The urban scan

Guided by stringent technical criteria, our architectural teams worked with Julia on an ‘urban scan’—identifying built and natural environments across the city that were suitable and safe for performers, while offering an extraordinary viewing experience.

We learned that Vancouver’s topography enables performances to be viewed from various vantage points—each presenting a unique experience—and by far more people than an indoor theatre. Whether it’s a large tower, an urban plaza, trees, cliffs (Julia has previously danced on the Stawamus Chief, for example), or the underside of a bridge, each venue offers new ideas for the types of show Aeriosa could perform, whether public or private.

The residency resulted in a set of isometric and section drawings, information, and location map. The goal was to share these findings with building managers, City officials, and the wider vertical dance community to build momentum for the dance summit.