Bandits on the Run Collaborate with Acclaimed Dancers, Choreographers

When Bandits on the Run wrote and recorded "It's in a Dream!," the world was different. Nobody had heard of COVID-19, and nobody expected to be virtually trapped in their homes for nearly a year, and face the holidays isolated from loved ones. So when filmmakers Andrew Harper and Katherine Henly reached out with the idea to set a distantly choreographed, isolated dance performance to the song, the Bandits saw it as a serendipitous chance to give a little gift to everyone, speaking to an experience we can all relate to. "It's proof that we can still make magic together, even when we're apart." watch.

In April, a solid month into lockdown, Harper (in NYC) and Henley (in Minneapolis) started brainstorming new creations that could emerge from the extended time at home, with the new restrictions of social distancing. Both already fans of Bandits on the Run, the directors had hoped to find a way to collaborate - and "It's in a Dream!" felt to them "like an anthem for the living dream we were all walking through." The half dozen dancers recruited the help of their families and partners to shoot their own performances, built upon a base movement vocabulary created by Harper, with striking results.

Bandits on the Run are a multi-faceted theatrical indie-pop group, rooted in harmonies and eclectic instrumentation. Cellist Sydney Shepherd previously had a song featured in Bones, a dance film by Harper and Henley which premiered at the American Dance Festival just this past spring. In addition, guitarist Adrian Blake Enscoe is one of the stars of Dickinson on AppleTV+. Season Two premieres on January 8, 2021.

Most recently, the band released the anthemic single, "Now Is The Time," ahead of the momentous election, the first of a collection of new tunes produced by Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile, Vance Joy). 2021 will bring about much new music from the acclaimed trio.

Photo Credit: Beth Crane