SKETCH FILMS: RED THREAD

Four Cities, Four Stories, One Shared Thread

2020 was a special year for Amy Seiwert’s Imagery as it marked the 10th anniversary of the Company’s SKETCH series. Originally, Imagery had planned SKETCH 10 : WRECKED, bringing in six choreographers to work in pairs to “wreck” or edit each others work.  In response to the changing art landscape due to COVID-19, we instead produced four documentary dance films, entitled SKETCH FILMS: Red Thread.

Red Thread featured world premieres by SKETCH alumni, including Artistic Director Amy Seiwert, Artistic Fellow Ben Needham-Wood, Chicago-based choreographer Stephanie Martinez (SKETCH 9), and NYC-based choreographer Jennifer Archibald (SKETCH 8). Both Martinez and Archibald are winners of the Joffrey Ballet’s "Winning Works: Choreographers of Color” commissions.

Each choreographer was asked to create a dance film following social distance protocols, inspired by those who have been impacted by the recent health, economic, and injustice crises. These works highlight the shared struggles afflicting different communities while raising awareness and support for important causes.

“We are at an evolutionary moment for our field, where business 'as usual' is not an option”, says Seiwert “I promise that we will continue to find creative and safe ways to serve our community and create. SKETCH FILMS: Red Thread reconfirms the mission of our SKETCH series - providing a safe place for artists to take creative risks. SKETCH has always been a container to hold larger ideas.  These four works will serve as an incubator for Movement for Movement, a much larger dancefilm project to be led by our own Ben Needham-Wood."

Red Threads’ original scores were composed by Kishi Bashi and Emily Hope Price. 

Read a review of the first three films here

THE FILMS
Four Films by Four SKETCH Alumni Choreographers

To watch excerpts and learn more about the four films created for SKETCH FILMS: Red Thread click on the photos below.

Each film premiered during an online event including a conversation with the artists and interactive Q&A.

All films were released world wide the Monday following the premiere.

In 2021 we will release versions of all four films that include Audio Descriptions provided by Gravity Access Services.