Statements

Mission

FALL's mission is to present high quality contemporary and aerial dance that is accessible to all audiences through performances, community outreach, and artist opportunities. FALL is a Nashville-based contemporary dance company that moves on the ground, in the air, and all the spaces in between, making work that is exciting, unexpected, and blurs the lines between art and life, flying and falling. FALL finds and creates places where anything is possible, where the stage and the audience are anywhere and everywhere.

Background

FALL was founded by Rebekah Hampton Barger in 2010 and grew out of her desire to expand the vocabulary of contemporary dance by incorporating elements of aerial dance to explore more dimensions of space.
While first existing as a small group of performers working project to project, in 2013 Barger restructured the company to create a season and hold auditions for dancers committed to regular training and rehearsals.
In 2017 FALL once again gained a milestone by completing a 5-year residency with abrasiveMedia Inc., and receiving 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status from the IRS.
2019 brought with it a move from the company's long-time home studio in order to partner with Nashville School of the Arts and become the school's resident dance company. FALL Company Artists work weekly with students in the dance program, and all rehearsals and FALL Aerial Arts classes are held in the school's largest studio and performance space.

Impact

2019 Accomplishments
- Became the resident dance company at Nashville School of the Arts, offering weekly technique classes for the school's intermediate and advanced students, aerial workshops, and choreographed two original works on NSA students.
- Produced "Stories", a collaborative, boundary-breaking, multidisciplinary show featuring our own company repertoire plus original works by local aerialists, contemporary dancers, and musicians. We held the performance at our new space at NSA.
- Premiered "The Playground Project" (in partnership with PENCIL), a site-specific and site-responsive performance using a school playground as an aerial apparatus. The performance culminated a residency at Stratton Elementary made possible by a Tennessee THRIVE grant, which allowed us to teach workshops on creativity, dance, and choreography to Kindergarten through third graders at Stratton during the three-month rehearsal period prior to the performance.
- Continued to expand our aerial training program, FALL Aerial Arts to include a class for younger students, a more comprehensive introductory level, and a new weekly open-level choreography workshop called Dance For Aerialists.

Needs

COVID-19 RELATED EXPENSES
In the coming weeks, we will need a variety of equipment to ensure our safe and healthy return to classes and rehearsals post COVID-19:
- Sanitation supplies for aerial equipment
- Sanitation supplies for students and staff, including touchless thermometers, hand sanitizer & cleaning supplies
- An air purifier for the studio space
- Additional mats, silks and rigging equipment to ensure a one-student-to-apparatus ratio

ADDITIONAL FUNDRAISING GOAL: Mobile Aerial Rig
We have been looking to purchase a mobile aerial rig for some time. During the past few weeks, we've realized the importance of a rig more than ever; when a studio or shared space isn't available, a mobile rig gives performers the freedom to train anywhere. In addition, a mobile aerial rig would give FALL access to new performance opportunities, regardless of rigging limitations.

CEO Statement

FALL is the first of its kind organization in Nashville. When I moved here in 2010, there were just a handful of individuals working and training in the aerial arts, and no one was blending aerial work with other ground-based dance forms. In the years since I have been thrilled to witness and be a part of the growth of both the aerial and dance communities.

In 2017, I'm proud to say that FALL became one of only a few nonprofit dance organizations in Nashville and continues to encourage the growth of a healthy, supportive, and thriving arts community. 2019 brought with it a move from the company's long-time home at abrasiveMedia in order to partner with PENCIL & Nashville School of the Arts to become the school's resident dance company. FALL Company Artists work weekly with students in the dance program, and all rehearsals and FALL Aerial Arts classes are held in the school's largest studio and performance space.

We're excited about the opportunities on the horizon and look forward to continuing to provide the city of Nashville with high-quality dance, aerial, and performance art experiences.

- Rebekah Hampton BargerFounder, Executive/Artistic Director

Board Chair Statement

It is a personal privilege to support a local dance company and invest in the broader Nashville creative community, a sentiment I'm certain is shared by all of FALL's Board of Directors. I had the pleasure of joining the board in the first wave of additions after its founding. Together, we support FALL in its mission to create high-quality contemporary and aerial dance that is accessible to all audiences through performances, community outreach, and artist opportunities. In July 2017, FALL completed its first fiscal year as an independent nonprofit. Over the course of the 2017-2018 season, the company added members to our founding Board of Directors, produced two original concerts and a student showcase, performed for hundreds of art teachers at the Tennessee Arts Academy, expanded our class program, and shared the Schermerhorn Symphony Center stage with world-renowned artist Nick Cave and many other Nashville artists. FALL will continue to offer master classes and other unique training opportunities to the community so a wide range of individuals can personally experience the exhilaration of aerial dance. On the horizon for the 2018-2019 season is The Playground Project, a nine-weed collaborative, site-specific and site-responsive choreographic project created and performed on a school playground (funded in part by Metro Arts Nashville). FALL has partnered with PENCIL and Stratton Elementary School in Madison, TN to create art centered around the experiences of students, and the community at large, using the playground as both storytelling stage and aerial apparatus. Some on-site rehearsals will be open to the public; there will be art supplies available for any community members who feel inspired by watching a rehearsal and want to respond with making art of their own. Our board members all invest in FALL's artistry by making financial gifts, assisting with making connections in the community, providing hands-on assistance when needed, using our unique skills to serve the company, and by promoting FALL's activities within our circles of influence. We are strong believers in the power of art to transform lives and are dedicated to the success of FALL as well as the Middle Tennessee arts community.

- Jonah Eller-Isaacs President, FALL Board of Directors; Senior Contributing Writer, NATIVE Magazine

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Dance
Secondary Category:	Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Performing Arts
Tertiary Category:	Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Arts Education

Areas Served

TN - Williamson

TN - Davidson