Part of the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF) this year, aerial dance company Bandaloop performed Resurgam (latin for I shall rise) on the South side of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Look at the bird carved in stone. I think the phoenix rising from the fire refers to the rebuilding of the cathedral after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and has been a source of hope for over 300 years. St Paul’s, whilst damaged, remained standing during the Blitz of the Second World War, a symbol of resistance against Nazism.
Back to Bandaloop’s performance. As you can see below, the dancers are tiny compared to the immensity of St Paul’s Cathedral and look vulnerable as they prepare themselves.
I’m hoping the video clip gives you a flavour of their performance as they abseil down the facade – I was too busy drawing them. More source material for future artwork.