Up & Coming (2019-2023)

18 minutes

Breezy bodies full of whimsy inflate us with hope --- but in this world, humor and heartbreak are packaged as one. 'Up & Coming’ articulates loss, loneliness, and love through a collage of vignettes while using wacky-wavey-inflatable-wind-puppets. The inflatable, air-filled dancers rise and deflate, sometimes tragically into lifeless cloth. Disturbing images are juxtaposed with joy and reverie as Bahr reenacts scenes on romance, care, disappointment, pain, and relief. This surprising, and sometimes jarring, composition stitches together fragments to tell a heartfelt story of grief and transformation.

‘Up & Coming’ is the first solo in a triptych about womanhood, questioning systems of power, violence, pleasure, and belief. It is a fan favorite, adored by many, and etches your memory each time you see these sad-but-blowy-used-car-dealership-sales-tactics.

Choreography and Performance: Halie Bahr

Sound: Sleepwalker by Santo & Johnny, Voicemail by Unknown and Saturday Cycles, Love Hurts by Nazareth, Fireworks by Joost Brombacher, Away in a Manger by Martin Luther and sung by Bahr

***This work was made possible by fiscal support of Utah Arts and Museum’s Career Advancement Scholarship. Special thanks to the University of Utah School of Dance MFA Program including Satu Hummasti, Elliott Keller, and Hannah Fischer.

Public Performances:

— March 24, 2023, LadyfestCLT, Goodyear Arts, Charlotte, NC

— March 4-6, 2022, Midwest RAD Festival, Epic Theater, Kalamazoo, MI

— December 6, 2019, University of Utah, Hayes Christensen Theater, Salt Lake City, UT