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• We are very excited to continue working on the Project, particularly in light of the warm and welcoming reception to our recent Home Season. We are currently seeking a new studio which will allow us to continue our work. If you have any leads, please contact us.

• AscenDance Project presents...

  BEYOND GRAVITY

  First Home Season Show in the Bay Area
  March 5,6,12,13,14 2010.
  
  At the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave, Berkeley CA.
  
  Check out the 5-star review of this show on Yelp!
  
  

  AscenDance Project presents their first home season at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Avenue in Berkeley this spring in a series of performances beginning on March 5, 2010. Andy Schmeder, Lara Mercurio, Elena Cochran, Martha Hazel, Susan Owen, Ryan Gaunt and Isabel von Rittberg will be performing Beyond Gravity March 5, 6, 12 & 13 at 8 PM and March 14 at 3 PM. General Admission: $25 ($20 Sunday only), Students and Seniors (ID required): $20, Kids under 12: $10. For information contact: info@ascendanceproject.com

  AscenDance Project was founded in January 2006 by German-born performance artist and mountaineer, Isabel von Rittberg. Her work explores the aesthetics of rock climbing with dancers performing on a vertical stage. Performing entirely without the use of ropes, their work exhibits strength and grace enhanced by the effects of gravity on the dancers and their ability to overcome it. Using a 24 ft long and 12 ft high climbing wall, AscenDance artists move through three dimensions, using time and space as inconsistent and unpredictable variables.

  Von Rittberg's aspiration is to create a sense of detachment and lightness, to offer a completely new stage perspective and to appeal to a collective appreciation of rhythm and movement.

  Following their well-received world premier of Levitate at the San Francisco International Arts Festival 2008 on Union Square, AscenDance Project was invited to perform at the 2009 International Aerial Dance Festival in Boulder, Colorado. After two weeks of teaching dance-climb fusion to students from all over the country, their participation ended with two sold-out performances. Having created a local following through fundraisers and classes, choreographer von Rittberg is ready to contribute to the community which she is proud to be a part of.

• 5-week Series Class: Oct 20-Nov 17th. Click here for more info...
  

• AscenDance Project at Aerial Dance Festival 2009
  
  From August 2-15, AP is participating in the 11th Annual Aerial Dance Festival in Boulder Colorado. Isabel von Rittberg and Ryan Gaunt will teach a 2-week repertory class as well as a beginning class. On Friday August 14 AscenDance Project will perform at 8PM at Charlotte York Irey Studio 150 in the CU Theatre and Dance building (See the location on the campus map). More information: about the ADF, performances, classes.
  

• Experience Climbing in a New Way. AscenDance Project at Outdoor Retailer Industry Party
  
  July 21st 2009, 6-8PM Pierpont Street, Salt Lake City, UT. Download the flyer. Pictures here, and more.
  
  
• Bridges Rock Gym Grand Opening
  
  
  • Two Performances: March 28th 2009, 4pm, 7pm
  • Two more Performances: March 29th 2009 at 3pm and 6pm.

  The new all-bouldering climbing gym in El Cerritto, Bridges Rock Gym opens to the public March 28th. AscenDance Project will commemorate the occasion with four performances.

• Auditions!, Feb 7th 12-3pm 2009

  Did you miss the auditions? Send email to isabel@ascendanceproject.com.

• Cisco Systems Event / Roadsho Productions, August 28th, Sept. 4th 2008
  

  AscenDance Project performed at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Hall both August 28th and September 4th in front of an audience of 15,000 representatives from all over the world. The spectacle was wildly applauded and as event manager Brynne Cortez desribes: "Your pieces were truly breathtaking and added an extra element of surprise to the evening events". Please see pictures in the gallery

• Bigfork Festival of the Arts, August 2nd and 3rd 2008

  AscenDance Project performs at the Bigfork Festival of the Arts on August 2 and 3, 2008 at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

• San Francisco International Arts Festival 2008

  For the San Francisco International Arts Festival, AscenDance Project presents Levitate, a free site specific dance performance at Union Square. German born performance artist and rock climber, Isabel von Rittberg creates work that explores the aesthetics of climbing, the effects of and the ability to overcome gravity. Performance Dates: May 23 June 2 and June 6 at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm and May 24, June 1 and June 7 at noon, 1pm and 2pm!

• Bay Area National Dance Week April 29, 2008

  As part as the Bay Area National Dance Week, artistic director of AscenDance Project Isabel von Rittberg teaches a dance-climb fusion class to share the joy of moving on a climbing wall to the rhythm of music. In addition, her dancers presented a demonstration/open rehearsal of her latest work in preparation for the San Francisco International Arts Festival.

• Spring Fundraiser April 24,25,26, 2008

  AscenDance Project proudly presented LEVETATE our Pre-Show for the San Francisco International Arts Festival 2008 8:00 PM Admission: $8-15 Location: 1919 Market St. Oakland, CA 94707

2007

• Studio Warming: June 28, 2007

  Our audience visited our new studio space for another dance-climb fusion performance on Thursday June 28th, 2007 at 8:30 PM. AscenDance Project presented a collection of old pieces on the wall as well as works in progress on our new bar structure.

• Bandshell Opening: June 23, 2007

  AscenDance Project performed on Saturday, June 23rd, in San Francisco's Panhandle Park at the Grand Opening Event of the full-scale, traditional bandshell! Our perfomance will be accompanied by pianist Merrill Collings during the early afternoon. Festivities started at 12 noon with kids- and family-oriented programming until an unveiling ceremony at 2pm. There was an incredible line-up of acoustic music, dance and aerial performances throughout the afternoon.

2006

• Fundraising Performance: November 17-18, 2006

  Isabel von Rittberg put on another performance at the AP studio to show her latest work presented by AscenDance Project and collaborating performers. Wine and cheese was served at 7 PM. The show started at 8 PM. There will was no cover charge; however, the audience showed their support through generous donations. The showing took place at the Bakery Lofts on 4600 Adeline St. # 212 (cross St. 46th) Emeryville, CA 94608 tel.: 510-225-8844

• Summer Solstice Event: June 21, 2006

  The climbing community enjoyed a site-specific improvisation on the climbing walls of Class 5, the Touchstone gym located in San Rafael. In continuation of a short performance, artistic director Isabel von Rittberg and her dancers shared the joy of moving on the wall to beats. Whether to enhance their fluency when moving across the wall or to move across the wall to music, it gave participants a fun introduction to dance-climb fusion.

• Fundraising Performance: June 2-3, 2006

  AscenDance Project hosted an intimate showing of their latest choreographies. Seven pieces were performed including solos by each of the members, a duet, and a piece performed by all dancers. The evening began with wine and cheese @ 7PM followed by the performance @ 8PM. In attendance were local choreographers, dancers, friends and family.

• The Flaming Sword of Truth: May 19, 2006

  Artistic Director Isabel von Rittberg and dancer Yona Segal performed at the UC Berkeley Art Museum during the 36th annual Berkeley Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition. The improvisational dance performance was in collaboration with sculptor Leo Estevez, whose newest piece, a 3-dimensional life sized poem, was on display. Both dancers moved across the letters which were attached to the wall.

• Red Rock Rendezvous: March 24-26, 2006

  This year at Red Rock Rendezvous, AscenDance presented a video of their latest choreography. In addition, artistic director Isabel von Rittberg debuted a brief demonstration on the dyno-wall as an introduction to her clinic.