Shifting Gears Bike Path Dance Festival

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Chris Schultz

Three dancers on an outdoor stage.

Tania Tandias Flamenco and Spanish Dance at the 2024 Shifting Gears event.

Whoever came up with the idea for Shifting Gears — bringing dance to parks along Madison’s bike paths on Labor Day — hit on a great way to bring dance to the people. And it keeps getting bigger and better each year, with amenities like sun umbrellas and porta-potties, mini lessons in dance, a group ride tour that leaves from Machinery Row Bicycles at 11:30 a.m., and a post fest wind-down at Working Draft Beer Company at 5:30 p.m. with a community dance party. Performances take place at noon, 1:50 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. at Wirth Court Park, McPike Park, and Brittingham Park (near the butterfly garden). For a full schedule of dancers and dance groups at each park, see 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:

Sets begin at 12, 1:50, & 3:45pm at each of the three locations. 10 minutes of break between sets allows you to bike between locations to see all of these remarkable performers:

Brittingham Park: 

Mukula Dance

Madison Circus Space Aerial Dance

Dansu Company and Crew

Wingspan Dance

Harley Blanchard

Mini Lesson with Lyn Pilch of Dance Fabulous

McPike Park:

Tania Tandias Flamenco & Spanish Dance

Breakthrough Dance Company

Evander Stoll

the Unincorporated Dance Lab

Kallpa House

Lily Edgar

Scratch Dance

Salsa and Bachata Mini Lesson with Luis Armacanqui of the Capitol Social

Wirth Court Park:

Karmic Flower Dance Company

Eric Stith III

Pa Ying Thao

Breckenridge Scottish Highland Dance

Papa Kobina of the Hitterz Collective

Kripa Baskaran

Luigi Style Jazz Mini Lesson with Dianné Jean Aldrich

This year, tour the full festival in a group ride with Machinery Row Bicycles! First dozen participants to meet up for the group ride at 11:30am at Machinery Row get a special Shifting Gears swag bag.

In addition to live performance there will be other family-friendly activities including bike decorating, sidewalk chalk, and mini lessons in social and folk dance forms. One mini lesson 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.

At the end of the day, join performers and community at the Working Draft Beer Company for our Fin de Fiesta celebration with drinks (non-alcoholic too!), food truck, raffle, community dance party, & more!

Admission is free and tickets are not required. Shifting Gears is partially funded with generous support from the Madison Arts Commission, Madison Pro Audio, the SASY Neighborhood Association, the Evjue Foundation, Working Draft Beer Co, and individual donors. Those interested in making a tax deductible donation may do so at isthmusdancecollective.org/donate.