SV Showcase: Colorwise by The Seaweed Sisters
Colorwise by The Seaweed Sisters is the third film to be featured as part of our SV Showcase this month. This is one of the three films to be awarded the StandardVision Showcase Award for Artistic Achievement at the Cascadia Dance and Film Festival.
Megan Lawson, Jillian Meyers, and Dana Wilson are professional choreographers and dancers who work alongside some of the most iconic performers of our time (Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, and Madonna to name a few).
How did the Seaweed Sisters come to be?
Long story super short-- When we were just little bits of algae, we made up a dance together. We performed it twice, filmed it once, and decided to do that over and over and over again.
What was the inspiration behind Colorwise?
Environment is always a key feature of our work... no matter where we show up, or how we are getting down, we are always discovering the magic and whimsy of our surroundings. The inspiration for Colorwise was to to highlight the discovery of self... to emphasize who we are rather than where we are. The goal was for our movement and personality to be the pop of color on a stark white canvas and to work as a team to find our unique colors.
Do any of you have a background in filmmaking? How did you collaborate with the directors to achieve the final product?
Our knowledge and sensibilities about film-- capture, performance, pre-and post production etc. come from our collective 35+ years of working professionally as dancers/ choreographers in TV, film, music videos, and live shows. We are quick studies on set, and have a big appetite for the DIY approach. We also have some very talented friends. Each Seaweed Sisters production is different from one to the next, but they all share a playful collaboration between people who truly get each other, and want to make great art.
Does your approach to choreography differ when choreographing for film vs other mediums? Are there any challenges associated with this?
Of course creating a piece for film requires different considerations than creating work for the stage (or some other magical location), but we celebrate these differences! The bedrock to our approach is a "Yes, and..." mentality. We borrow this concept from Improv comedy and find that it is the absolute best approach... for dance, for art, for LIFE!
What advice would you give to anyone trying to get into choreography?
Don't take yourself too seriously. Take silliness VERY seriously.
You can catch The Seaweed Sisters’ film on the SVLA1 screen in Downtown LA every hour through September 19.