Somewhere to Land:

Dances for Sea and Low Sky

A collaboration vertical dance innovators BANDALOOP,  Somewhere to Land was inspired by the City of Alameda's visionary plan to transform a portion of the former naval air station at Alameda Point into an ecological park. Taking root in hopes for rewilding and for sustainable futures, Somewhere to Land was performed on the metal façade of Hangar 25, one of two buildings which have been slated for demolition to allow for the construction of the future 'De-Pave Park.'

Thursday-Saturday, September 26, 27, 28
Hangar 25, 1951 Monarch Street, Alameda

● Show Details | View Full Show

Artistic Director Melecio Estrella described his work as, “focusing on human/land relationships in our time of co-arising climate and social crises.”

During the process of creating Somewhere to Land, we hosted a ‘creative picnic’ with scientists, climate activists, city planners, art advocates, and artists. This work was brought to life by the expertise of many.

Thank you to our collaborators:

  • Amy Wooldridge (Assistant Manager, City of Alameda)

  • Andrew Jones (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab)

  • Andrew Ward (PWP Landscape Architecture)

  • Corbett Belcher (CMG Landscape Architects)

  • Danielle Mieler (Sustainability and Resilience Manager, City of Alameda)

  • Dave Reid (Santa Cruz Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience)

  • Justin Long (Alameda Recreation and Parks, Manager)

  • Ruth Abbe (Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda)

  • Steve Costa (Center for Humans and Nature)

  • William Collins (UC Berkeley, Dept of Earth and Planetary Science)

  • Zoe Siegel (Greenbelt Alliance)

Watch excerpts from Somewhere to Land:

In just 3 days, ‘Somewhere to Land’ drew over 6,000 attendees, turning Alameda’s Hangar 25 into a powerful platform for climate advocacy, bringing climate action to life through movement and music.

With creative collaborations and public engagement, Somewhere to Land was a catalyst for deeper discussions on ecological preservation, illustrating how art can lead the conversation in community-driven climate solutions.

IMPACT

Attendee Insights

  • “The project helped us see potential and mutual needs. It generated optimism about responding to climate change”

    — Lisa, Attendee

  • “To see an entire community come out to enjoy the arts together is inspiring. People are hungry to see live performances, to offer it for free was amazing.”

    — Attendee

  • “What a pleasure it was to see the performance and to volunteer last night! Thanks so much for pulling off a spectacular and generous evening for Alameda. It makes one happy and proud to live here.”

    — Leslie, Volunteer

  • “Given the incredible attendance, our community is clearly craving arts events such as Somewhere to Land. It was a gorgeous performance!”

    — Attendee

Pre-Show & Afterparty Fun

  • St George Spirits distillery founders standing in front of of the classic machinery and vats of the St George Spirits distillery

    St. George Spirits Distillery Tour

    The world-renowned St George Spirits distillery is five minutes down the road from the performance location.

    ● 2601 Monarch Street

  •  Front patio of the Almanac Brewery with tables shade covers and the Almanac logo on the wall behind

    Almanac Brewery Taproom

    Join cast and crew for a post-show afterparty at Almanac on Saturday 09/28 (only). Taste the finely-crafted brews in the Taproom.

    ● 651 W. Tower Avenue

  • Dashe Cellars and Urban Legend Cellars

    Urban Legend & Dashe Cellars

    Enjoy the views from their beautiful patio in Alameda’s Spirits Alley, an eclectic cluster of artisan wineries, distilleries, and breweries.

    ● 1951 Monarch Street

RISING TIDES is a year-long initiative featuring extraordinary arts experiences to educate and inspire community action to positively impact climate change in Alameda and beyond. RISING TIDES is a partnership between the City of Alameda, West End Arts District, Radium Presents, and Rhythmix Cultural Works.

Somewhere to Land is an Anchor Arts Project of the RISING TIDES climate arts initiative. Learn more:

RISING TIDES Climate Arts Initiative Supported by:

Program Sponsors & Partners:

In-Kind Supporters:

BANDALOOP

BANDALOOP honors nature, community, and the human spirit through perspective-bending dance. An innovator in vertical performance, BANDALOOP seamlessly weaves dynamic physicality, intricate choreography and climbing technology to turn the dance floor on its side. Founded by Amelia Rudolph and under the artistic direction of Melecio Estrella, BANDALOOP re-imagines dance, activates public spaces, and inspires wonder and imagination in audiences around the world. The company trains dancers and youth at home and on tour, and has performed for millions of people in over 300 cities in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia, and on screens in films and digital media. The newly expanded BANDALOOP Studios in West Oakland, CA is where the company incubates and produces work for its local and global audiences and offers education programs for youth and adults of all backgrounds. Follow them on Instagram.

Learn more about BANDALOOP:
Website Instagram

Tara Pilbrow Dance

Tara Pilbrow Dance invests in the capacity of the moving body to open us to a fuller lived experience; the power of dance to build empathy, awareness and tolerance; to connect communities and combat discrimination.

Based in Alameda, they produce live performance and film, and curates community events with the intention of weaving dance into the fabric of her community. Tara Pilbrow Dance is fiscally-sponsored project of West End Arts District.

Radium Presents

Radium Presents is a catalyst for transformation at Alameda Point—performing arts as a cultural anchor, bringing people together on common ground through shared passions. Radium believes in the power of performing arts to inspire empathy and effect social change—uplifting spirits, challenging perspectives, encouraging dialogue, amplifying underrepresented voices, fostering community.

De-Pave Park Project

De-Pave Park, located on the western side of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point, will transform the naval airfield into an ecological park. Share your vision and participate in the collaborative park design and engagement phase of the De-Pave Park project with the Alameda community! The 2020 De-Pave Park Vision Plan envisioned a highly sustainable and resilient design approach for De-Pave Park—recycling 100% of the existing site materials, transformation info an ecological park that welcomes sea level rise, and provide opportunities for public access and environmental education.