Rachael Lincoln Elevates Dance with Innovative Low Fly Technique

Movement artist Rachael Lincoln is redefining the landscape of vertical dance through her innovative Low Fly technique. This method combines elements of dance, aerial performance, and improvisation, allowing performers to explore gravity in transformative ways. Lincoln’s journey began in her twenties when she relocated to San Francisco and enthusiastically embraced various dance opportunities. A pivotal moment came when she auditioned for BANDALOOP, an Oakland-based company renowned for its breathtaking performances on vertical surfaces.

Once accepted into BANDALOOP, Lincoln’s career flourished, leading to a collaboration that has spanned decades. Her work with the company has expanded her understanding of dance, prompting her to develop the Low Fly technique that she now teaches as an associate professor of dance at the University of Washington (UW).

Bringing Dance to Unconventional Spaces

BANDALOOP’s performances often occur in publicly accessible locations, such as bridges and the sides of tall buildings. Lincoln emphasizes the importance of making dance available to a wider audience. “Dancing isn’t publicly accessible to everyone, unless you purchase a ticket,” she explains. This approach allows passersby to witness dance in unexpected places, enriching their daily experiences.

In 2020, Roel Seeber, a BANDALOOP member who had enrolled at the UW as a graduate student, approached Lincoln about offering Low Fly classes. With certified rigging points in one of the dance department’s studios, they crafted a curriculum that has since had a significant impact on students. “It places you in a position where you need to constantly adapt and make live-time decisions,” Lincoln notes. “As dancers, we can over-emphasize control, but momentum and gravity are harder to wrangle than shape and line.”

Expanding Creative Horizons in Dance Education

The Low Fly technique encourages students to explore a different relationship with gravity, allowing them to experiment with greater physical and emotional risks. Hannah Wiley, a founder of the UW dance program, advocates for Low Fly as a requirement for all dance majors. She believes that it broadens their expressive and creative range significantly.

Lincoln’s upcoming performance with long-time collaborator Leslie Seiters at On the Boards highlights this innovative approach. Scheduled for December 18 to 20, their performance is part of “In Tandem: A Trio of Duets,” showcasing a rope-and-harness duet influenced by BANDALOOP’s Amelia Rudoph and inspired by the novel “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey, which follows astronauts in a space station over a 24-hour period.

For Lincoln, literature and film serve as vital sources of inspiration for her choreography. “I love words for their literal meaning and for the imaginative leaps they make possible,” she explains. “They can propel you, sometimes instantly, into the absurd or the unknown. I love being transported by someone else’s imagination. I want to make dances that do that.”

As Lincoln continues to push the boundaries of dance through her Low Fly technique, she remains committed to making the art form more accessible and engaging for everyone.