Dance for Democracy
ScreenDance Diaries
The dance community has never been complacent. For years we have been raising money for causes ranging from AIDS, to hunger, to natural disasters. More recently dancers world wide have used their creativity and talent to raise consciousness about social issues, and to raise money for individual dance artists and companies affected by the coronavirus, all while navigating a whole new platform which we also use to teach, create films, hold town halls and have live performances. Ryan Heffington alone — a very talented man and a compassionate human to boot has used his massive following, platform, and reach to raise money for Black Lives Matter, Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, the ACLU, the NAACP and a dancers’ relief fund. I am so proud to be a part of this incredibly vital, optimistic and flexible community!
Now the dance community is raising their voices to GET OUT THE VOTE! With a new platform and film they are even registering people to get and vote on November 3rd at headcount.org/dancefordemocracy.
Check out this wonderful dance film Executive Produced by dance champions, Agent and Producer Extraordinaire respectively, Julie McDonald and Pam Tarr, and directed by Samuel Bayer. With music by Macy Gray and choreography by the wonderful Keith Young, it features choreographers Debbie Allen, Kenny Ortega, Tony Testa, Isabella Fonte, Wade Robson, Nakul Dev Mahajan, JR Taylor, The Seaweed Sisters, Jody Sperling, Chloe Arnold and Maud Arnold. It’s beautiful, uplifting, optimistic, and moving… Everything we need RIGHT NOW!
ENJOY!
Author
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Founder/Director of Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival, Sarah Elgart is a Los Angeles based choreographer and director working under the auspice of Sarah Elgart | Arrogant Elbow. Sarah creates original content for stage, screen, and site-specific venues. Her stage and site-works have been performed at alternative spaces including LAX Airport, The Skirball Center, Mark Taper Forum, Van Nuys Flyaway, The Bradbury Building, Jacob’s Pillow, INSITU Site-Specific Festival NY, and Loft Seven, where she created a rooftop work lit entirely by a hovering helicopter accompanied by Nels Cline (Wilco). Her work has been produced by venues including The Music Center, MASS MoCA, Dance Place, Los Angeles Theater Center, Mark Taper Forum and The International Women’s Theater Festival. In film Sarah has worked with noted directors including JJ Abrams, David Lynch, Catherine Hardwicke, and Anton Corbijn. Her own films include award-winning music videos, dance shorts, and an Emmy nominated PSA, and continue to be accepted into festivals internationally. In addition to teaching dance and film, Sarah writes a regular column, ScreenDance Diaries that focuses on the intersections of both genres internationally for online magazine Cultural Weekly. Sarah’s work has received support from organizations that include the Rockefeller Foundation, the NEA, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, California Arts Council and more. She is an alumna of the Sundance Institute’s Dance Film Lab, a Fellow of AFI’s Directing Women’s Workshop, and a director member of the DGA.
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