FINDING NEW PATHWAYS is a theme you will see on repeat in this Substack. Dancers are skilled at this within the context of their art, but what about in other contexts?
Before you press play on “A Reimagining,” I’d like to share the backstory of how this film and three others are the story of hitting a barrier, then seeking a new pathway. And, how the creative process of writing this script helped me redefine my professional direction.
In Fall 2024, I was mentoring several dance artists (through Personalized 1:1 Sessions) who were all applying for the same grant award. Recipients of the award would receive $25,000, which could be used towards anything that would help them advance their artistic careers - a rare opportunity in the arts.
Because I knew these dancers well and had seen their work first-hand, I experienced the immense gift each one has to offer. But as I read through their proposals, I found the written word to be a lackluster format for capturing the essence and nuance of their work.
Furthermore, it was frustrating to see these wildly creative artists invest so much effort into a piece of formal writing that would only be read by a tiny handful of panelists, with a funding success rate of about 6%.
Time for a new pathway. We needed a better way to put their creative skills to use AND allow their genius to be seen by a much wider audience.
After submitting the applications, I embarked on a new collaborative process with each artist to create highly versatile short films that they could use in a variety of contexts to build their audience, donors, and sponsors. Together, we used the Artist Statement from their grant application as the basis for a script or concept that would help illustrate something authentically true about them. I wanted viewers of the films to walk away with a felt sense of the artist's character and what drives them.
I also decided to make a film that told my story.
At the time, I was actively closing down Dance Wire, a nonprofit dance service organization I had founded and run for the previous decade. I wanted the film to capture my ability to code-switch from a dancer's native language to a language more familiar to people outside of dance. It was important to me to illustrate that my work is a creative process. As you watch, I want you to see how the colors, clothing, music, and my face all come together to capture the essence of me in a way words on a page never could.
Perhaps the best part of this creative process was that as my script unfolded, it slowly revealed the answer, or in this case, the question I had subconsciously been asking myself for a long time.
Next week, I will use this platform to share the other three stories. But for now, enjoy “A Reimagining” and let me know in the comments:
What answers do you have to the final question in the film?
