LOOK UP Contemporary Site-specific Vertical
Dance Choreography HERE! (No poles required)
Vertical dance is an exciting, emerging form of dance that typically uses rock climbing equipment (ropes, harnesses and abseil devices) to suspend dancers off the ground on a range of vertical surfaces. It takes place in a variety of locations, from theatres and their foyers to the outside of buildings and rock faces. Vertical Dance Kate Lawrence (VDKL) are one of a limited, but growing number of companies worldwide specialising in this new dance genre. Artistic Director, Kate Lawrence has 30 years experience as a dance artist and 15 years specialising in Vertical Dance. The company was constituted in December 2014 for the promotion of arts activities and builds on Kate’s collaboration with rigger Simon Edwards. We are proud to live and work in North Wales and are strongly committed to working with local people.
Vertical Dance Kate Lawrence
creates bespoke and self-generated vertical dance performance projects in non-theatre and theatre locations with a wide range of participants
provides training in vertical dance locally, nationally and internationally
responds to commissions and consultancy work in the area of vertical and site-specific dance
networks with vertical dance artists nationally and internationally, advocating good practice within the sector and promoting understanding of this emerging form of dance
Support and Funding
VDKL gratefully acknowledges support from Arts Council Wales, Pontio and Venue Cymru, where we are company in residence. We have received support from a range of other sources for specific projects; this is acknowledged on the pages about specific projects.
Latest news
Due to the COVID-19 situation we are currently not engaging in any teaching or performing activity. We hope that we will be able to get back to dancing flying in the not too distant future. Please check the website for information from September onwards.
We are very happy to share this film we made in September 2019 inspired by Gwymon and funded by Arts Council Wales:
AND… these two short films we made with Young Fliers in our socially distanced workshops in Happy Valley in Llandudno in September 2020:
UPCOMING events in bold
23 September 2020: Young Fliers at Happy Valley
21 September 2020: Young Fliers at Happy Valley
16 September 2020: Young Fliers at Happy Valley
14 September 2020: Young Fliers at Happy Valley
9 September 2020: Young Fliers at Happy Valley.
7 September 2020: Young Fliers at Happy Valley.
17 August 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
3 August 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
20 July 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
6 – 10 July 2020. Vertical Dance Workshop for experienced movers with some experience of vertical dance at Venue Cymru, Llandudno. For details email: k.lawrence1964@gmail.com CANCELLED
22 June 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
8 June 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
26 May 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
11 May 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
27 April 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
20 April 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
4 April 2020. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru. CANCELLED
23 March 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details. CANCELLED
23 March 2020, 1200 – 1300. Hedfan Hanner Dydd/Lunch on the fly workshop at Pontio. See: https://www.pontio.co.uk/Online/default.asp CANCELLED
16 March 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details.
7th March 2020. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru.
10th February 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details.
10th February 2020, 1200 – 1300. Hedfan Hanner Dydd/Lunch on the fly workshop at Pontio. See: https://www.pontio.co.uk/Online/default.asp
8th February 2020. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru.
4th February 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details.
20th January 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details.
20th January 2020, 1200 – 1300. Hedfan Hanner Dydd/Lunch on the fly workshop at Pontio. See: https://www.pontio.co.uk/Online/default.asp
11th/12th January 2020. Free Workshops and performances by VDKL and Young Fliers. For more information call Venue Cymru Box Office: 01492 872000
6th January 2020. Vertical Skills training at Pontio. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for further details.
4th January 2020. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru.
21st December 2019. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru.
20th & 21st November 2019. Kate Lawrence teaching masterclass in Venice with Wanda Moretti and Lindsey Butcher. More info: http://www.ilposto.org/lab
16th November 2019. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru.
28th September 2019. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru.
19th – 21st Septemer 2019. VDKL training project on the cliffs of Rhoscolyn, Anglesey, funded by Arts Council Wales. Film to come!
12th – 15th September 2019. Kate Lawrence and Simon Edwards teaching and rigging respectively at Attenborough Centre for the Arts, Brighton with Gravity & Levity.
7th September 2019. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru.
12th – 16th August 2019. Kate Lawrence and Simon Edwards teaching and rigging respectively at the European Aerial Dance Festival in Eastleigh.
6th, 7th, 8th August 2019. Wal Werin at Conwy and Llandudno Venue Cymru for Eisteddfod. See film clip: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ibGQJFqIp/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&fbclid=IwAR3NZkq_xrYNfuV-6mvJ42BUU1ROG_vQlP_vMT4aohwIMVqXwlBihCxUOU8
3rd August 2019. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru.
22nd July – 1 August 2019. Kate Lawrence and Lisa Spaull in Greenland for project on the cliffs. Film to follow.
