My least favorite part, the fundraising, is over. We raised enough funds to pay for the editing process. And! I received an Advancing the Arts grant from the Arts Council of the Valley in support of this film. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this extra support. It helped push us to the end of part II of the fundraising process. Although there are still some funds to be raised, I am excited to move forward and get a sneak peak ready for you. I. Cannot. Wait.

We've already begun going through some of the footage and I've upgraded the sound quality of the music track. I've relocated to NYC for a change of scenery and to keep my energy moving. We are working out the kinks of a virtual premiere and then I can start submitting to film festivals all over the country and the world. It's exciting to create art. It's more exciting to share it. Thank you for joining me on this journey. And stay tuned! The finished product is coming... 

                                                   Photo Cred: Katie Schmid of "The Commoneer"
And we have launched the second round of fundraising! It took a minute to navigate the ins and outs of fiscal sponsorship but Fractured Atlas has been a huge support and I am so pleased I made it to this step. With this sponsorship, your donation is tax deductible and I can apply for artist grants. My goal is to raise $4200 from my audience members in 31 days (the month of October). Are you wondering what to do with your budget for live performances and movies? Invest it into the performing artists who are trying to keep up their craft to once again bring you those live shows and high-quality movies when it is deemed safe for performers and audience members. Will you help "Embodying Emily", a dance film, become a reality? Will you be a part of keeping dance alive?

Click the donation link above to make your contribution! Your donation will go towards paying the team of five artists who have shared their unique crafts in developing Emily Dickinson's body of writing and poetry into movement. Once post-production work is complete, we look forward to sharing our brand new film with you. Stay tuned on more details on our premiere (and don't forget to check the updates tab for news on the progress!).

The costume arrived this week from New York and let's just say it is perfection. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Now the real work begins: doing the choreography with said costume. It definitely changes things a bit but boy does it move well with my turns in and out of the ground. Yes, ground, because remember this film will be shot outside, in the woods, with all the bugs, dirt, leaves that inevitably begin to fall as autumn approaches.

Being forced out of a dance studio indefinitely and not dancing with all of my friends, colleagues--my dance family--has been heart-wrenching and sometimes unbearable. We had a way of building each other up, encouraging each other, cheering each other on when we booked that big gig. It is tough not knowing when I'll be back in a studio dancing real time, safely (even in a mask) and not through my computer via Zoom or Instagram Live. But being in a mask in a studio with ONE dancer, socially-distanced in the space, has been a glimmer of hope. We will make it through this time. There is another side and we will get there. This film is a light in this dark, unknown hiatus away from the stage.

So that being said, the film date is set (September 15), the choreography is almost complete, the shot-by-shot screenplay is coming together, the dress rehearsal is scheduled. It's all coming together. Who knew that performing artists would still create even when their futures are so uncertain. Well, performing artists knew. We're pretty resilient. We may not be on a big stage or in a studio anytime soon but we can't stop moving and grooving. 

We are 11 days into the first half of our fundraiser and have 22% of the funds raised. I cannot thank my friends, family, and supporters enough for their thoughtfulness and kindness during a Pandemic...with a capital "P." We are all in this uncertainty together but it seems people are coming together to support artists and performing arts as a whole. So from the bottom of my heart, from the deepest part of my being, Thank You. It's all coming together because of you.