Flash Mob Takes Over World Bank Climate Forum: TDPS Faculty and Students Responsible

Bankers, dancers and projection design – it’s not your everyday entertainment. But at a recent Connect4Climate conference held at the World Bank Headquarters in DC, that combination of talent was a perfect fit.

School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) visiting professor Jared Mezzocchi and artist-in-residence Adriane Fang along with MFA Design student Robert Denton created a stunning performance to launch the conference’s evening session. Hundreds of surprised onlookers watched as bankers and dancers alike bounded up on stage in the World Bank lobby and began a performance intended to draw attention to Connect4Climate’s mission, engaging the global community in climate change dialogue that drives action.

Mezzocchi, a TDPS professor of projection design (an emerging art form that uses light and projections to create images and ideas as part of a performance) added stunning visuals to the performance, including the words “Right Here. Right Now” and “Connect4Climate” projected onto the dancers’ white shirts. A breath-taking waterfall was created on-stage using lights, projection and several dozen dancers, reminding the audience of the urgency of Connect4Climates’ message.

Adriane Fang choreographed the energetic performance using an eclectic combination of trained dancers, bankers and climate change advocates, and Robert Denton’s lighting designs created a dramatic showcase of the performance.

Creating a scene in the lobby of the World Bank isn’t typically a wise thing to do, but in this case, it was met with an enthusiastic standing ovation. Watch the performance here: