ANYONE, 5min., USA, Dance
EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS
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5m 28s
A young woman, searching.
Directed by James Kinney
Produced by Nicole LaFountaine
Cast: Ryan Steele, Yesenia Ayala, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Blake Zeleznikar, Caleb Marshall, Arisa Odaka, Michael Graceffa, Cajai Fellows, Connor Schwantes,
Director Statement
Twelve years ago, I was commissioned to create a ballet of my choosing, one of my first endeavors in choreography on a grand scale. The piece took shape as a three piece suite, entitled MARCH, which premiered at Lincoln Center and the Alvin Ailey Studio Theatre in New York City. The second movement in particular spoke to the humanity of life in New York City; love, connection, path’s crossed. Cut to 2020. Broadway and virtually every other stage was shuttered. I, along with the rest of my community, was left to wonder what was next. In the midst of what felt like a spiral of uncertainty and isolation, I realized that what I needed, and perhaps what my community of artists needed, was to find that human connection again. Myself, along with my collaborator, cinematographer, and dear friend, Pierre Marais, decided that now was the time for that second movement to come to life cinematically. This was not without its challenges. How on earth does out team of two independent creatives gather a cast, rehearse, and film on location in the midst of a global pandemic? It was imperative to put safety and the severity of the circumstance at the forefront if we were to move forward. Every measure was taken to observe the safety guidelines set before us by our local, state and national leadership, as well as following a testing practice set forth by our unions. Much of this filmmaking process was done virtually, no small feat for a dance film about connection. ANYONE came to light at the end of a tumultuous summer, with a cast of nine of Broadway’s most-talented performers and explores those very needed themes of fluid love, compassion, and empathy, in a manner that simultaneously feels both timeless and so very timely.
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