AscenDance Project was founded in January 2006 by German born performance artist and rock climber, Isabel von Rittberg. Her art explores the aesthetics of rock climbing, with dancers performing on a vertical stage. Using a 24ft long and 12 ft high climbing wall, AscenDance artists move through three dimensions, using time and space as inconsistent and unpredictable variables. AscenDance Project’s performance is centered around the idea that while contemporary political zeitgeist suggests walls are necessary to separate those of differing backgrounds or ideologies, this wall is designed to inspire connection and hope.
AscenDance Project has performed in venues across the globe including the Macky Auditorium, TEDxBoulder, Dairy Center of the Arts, Singapore Parkway Parade, Sharma Climbing Barcelona, NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Outdoor Retailer, Boulder International Aerial Dance Festival, Denver Premium Grand Opening and Boulder Arts Outdoors. With the AscenDance Bus, the troupe aspires to bring their art more easily to new locations, including schools, underprivileged neighborhoods, inner cities, small towns and places where people don’t have the same exposure to art.
Meet the dancers
Isabel Von Rittberg
Founder, artistic director, dancer
Isabel Jessica von Rittberg grew up in Wuppertal-Beyenburg, a small historical village in Western Germany. Her father is German; her mother was born in Montana. Isabel was raised bilingually. As a child, she danced ballet, played the piano and spent more time on horseback than on foot. Her summers in the Rocky Mountains instilled in her a love of nature. Isabel graduated with a BA in Latin American/Iberian Studies and a French minor from the University of California, Santa Barbara. There she also began climbing. In preparation for her senior thesis, Isabel spent a year in Santiago de Chile. While living and traveling in South America, she performed African-Brazilian dance and further developed her rock climbing skills. The grace of rock climbing captured her attention.
The urge to convey the beauty and fluidity of rock climbing led her to start the AscenDance Project in 2006. She has created a genre that unites climbing, dance and music, performed on a vertical wall. Since the founding of AscenDance Project, Isabel’s troupe has given numerous performances throughout the United States. After her appearance on national television in 2010 (America’s Got Talent) AscenDance Project has gained international recognition. The company is now based out of Boulder, Colorado.
Gordon Graham
Dancer
While growing up in Illinois Gordon was a competitive gymnast. The sport of gymnastics was a perfect outlet for his adoration of movement and desire to perform. This affinity for movement has influenced all aspects of Gordon’s life. He moved to Boulder, Colorado to pursue a degree in Integrative Physiology and was logically drawn to rock climbing. The fluidity and control required for climbing, as well as the inspiring landscapes, captivate him. After over a decade coaching climbing and gymnastics Gordon found his new home in the technology industry as a software engineer. In his free time he practices yoga, cycles, goes trail running, climbs, and enjoys the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
JENNA BLUMENFELD
DANCER
Jenna grew up in New Canaan, Connecticut where she began her formal ballet training at the New England Academy of Dance. After high school, she went over to the dark side and discovered modern dance, eventually leading her to earn a B.S. in Kinesiology-Dance at Indiana University. While attending IU, she had the opportunity to perform the works of Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, Anna Sokolow, Elizabeth Shea, Laura Poole, and Martha Wittman. After dancing with Thomas/Ortiz Dance in New York City, Jenna ventured to Boulder, Colorado in order to pursue her lifelong affection for writing and outdoor sports such as skiing, hiking, climbing, and biking. Joining AscenDance has brought her full-circle, and allows her to holistically engage a passion for creative and expressive movement.
CHRIS HOPPER
DANCER
Chris Hopper was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado. He began studying classical piano at the age of 5 which sparked in him a love for music that has continued until this day. He now gigs professionally with various bands on keyboards playing everything from jazz, funk, hip hop, and jam band to world music. Chris was also a gymnast and freestyle skier growing up and continues similar movements through the practice and teaching of parkour. Chris’ love for the mountains drew him to rock climbing; his passion for movement and music inspired him to begin tap dancing. Chris brings a musicality and strong athletic background to the AscenDance troupe. He has developed a powerful, yet intricate style on the wall.