6th July 2019. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru
23rd July 2019. Vertical Dance Pathways e-publication authored by Wanda Moretti and Kate Lawrence commissioned by Vertical Dance Forum published. Access it here: https://verticaldanceforum.com/read/e-publication/?fbclid=IwAR1hOdRFVmQkgyEzsV-aRzCeBdN4_8B8n92KcxxASg60na3wVzJMqqDL1p0
9th – 16th June 2019. Kate Lawrence and Simon Edwards at Vertical Dance Forum VIVDS in Vancouver. See event page: https://aeriosa.com/events/2019/6/9/vivds
8th June 2019. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru
1st June 2019. New performance for the opening of new apartment building in East Village, London. See film: https://vimeo.com/354159784
13th – 19th May 2019. Kate Lawrence in Paris for Vertical Dance Forum ‘en KIT’. See video: https://vimeo.com/363180643?fbclid=IwAR0hcLc70GKXnIKli89iCkmG7WV33bN-9RL-G8uI4UnTGl7zt0rlcnlb3U8
11th May 2019. Performances of research and development project Yn y Golau/In-visible Light at Pontio, Funded by Arts Council Wales. See edited film: https://vimeo.com/362241074
4th may 2019. Young and Adult Fliers at Venue Cymru
4th May 2019. Kate Lawrence filmed visiting Coventry, talking about her work and site-specific dance for Dancing Bodies in Coventry. See film: https://dancingbodiesincoventry.com/2019/07/01/vertical-dance-kate-lawrence/?fbclid=IwAR0uK5NFsCiEW_8Uogi2c3Ta6OMHAuwZqKUr4DqmY80cNHL0oFwU-o68WWQ
15th April 2019. Lunch on the Fly/Hedfan Hanner Dydd vertical dance workshop at Pontio. For more information call Pontio Box Office: 01248 382828
4th – 6th April 2019. Dancing in Trees Training project at Bodnant Gardens supported by Arts Council Wales. See video: https://www.facebook.com/BBCCymruWales/videos/364075687861206/
11th March 2019. Lunch on the Fly/Hedfan Hanner Dydd vertical dance workshop at Pontio. For more information call Pontio Box Office: 01248 382828
2nd March 2019. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
27th February 2019. Lunch on the Fly/Hedfan Hanner Dydd vertical dance workshop at Pontio. For more information call Pontio Box Office: 01248 382828
9th February 2019. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
20th – 25th January 2019. Kate Lawrence and Lisa Spaull at Vertical Dance Forum ‘Alternative Perspectives’ in Eastleigh. See video: https://vimeo.com/325421398/bcfa859f2b
14th January 2019. VDKL teach Lunch on the Fly/Hedfan Hanner Dydd vertical dance workshop at Pontio. For more information call Pontio Box Office: 01248 382828
12th and 13th January 2019. VDKL Take pART! at Venue Cymru. Free Workshops and performances by VDKL and Young Fliers. For more information call Venue Cymru Box Office: 01492 872000
5th January 2019. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
22nd December 2018. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
10th November 2018. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
29th October – 3rd November 2018. Kate Lawrence guest teacher with Lindsey Butcher on Atlantic Big Wall Workshop in Lisbon with Magalie Lanriot
25th – 29th September 2018. Kate Lawrence performs in Nawr yr Arwr/Now the Hero in Swansea. https://www.nowthehero.wales
15th – 22nd September 2018. Kate Lawrence at Vertical Dance Forum in Croatia.
8th September 2018. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
20th – 26th August 2018. Kate Lawrence and Simon Edwards guest artist/rigger for Dancing between Earth and Sky in Vedauwoo National Park, Wyoming.
6th – 17th August 2018. Kate Lawrence teaching at European Aerial Dance Festival in Eastleigh. http://www.eadf.co.uk
24 – 27 July 2018. 4-day Vertical Dance Masterclass with Lindsey Butcher and Kate Lawrence at the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts, Brighton. http://www.gravity-levity.net/events/4-day-vertical-dance-masterclass-at-acca-brighton-july-24th-27th/
9th – 11th July 2018. Kate Lawrence teaching creative vertical dance intensive with Chantal McCormick in Letterkenny, Ireland. https://irishaerialdancefest.com/schedule/vertical-dance-intensives/
7th July 2018. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
13th – 19th June 2018. Kate Lawrence at Vertical Dance Forum ‘Blank Canvas’ hosted by Fidget Feet at Irish Aerial Creation Centre, Limerick, Ireland. https://www.ilovelimerick.ie/fidget-feet-blank-canvas/
2nd June 2018. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
23rd March 2018. Kate Lawrence and Simon Edward performing Roped Together at Performing Landscapes: Mountains symposium at Leeds University (tbc) https://performing-mountains.leeds.ac.uk/symposium/
10th March 2018. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
17th February 2018. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
13th and 14th January 2018. VDKL and Young Fliers perform at Take pART! at Venue Cymru. Free public vertical dance workshops both days. https://venuecymru.co.uk/take-part-2018
6th January 2018. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
3rd December 2017. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
17th – 19th November 2017. Kate Lawrence taught vertical dance intensive workshop with Magalie Lanriot in Lisbon, Portugal.
11th November 2017. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
30th October – 3rd November 2017. Kate Lawrence at Vertical Dance Forum in Venice.
