Landing at San Diego's airport: Percussive dance performance inspired by the passengers
It was, literally, a circus (in a good way) in the terminals back in 2016 when San Diego International Airport’s (SAN) arts program launched its performing arts residency program by inviting Fern Street Circus to spend four to six months inside the airport developing and performing site-specific new work.
Since then, seven other community groups have completed residencies as part of the airport’s program bringing aerial dance, theater, poetry, digital art and many interdisciplinary projects to the airport terminals.
Landing a residency at SAN is competitive and applicants are ranked by a panel with consideration given to a variety of factors, including quality, creativity, consistency, cultural relevance of past work and the ability to offer airport patrons a high-quality, interactive experience, said Daniel Dennert, curator of the arts program at San Diego International Airport.
The ninth and newest performing arts group to make the cut is the creative percussion group, DrumatiX, and the group is on-site now.
“It’s the first [residency] back in full force and filling our terminals since the pandemic,” said Dennert, “and we are thrilled to see and hear live percussive dance delighting visitors.”
DrumatiX is working on five new dances in a project that will “mirror how travelers experience and hear the airport journey — getting through security, recomposure, dining, heading to the gate and waiting to board a flight,” said Dennert.
From the airport’s side, DrumatiX was a good fit for this season’s performing arts residency not only because of their record presenting quality and engaging work, but also because their project takes direct inspiration from the airport and the people passing through it.
“DrumatiX turns sounds they discover through observation or interviews into rhythms and movement for their pieces. They can capture audience verbal responses or participation using percussive instruments to create a base for their dances,” said Dennert.
From the DrumatiX side, the airport is a good fit, because it gives the team “a chance to immerse themselves in the San Diego dance scene and gain experience in site-specific projects,” said Noa Barankin, DrumatiX artistic director and choreographer. “It also challenges me in my directorial role and pushes the dancers by taking them out of their comfort zone of traditional stages and audiences.”
So far, Barankin says the group’s experience at the airport has been “remarkable.” As they go about their work creating dance pieces inspired by the airport environment they’ve attracted the attention of passersby, who are invited to engage actively with the dancers during the creative process.
“Yesterday, a girl and her mom stopped while we were rehearsing the tap dance with musical pipes piece, and I invited the child to join us,” said Barankin. “She really did not want to, but then the mom jumped on the opportunity and ended up playing with us for a bit. It was a great experience because we were able to show the younger audiences that even as adults, we can play and have fun with found items and making music at the airport.”
In another instance, while creating and rehearsing what Barankin calls the dining hall piece, “we had a father and son approach us and ask if they could watch our performance. We mentioned that we were simply rehearsing but invited his son, who is autistic, to play with us. He sat down and grabbed a few plastic cups and on his own and just started playing a very good beat,” said Barankin. “We started improvising on top of his beat with all the found items that we had on the table — paper bags, Tupperware, water bottles — and played along with him before they had to leave.”
Barankin says the group doesn’t usually incorporate audience members into finished choreographed dances but interactions like these are encouraging her to adapt the choreography “to allow for such interactions during our actual performances at the airport in late April and early May.”
Curious about how it all will work out?
DrumatiX has about five weeks left in its residency and during the final two weeks will be offering performances debuting the five pieces they’ve created in rotation across various locations in the airport. Performance dates include April 29, May 3, May 6 and May 10, all from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Terminal 2.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.