Artist Invites Public to Dance

On April 26 and 27, public multimedia artist Elisa H. Hamilton created Dance Spot, a pop-up dance floors in front of Piano Row and the Paramount Center.

Sponsored by the Public Art Think Tank (PATT) and the School of the Arts, Dance Spot is one of a series of public art projects brought to Emerson this year. This original project is a take on an earlier piece created in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood in 2012 featuring five colorful dance floor diagrams illustrating a specific dance paired with a song.

Hamilton wanted to use her medium to acknowledge life’s fleeting moments.

“I have always wanted to use my work to bring people together… Art in the public realm is the way to do that,” said Hamilton. “[I used] chalk for this particular project as it isn’t permanent… because it feels like life is fleeting and we can have different experiences. And even after the artwork is gone, we can treasure these experiences.”

Hamilton said she believes that the public art goes beyond those who participate, to have a positive impact on the environment as a whole.

“I’ve found that one of the ways that people enjoy this piece is … by just watching other people dance,” she said, “and I think that’s one of the coolest things about this project. Somebody drives by on the street and sees someone dancing on the sidewalk, and maybe we’ve made that person’s day better.”