Title
Rainbows of Yesterday
Dance/Film
Biography
Choreographer, Dancer, Editor: Sloan Lemberg
Filmed by: Jake Gerard Price
Music: “Magic Colors” by Lesley Gore
“Rainbows of Yesterday” is a contemporary dance film inspired by life in a global pandemic. This piece represents the feeling of longing. My film recognizes the imperfections in life, during and before the pandemic. But as we anticipate a return to normal life, we should remember that there are many things to enjoy in the present. [Duration: 2:54]
Reflection:
Receiving this grant was such a high honor because it made me feel like an artist again. One of the most difficult parts of the pandemic was that I felt so uninspired with dance and choreography. I didn’t know how to adapt my art to new mediums, and there were times when I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to. Dance is how I express myself, so when I was uninspired for so long, I felt that I had lost my voice. Transitioning back to in-person dance classes reignited my passion, and I had more ideas than ever. Being awarded this grant affirmed that the pandemic didn’t damage my artistry, and I still had a lot more to give. A lot of my dancing in this film is improvisation, and any moves prepared beforehand were done without the use of mirrors. It was important to me that this piece focused more on how the moves felt, instead of how they looked.
Making this film gave me the opportunity to explore my creativity in new ways. I wasn’t very experienced in film or editing prior to this piece, so I had a lot to learn. I was excited by this medium and quickly realized that I love it. There is so much raw footage to watch during the process, and through that, you may find mistakes or bloopers that can be turned into really great contributions to the final product. I learned to embrace the “bad” takes, and ended up using lots of them in the film. This grant gave me the ability to purchase film equipment in order to heighten the quality of my work. These materials will help me with any films I make in the future, so I’m incredibly grateful to have received this award. I absolutely believe that other CAL students would benefit from this financial support in the future.