The sights and sounds of a modern airport are familiar to anyone who travels by airplane.
But for the last couple of decades at San Diego International, there has been something more - art.
“The SAN arts program was actually founded in 2003," said Daniel Dennert, curator of the arts program at SAN, the three-letter code for this airport. For years, the arts program consisted of various pieces around the airport; eye-catching, innovative creations that lighten the space.
In 2016, the airport inaugurated a performing arts residency program. It paused during the pandemic, but now it’s back.
The dance and percussion group DrumatiX was the first group to perform since the pandemic pause.
“We performed five pieces that I created in the terminal over the last eight weeks," said Noa Barankin, the group’s artistic director and choreographer.
DrumatiX has what you might call “performance parameters." The performers wear similar outfits, and some segments are rehearsed before being performed, but a lot of this is done on the fly.
“Everything else is not planned. Right, where exactly we’ll be in the terminal, how long we’ll be in each spot. So, all those things are dynamic and change from week to week," said Barankin.
Barankin involves passengers. We watched as she asked passengers about their travel experience in the United Airlines boarding area. Their answers then become the basis for a performance.
“I use an app on my phone through which I sample sounds, then I create a sequence out of them and then I play them, it’s like a little DJ moment," Barankin said.
The DrumatiX performers then respond to that DJ moment, creating a performance on the spot.
"It’s 100% improvised, Barankin said. "It’s the first time they’ve ever heard that track and they have to then improvise with tap dance on top of something they’ve never heard before, so it’s all 100% made in the moment."
Over in the Sunset Cove food court, we found art of another sort. Singer, flautist and composer Cobby Brzeski and her trio were entertaining passengers; part of the airport’s concert series.
Daniel Dennert said whether it’s singers, dancers or any other kind of artist, having that vibe of performances in this space accomplishes two big things for San Diego International Airport.
“We’re being a resource, not just to the passengers who are experiencing it, but also being a resource for our performing arts community, who is able to further develop and grow... We want to uplift our local artists to a global platform, so we do that by allowing them to have audiences that they might not traditionally find in the places they perform," he said.
That last point is not lost on Cobby Brzeski.
“People are usually tired from traveling and stressed out, so you wouldn’t expect them to be in the mood to really engage, but I’m pleasantly surprised that people are engaging and seem to be enjoying it," she added.
Whether it’s dancing percussionists, singers and musicians or just the beauty found here on the walls and the ceiling, San Diego International is providing passengers with an elevating experience… without leaving the ground.
