partnerships for San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, said that the airport has a three-part arts program made up of public art (that is part of a permanent collection), temporary exhibitions (supporting the airport’s mission of serving as a gateway to the region by showcasing the work of regional visual artists, cultural institutions, educational organizations, and community groups), and performing arts (presenting dance, theater and live music, through an ongoing concert series, special performances, and an annual residency program).
For its residency, Astraeus created a series of dances and aerial performances to entertain travelers at the airport. One piece had dancers with suitcases, another had them dressed as the ground crew directing planes on the tarmac, and another had a young woman trying to sleep on the plane. All displayed a playful sense of engagement with travelers and with the site specific location of the airport.
Astraeus Aerial Dance Theatre has two more performances at the airport on Monday, May 14 and May 21, before their residency ends this month.
