Five new films made by California residents and guest artists produced by Dance Camera West and KDA Creative Corps.
In June 2023, Dance Camera West (DCW) was awarded a grant through the California Arts Council’s KDA Creative Corp (KDACC) Program to fundVISIBILITY: SELF REFLECTIONS, DCW’s signature production program designed to create films by and about under represented artistic and community voices.
With the support of KDA creative Corps, DCW focused on Central California and the production of four short dance-films featuring Bakersfield California residents. The goal of the KDACC program is to capture and share the unique stories of individuals living in low HPI quartiles. (The HPI index is a state wide metric which allow users to compare health conditions across cities and counties statewide.) The production teams are comprised of experienced California filmmakers, choreographers and community members who are committed to creating impactful and meaningful content by capturing original movement on camera to empower and amplify voices often marginalized not only in the arts, but also in society.
Beginning last April, the commissioning film VISIBILITY: SELF REFLECTIONS commissioned film project took place over the past 11 months and included three phases: Prepare, Produce, Present.
PREPARE: For the past two months a 20+ member Bakersfield community choir has been learning the vocals and choreography of California choreographer Sandy Silva’s Migration Dance Film Project in order to perform as a processional at the film premiere. Over 75 dancers have been rehearsing for the performance, while film directors worked on choreography, script writing, rehearsals, set design, and other production preparation.
PRODUCE: DCW invited established California filmmakers and choreographers to come to Bakersfield to work with local residents to create personal stories through movement and film. The stories told address issues that affect them as members of the LBGTQ+, African American, Unhoused, and Domestic Labor communities.
California filmmakers Joy Isabella Brown, Irishia Hubbard, Jon Leanos, Marlene Millar, Lane Michael Stanley, Madison Olandt, Vanessa Sanchez,and Sandy Silva met with local residents to craft and capture personal stories though dance and film, about Bakersfield CA residents Andrew 3D Dance Fever Jones, Eric Earthworm Pennella, Tim Metz and the California Domestic Workers Coalition.
This phase included filming on location in Kern County and featured a combination of interviews, dance choreography, and documentary footage of their everyday lives.
PRESENT: The public premiere of the four films was at a community festival April 13 to Sunday April 21, 2024. All events are family-friendly and free. The processional featured a film parade of the 20+ member Bakersfield community choir and guest artists Deborah Brockus Dance Company from Los angeles, who will escort a mobile film screen with the films playing as it travels the streets of Bakersfield. The truck then forms an outdoor cinema where audiences can enjoy the 40 minutes of dance and documentary films. The premiere events offered an opportunity for artists and community to interact in an art festival setting to foster relationships between project participants and audiences. Both days include a day of family friendly activities organized by Second Saturday and Earthday661, to help minimize the barrier of entrance to a performance venues.
The KDACC project aligns with Dance Camera West’s work over the past 22 years to showcase the best of international dance films and to provide more local resources for artists to self-produce independent films. Since 2018 DCW has worked directly to expand equitable representation by creating funding projects and professional assistance by harnessing its distinguished reputation, expertise, and inherent privilege to advance diversity in the art form.
THE KDA CREATIVE CORPS
The KDA Creative Corps (KDACC) is a pilot program, part of the California Creative Corps, designed to promote community and civic engagement, spread awareness about water and energy conservation, climate change, emergency preparedness, relief and recovery through the arts. KDACC is administered by the Kern Dance Alliance, one of 14 organizations selected statewide to regrant funds in their respective regions to arts and social service organizations, individual artists, and cultural workers. For more information, visit KDAcreativecorps.org.
