If you happened to look up at San Francisco’s iconic Transamerica Pyramid on Monday afternoon and saw people dangling from the side of the building, it wasn’t an emergency, protest or some illegal stunt.

Ten members of the Oakland-based international “vertical dance company” BANDALOOP were engaged in a sanctioned aerialist-like performance with permission from the city and the building’s management.

“Not a crime, rather a performance, permitted even,” said San Francisco police spokesperson Sgt. Kathryn Winters.

The dance company has been around for more than 30 years and has performed on other famous structures, like St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“We’re out here today with the city of San Francisco, not just with permits, but as part of their effort to highlight what’s beautiful about San Francisco,” said BANDALOOP Executive Producer Thomas Cavanagh.

“We’re trying to find some hope where hope feels impossible by putting dance up on a wall,” Cavanagh said.

The performance features a rotating cast of dancers in two duets and a trio. The group planned a repeat show at the pyramid on Tuesday.

Additional information about the dance company can be found on its website.

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.