28th and 29th October 2017. Kate Lawrence performed as aerial robot in P.A.R.A.D.E. with Marc Rees and National Dance Company Wales at Pontio, Bangor
24th and 26th October 2017. Kate Lawrence performed as aerial robot in P.A.R.A.D.E. with Marc Rees and National Dance Company Wales at Millennium Centre, Cardiff.
27th September 2017. Kate Lawrence spoke at Mountainsides: composition talk at Leeds University. https://performing-mountains.leeds.ac.uk/mountainsides-talks/composition/
23rd September 2017. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
15th and 16th September 2017. 6 performances of Gwymon at Sessions House, Boston.
9th September 2017. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
31st August 2017. Performance with Flying ArtWorks in Dendermonde, Belgium for Katuit Festival.
12th August 2017. Host: new commission for Worthing Circus Festival performed by Circomedia students at Grafton Street Car Park, Worthing.
7th and 9th August 2017. Llechi at Pontio with 9Bach and others. https://www.pontio.co.uk/Online/default.asp
27th July 2017. Vertical Conversations with VDF and premiere of Porth 2.0 at Pontio. https://www.pontio.co.uk/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=D3300D71-890F-40CC-AE5F-60699218BDFD
22nd July. Yn y Golau/In-visible Light performance at Pontio. https://www.facebook.com/events/308631272926317/
21st July. Host: new commission performance at Harbour Festival Bristol with Circomedia students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HtYj6mBKrI&t=3s
1st July. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
24th June 2017. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
23rd and 25th May 2017. Performances of Gwymon in Bali
13th May 2017. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
29th April 2017. Young Fliers collaboration with Where the Poetry’s at/Martin Daws – Venue Cymru
21st April 2017. Performance of Porth for Trakz Festival on Welsh Government Offices, Llandudno Junction
26th March – 1st April 2017. Vertical Venice adVenture, advanced training course with Il Posto
18th March 2017. Young Fliers collaboration with Where the Poetry’s at/Martin Daws – Venue Cymru
18th February 2017. Young Fliers at Venue Cymru
14th and 15th January. Take pART! at Venue Cymru. VDKL perform Amser Panad (Kate Lawrence and Simon Edwards), Youth Vertical Dance Group debut performance, vertical dance and craft workshops and lots more – all free! More info: https://venuecymru.co.uk/take-part-2017.html
4 December 2016. Youth Vertical Dance Group at Venue Cymru
17 – 20 November 2016. Vertical Dance Forum Meeting in Venice. VDF in Venice information
30 October 2016. Youth Vertical Dance Group at Venue Cymru
22 October 2016. Youth Vertical Dance Group at Venue Cymru
1 October 2016, 1200 and 1730 at Galeri, Caernarfon in foyer. Free performance of New work: Omnibus, inspired by Roald Dahl’s childrens stories. Includes Audio Description. Supported by Arts Council Wales and Literature Wales.
24 September 2016, 6pm: New work Cuddio/Ceisio – Hide/Seek commissioned by Llawn 04, performed on a beautiful Monterrey Pine in Happy Valley. Details: http://www.llawn.org/llawn-events/commission-tbc/
24th September 2016, 1200 – 1400 at Venue Cymru main entrance car park side. Come and see our workshop with Venue Cymru Vertical Dance Youth group.
15 – 17 September 2016: Intermediate/Advanced Vertical Dance workshop at Venue Cymru, Llandudno. Email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for more information.
8 – 14 August: Kate Lawrence teaching at European Aerial Dance Festival in Eastleigh. Details here: http://www.gravity-levity.net/events/european-aerial-dance-festival-2016-august-8th-14th-at-the-point-eastleigh/
12 – 29 July 2016: Kate Lawrence teaches vertical dance workshops and masterclass and performance of Gwymon at Base Sous Marine in Saint Nazaire, France. Details here: Les Rencontres de Danse Aerienne
3rd July at Pontio 2pm – 6pm: Free public event showcasing VDKL collaboration with Ray Davies from Photonics Academy of Wales Bangor (PAWB) as part of Synthesis, a Pontio commission. More information here: Synthesis Project and here: Vertical dance and light experience blog by Kate Lawrence and Promotional video here: (in)visible Light: The Vertical Dance and Light Experience and web page here: Invisible Light: The Vertical Dance and Light Experience
19 – 22 May 2016: Kate Lawrence and Despina Goula from VDKL teach workshops in Athens.
6th May 2016: VDKL perform Gwymon on Welsh Government building in Llandudno Junction
27th April – 1st May 2016: VDKL teach first Vertical Dance Forum Vertical Dance Workshop in Croatia
19th April 2016: Performance of Llechi. Collaboration with 9Bach at Pontio
6th – 10th April 2016: VDKL organised advanced Vertical Dance Intensive with Wanda Moretti, Venice
1st April 2016: Performance of Gwymon for Get Creative event at Galeri
15th March 2016: Performance of Gwymon at Millennium Centre, Cardiff at British Dance Edition.
27th/28th February 2016: Beginners/improvers vertical dance intensive at Beacon Climbing Centre, Caernarfon – email k.lawrence1964@gmail.com for more information
9th/10th January 2016: Performances of Porth and workshops for Take pART! at Venue Cymru, Llandudno