Audrey Wheeler
DANCER
Growing up in Seattle, Audrey fell in love with dance at a young age after watching the musical “CATS”. She learned ballet, jazz, modern and more at All That Dance studio. As a student at Colorado College, she expanded her focus with immersive classes in modern dance, ballet, choreography, and Bollywood. She graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Science and a minor in Dance. Now Audrey works in grant writing and communications for The Nature Conservancy. She also dances with International Dance Crew in Denver and is excited to fuse her lifelong passions of climbing and dancing with AscenDance. In her spare time, she likes to get outside as much as possible, whether it's hiking, climbing, skiing, or cycling, and enjoys cooking and learning new hobbies when she's at home.
VALERIE ELIZABETH ELLIOTT
DANCER
Valerie Elizabeth Elliott grew up on Long Island in New York loving the ocean and the unique woods in her backyard. At age seven she earned a scholarship with The Long Island Ballet Theater by fundraising in order to take ballet class. Subsequently, Valerie was cast in the company’s traditional ballet productions such as The Nutcracker and Peter and The Wolf. She studied Balanchine technique, danced with the Rebecca Kelly Dance Company and attended The Ballet Regents School in Saratoga, New York. Valerie majored in International Relations with a minor in Dance from The State University of New York at New Paltz where she had the opportunity to explore an even wider array of styles of dance as well as choreograph and perform for FreshDance and The American College Dance Festival. Recently, Valerie helped launch and managed the sculpture installation Big Bambú for Mike and Doug Starn, as well as, worked as a first responder Ranger in the Shawangunk Mountains.
Martha Strain
Dancer
A native of Lincoln Nebraska, Martha Strain started gymnastics classes at age 6 and competed in club, high school, and college at Iowa State University where she earned a degree in Exercise Science. Eager to go beyond the four walls of a gym, she then took her talent outdoors where a love for climbing was born. Martha eventually made her way to the Bay Area, began nursing school, and solidified her passion for dancing on granite. In 2008, she joined Ascendance and found immediate joy in the opportunity to create every day through collaboration and choreography. After performing with the company on America’s Got Talent in 2010, life brought her to Boulder, Colorado where she continues her nursing career. Ten years later and now a mom of two young children with her husband, Travis, Martha is excited and grateful to be back with Ascendance to rediscover the sense of peace found in dancing on the wall.
Rebecca Bowman
Dancer
Rebecca Bowman was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Journalism. Her love for the outdoors and movement started at an early age when she began mountain bike riding and racing, which would ultimately lead to her passion for rock climbing. Rebecca was classically trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop but after college, she began focusing more on rock climbing and trail running. Eventually, she began van life so that she could climb harder and explore the mountains she was called to. Rebecca is a certified yoga instructor and focuses her work on exploring mental wellness through movement.
JUAN MANUEL TROTTEYN (PATA)
LOGISTICS SPECIALIST, HEAD RIGGER
Juan Manuel Trotteyn (aka ‘Pata’) was born and raised in Mendoza, Argentina. His father introduced him to mountaineering at a young age, but he quickly fell in love with sport climbing and started competing. At 18 years, he won Nationals and shortly after started route-setting for competitions. After his very first trip to Spain, he realized that’s where he wanted to live. For twelve years, Pata was based out of Cornudella de Montsant, Cataluña, the heart of Spain’s most stunning sport climbing. He has established new routes and also became involved in the local bolting community. Today, Pata lives in Boulder, CO and owns a van conversion business, PataVans. He has been very involved in the planning of the AscenDance Touring Truck which will feature a climbing wall along the side and a built out interior for dancers to sleep, cook and live. He believes that this truck will allow the troupe to bring their dance to places and communities that normally would not be exposed to such unique performances. In his free time, Pata climbs on rock or flies his paraglider.