Global Stilt Congress is an annual event uniting stilt walkers from different cultural backgrounds through the exchange of techniques that culminates in a site specific procession that winds through Arcosanti, the futuristic city designed by visionary architect, Paolo Soleri. In a time where performance art is often pre-scripted and tame, these wild characters from various cultures work within an improvisational structure that is other-worldly.
Operating as a forum for the development of acrobatic stilts and for building a network amongst practitioners, the Global Stilt Congress convenes once a year with some of the finest teachers on the continent coming to share their skills. Hosting the event are the acrobatic stilt pioneers, The Carpetbag Brigade. Since forming in Prescott, Arizona in 1997 they have been evolving the form of acrobatic stiltwalking by mixing it with contact improvisation, butoh dance, and physical theater. I have had the pleasure of watching them evolve over the years, having collaborated with them at the All Souls Procession in Tucson, Az.
Wise Fool, New Mexico performing "FLEXION"
I love stilt walking as it teaches the beautiful metaphor of "walking tall", or "rising above it all". I taught stilting to kids through Living Folklore and there is something awesome about that first moment when a child looks out and is taller than their parents. It also does something magical when a parent first looks up to their child who is now towering over them. it is a great way to build confidence in youth, and get high without drugs (pun intended)!
Above: Arcosanti
Global Stilt Congress allows contemporary artists to share the cutting edge of their craft with their community. New evolutions and fusions through the synthesis of acrobatic stilts with axis syllabus movement research from contemporary dancers Daniel Davis and Kristen Greaco and aerial dance from Wise Fool New Mexico happen alongside the deep and ancient stilt practices of the african diaspora with teachings from the Brooklyn Jumbies, a derivative of the Moko Jumbies, who preserved the west african art of stilt dancing on the island of Trinidad & Tobago.
The Arco•Tsunami Festival is held simultaneous to the Global Stilt Congress and is a two weekend festival for the general public to experience the magic and craft of this unique gathering of performers. On the festival's opening weekend of October 10th The Carpetbag Brigade presents their repertory performance, Callings. This stunning visual work synthesizes the culminating elements of the acrobatic stilt vocabulary and also poetically addresses the issue of climate change by creating an underwater sea environment where a dead sea captain teams up with an ancient siren to seduce the sailors of commerce into understanding that the sea they tread upon is a living being.
I saw an early informal presentation of this performance in the snow in 2010. It was incredibly captivating then and has grown in unimaginable ways since. Wise Fool New Mexico rounds out the evening with their performance "Flexion", a captivating aerial stilt performance choreographed by David Clarkson, the australian godfather of acrobatic stilts. These two performances offer some of the best of contemporary outdoor acrobatic stilt performance you might see anywhere.
What is a congress and how does it work? Etymologically the word gress means to step or move.... and putting con in front of it means to step or move with. Perhaps we have lost our way with what a congress is and how it should function. Global stilt congress is bringing us back to the roots of stepping and moving together. Maybe our elected officials need to learn this valuable lesson, perhaps we should sign them up for stilt walking lessons?
Above: Nadia Hagen, Founder of Flam Chen
The 2nd weekend of the festival on October 17th features the cast of the Global Stilt Congress which reaches from El Salvador to Alberta. Each convening Global Stilt Congress presents The Legislation which showcases the results of their two week convening....and let it be said that this congress works hard and makes beautiful art (which depending on your view may make it more valuable than the Arizona legislature, Federal House and US Senate combined). "The Legislation" offers an aesthetic site specific tour of Arcosanti where you are lead through the grounds with live music, acrobatic stilting and spoken word from DJ Logan Dirtyverbs.
Organized by Jay Ruby and Helen Goodrum of The Carpetbag Brigade, Global Stilt Congress is a unique ephemoral oasis of culture in Arizona that gathers a force of professional performing artists and practitioners.
Arizona's prevailing politics is often rugged and repressive, clothed in reactionary attitudes and demagoguery. While this would not appear to be the nurturance that births the arts one must recognize and honor the efforts of artists within the state to create a unique forum that simultaneously transcends cultural divides and honors cultural differences. Diversity is alive, even in the desert southwest!
Don't miss the Arco •Tsunami Festival, events if you get the chance. I'll be there the first weekend, then off to Bioneers to cover their 26th year of ecological solutionaries. Watching performance art allows the brain to dream and loosens the grip of our stressful times on our spirit. Having the chance to participate in performance art is by far one of the most expressive, healing and beautiful activities I have had the pleasure to know!