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Chattanooga’s dance and production nonprofit: The Pop-up Project

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A shot from the Pop-up Project’s most recent immersive event, Romeo y Julieta | Photo by Tim Cofield

Table of Contents

You’ve likely heard of the Pop-up Project, but did you know that the organization doesn’t just do pop-ups? Or that you can take a beginner dance class at the Pop-up Project studio?

We’re diving into what the local nonprofit is, why it’s important, and how you can get involved (whether you wanna dance with somebody or keep dancin’ on your own). 💃

What is it

A locally-based dance + production nonprofit company created in 2016, the Pop-up Project:

  • Supports artists by providing work on large-scale projects like films + live performances
  • Seeks to find places to perform that are outside of the boxlike Cooper’s Alley
  • Fosters relationships between artists + other companies like Humanuat, BMG Nashville, and others
  • Works on immersive performances, film + dance education for movers of all ages and levels (if you see us flailing around in a beginner hip hop class, keep in mind that this is a judgement free zone)
  • Even has its own studio, called Studio34, located in Olde Town Brainerd

Recent + notable projects

  • Romeo y Julieta | An immersive performance in which the play’s readings moved between English and Spanish + selected excerpts were interpreted through dance
  • The Light We Share | The nonprofit’s first feature-length film created during the COVID-19 pandemic that generated $130,000+ for local artists
  • Pop-up Events | Because the nonprofit is aptly-named, they’re always popping up for quick performances around town — at Nightfall, Walker Theatre, and Station Street Live, for example

Upcoming events

  • Fantasy Alley | The bad news: the original Fantasy Alley, scheduled for Oct. 30, was rained out. The good news: A new date will be announced soon, with more tickets potentially available this time around. We heard word that Nov. 5 is a possible rescheduled date. 👀
  • Glass Street Live | More to come on this annual celebration on Glass Street, but for now — the Pop-up Project will be bringing their moves to the event.
  • Film Premiere | That feature-length film we mentioned above? The Pop-up Project has plans to host a film premiere of “The Light We Share” this spring.
  • Immersive Experience | The nonprofit hopes to work on another immersive project, like Romeo y Julieta, soon, but no dates have been set yet.

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