Shifting Gears Bike Path Dance Festival

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Chris Schultz

A Katherine Kramer Projects tap performance at the 2022 Shifting Gears Bike Path Dance Festival.

A Katherine Kramer Projects tap performance at the 2022 Shifting Gears Bike Path Dance Festival.

This outdoor, multi-site dance festival has fast become a Madison Labor Day tradition. Isthmus Dance Collective organizes dance programs in parks along bike paths and encourages biking from spot to spot — Brittingham Park, McPike Park and Wirth Court Park. In addition to performances from many local dancers and dance groups there will be mini-lessons in folk and social dances and other art and family-friendly activities. Find who's performing where below, and more info at isthmusdancecollective.org.

media release: The Shifting Gears Bike Path Dance Festival is back, and with more exciting ways to enjoy Madison’s vibrant local dance scene. Grab your bike, your scooter, roller skates, or just put on your favorite walking shoes! This year’s festival brings you new interactive activities and new appreciation for our beautiful city.  

Shifting Gears creates informal and temporary performance spaces in the parks and green spaces along the fantastic bike paths in Madison: Wirth Court Park, McPike Park, and Brittingham Park (by the Butterfly Garden. This Labor Day, festival goers on the bike path can get a little exercise, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, and witness a stunning array of local dance groups. 

This year, grab a B Cycle to tour the Festival and check in on B Cycle’s MADISON BY BIKE 

adventure to redeem exclusive discounts and prizes. Plan ahead and check out a bike with your Madison Public Library card, or get an exclusive 50% off Madison BCycle Passes during Shifting Gears! More information about BCyle’s Madison By Bike here

Performing groups will be announced mid-June, so stay posted!

In addition to live performance there will be other family-friendly activities including bike decorating, sidewalk chalk, and new mini lessons in social and folk dance forms. One social or folk dance form will finish off each set at all of the park locations, allowing the audience to learn something new, get the body moving, and celebrate the final days of summer together. Audience amenities are back this year thanks to SASYNA: porta potties and a few shade umbrellas. Feel free to bring your own small shade umbrellas, picnics and picnic blankets, sun screen, bug repellent, and any other goodies you might need to enjoy a full day of dance and the outdoors.

Admission is free and tickets are not required. Shifting Gears is partially funded with generous support from Dane Arts, the Marquette Neighborhood Association, the SASY Neighborhood Association, Working Draft Beer Co, Ian's Pizza,, and individual donors. Those interested in making a tax deductible donation may do so at isthmusdancecollective.org/donate.

See the festival in action via our 2021 highlight reel.

Schedule:

Sets begin at 12, 1:50 & 3:40PM

Brittingham

Raka Bandyo & Karmic Flower Dance – Odissi, Classical Indian Dance

Anna Peretz Rogovoy – Modern Dance

Wingspan Dance – Modern Dance

M.A.T.H. & Guest artist Stephanie Richards from Air Craft-Afro-Peruvian,Kathak Classical Indian and Aerial Dance Fusion 

Madison Chinese Culture Association 

Sadira Middle Eastern Dance

 Scratch Dance-American Modern/Contemporary

Mini lesson with Madison English Country Dancers

McPike Park

Tania Tandias Flamenco & Spanish Dance

Adwitiya Roy-Indian Ballet

Swing State Aerial Dance

Katherine Kramer Projects – Tap Dance & Jazz

Lily Edgar & Kristen Hammer -Ballet

Breckenridge Highland Dance -Scottish Highland Dance

Mini Salsa/Bachata lesson with Luis Armacanqui of Capitol Social

Wirth Court

Liz Luse & Sarah Genta Chenoweth-Post Modern Dance Theater

Kripa Baskaran -Bharatnatyam Indian Classical Dance

Dansu Company and Crew – Contemporary & Hip Hop

Kendyll Hazzard -Contemporary & Ballet

Sarah Martin – Ballet

Breakthrough Dance Company – Mixed Styles

Mini Indian Folk Dance Lesson with Swapna Srinivasan and the Mikula Team