Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer, Co-Artistic Directors of Bridgman|Packer Dance, have collaborated in choreography and performance since 1978. These Guggenheim Fellows in Choreography and 2017 Bessie Awardees are acclaimed for their innovative integration of choreography and video technology that explodes the partnering form into a magically populated stage where image and reality collide. Ghost Factory is the latest in their body of acclaimed and genre-breaking work that features their “Video Partnering”— the integration of live performance and video technology.

Inspired by the residents and vast deserted factories of Johnson City, an upstate New York town, Ghost Factory is a compelling work that reveals remnants of a past era through a contemporary lens. Live performance merges with haunting video imagery of abandoned factory buildings, evoking the humanity these spaces once held and bringing to life the long-forgotten stories buried in their walls. The duet form explodes into a kaleidoscopic wonder, all in one breathtaking evening of dance.

Ghost Factory is Chattanooga’s story, as well. People who once made a living with a high school diploma - or less - struggled to make ends meet working two or three jobs (if they could find them) as the foundries and other industries closed in the 1970s and ‘80s. With this in mind, UTC Communications students are contributing to Places With Hidden Stories, Bridgeman Packer Dance’s traveling video installation featuring interviews of workers who have been displaced in our current economy. This presentation will be installed in the Fine Arts Center Lobby for viewing prior to and after the performance before it moves on to the next city where Ghost Factory will be performed.