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Four communities bring their colorful, dynamic dance together in the vibrance of the great American desert, and all alongside the moving musical composition of Noah Simpson. “A Day in Color” is a love letter to the true diversity of American culture and all that comes from it, including one of America’s greatest cultural contributions: Jazz.
Made as part of Montavilla Jazz Festival’s inaugural Call + Response project.
- Year2021
- Runtime9 min
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUSA
- RatingG
- GenreMusic & Dance
- Awardsn/a
- NoteAs an Indian American woman, my idea of what “American” means is a little different from the “Apple Pie” perspective. I grew up with an America of color that includes some of my favorite things: a house packed full of Indian Americans for colorful Hindu ceremonies, Mexican Folklorico dancers annually coming to my grade school to wow us kids, the best recipe for sesame chicken from my Chinese best friend’s mother. For me, some very beautiful parts of America have hailed from our diversity. Two other quintessentially American elements that are dear to my heart are the American desert, and Jazz. The histories of both are so deeply embedded in our collective national culture and layered, also with diversity. When The Montavilla Jazz Festival approached me with their new project “Call + Response” in which they pair jazz composers with independent filmmakers, I was delighted to work with a fresh, original jazz composition; and when they paired me with trumpet player and composer, Noah Simpson, himself a multi-ethnic musician of color, and also passionate about exploring this theme, I was elated. Together, we made “A Day In Color,” a celebration of many aspects of American diversity as beautiful together. Several amazing performers joined us to bring this idea to life. Through Painted Sky Music and Northstar Dance, we worked with Perry Thompson of the Navajo Nation, Shawna Ridgebear, also of the Navajo Nation as well as the Te-Moak Shoshone and Apache Tribes, and Soraya “Yaxla'' Medina from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, who all brought a variety of regalia and individual dance styles together in a dynamic Pow Wow for the film. Laisha Solis and Danika Montoya also joined us from the Latino Network’s colorful and festive Ballet Folklórico Corazones Alegres. Sridharini Sridharan, who started dancing at the age of seven, brought her twenty-five years’ experience in India’s classical Bharatanatyam tradition. And Malik Delgado, fused his wealth of knowledge of street dance hailing from the African diaspora and Latin traditions into a mesmerizing Afro Latin performance. In “A Day In Color,” I am showcasing our communities of color who aren’t normally featured front and center on screen, and their rich cultural traditions, in context with these two quintessentially American forms that are the American desert and one of our one of our most American contributions to world culture- Jazz. Hopefully, I can offer another perspective on what true American beauty looks like. Montavilla Jazz and I are both proud to offer this new vision to the world.
- Social Media
- DirectorShilpa Sunthankar
- ScreenwriterShilpa Sunthankar
- ProducerTara Johnson-Medinger
- Executive ProducerNeil Mattson
- FilmmakerShilpa Sunthankar
- CastMalik Delgado- Afro-Latin Fusion Artist, Perry Thompson- Painted Sky Music and Northstar Pow Wow Dancer (Navajo Nation), Shawna Ridgebear- Painted Sky Music and Northstar Pow Wow Dancer (Navajo Nation, Te-Moak Shoshone and Apache Tribes), Soraya “Yaxla'' Medina- Painted Sky Music and Northstar Pow Wow Dancer (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs), Laisha Solis- Ballet Folklórico Corazones Alegres Dancer, Danika Montoya- Ballet Folklórico Corazones Alegres Dancer, Sridharini Sridharan- Bharatanatyam Dancer
- CinematographerGary Nolton
- EditorGary Nolton
- AnimatorShilpa Sunthankar
- Production Designn/a
- ComposerNoah Simpson
- Sound Designn/a
- MusicNoah Simpson
5 films in package
$8After unlocking, you'll have 7 days to start watching. Once you begin, you'll have 24 hours to finish watching. Need help?
Four communities bring their colorful, dynamic dance together in the vibrance of the great American desert, and all alongside the moving musical composition of Noah Simpson. “A Day in Color” is a love letter to the true diversity of American culture and all that comes from it, including one of America’s greatest cultural contributions: Jazz.
Made as part of Montavilla Jazz Festival’s inaugural Call + Response project.
- Year2021
- Runtime9 min
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUSA
- RatingG
- GenreMusic & Dance
- Awardsn/a
- NoteAs an Indian American woman, my idea of what “American” means is a little different from the “Apple Pie” perspective. I grew up with an America of color that includes some of my favorite things: a house packed full of Indian Americans for colorful Hindu ceremonies, Mexican Folklorico dancers annually coming to my grade school to wow us kids, the best recipe for sesame chicken from my Chinese best friend’s mother. For me, some very beautiful parts of America have hailed from our diversity. Two other quintessentially American elements that are dear to my heart are the American desert, and Jazz. The histories of both are so deeply embedded in our collective national culture and layered, also with diversity. When The Montavilla Jazz Festival approached me with their new project “Call + Response” in which they pair jazz composers with independent filmmakers, I was delighted to work with a fresh, original jazz composition; and when they paired me with trumpet player and composer, Noah Simpson, himself a multi-ethnic musician of color, and also passionate about exploring this theme, I was elated. Together, we made “A Day In Color,” a celebration of many aspects of American diversity as beautiful together. Several amazing performers joined us to bring this idea to life. Through Painted Sky Music and Northstar Dance, we worked with Perry Thompson of the Navajo Nation, Shawna Ridgebear, also of the Navajo Nation as well as the Te-Moak Shoshone and Apache Tribes, and Soraya “Yaxla'' Medina from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, who all brought a variety of regalia and individual dance styles together in a dynamic Pow Wow for the film. Laisha Solis and Danika Montoya also joined us from the Latino Network’s colorful and festive Ballet Folklórico Corazones Alegres. Sridharini Sridharan, who started dancing at the age of seven, brought her twenty-five years’ experience in India’s classical Bharatanatyam tradition. And Malik Delgado, fused his wealth of knowledge of street dance hailing from the African diaspora and Latin traditions into a mesmerizing Afro Latin performance. In “A Day In Color,” I am showcasing our communities of color who aren’t normally featured front and center on screen, and their rich cultural traditions, in context with these two quintessentially American forms that are the American desert and one of our one of our most American contributions to world culture- Jazz. Hopefully, I can offer another perspective on what true American beauty looks like. Montavilla Jazz and I are both proud to offer this new vision to the world.
- Social Media
- DirectorShilpa Sunthankar
- ScreenwriterShilpa Sunthankar
- ProducerTara Johnson-Medinger
- Executive ProducerNeil Mattson
- FilmmakerShilpa Sunthankar
- CastMalik Delgado- Afro-Latin Fusion Artist, Perry Thompson- Painted Sky Music and Northstar Pow Wow Dancer (Navajo Nation), Shawna Ridgebear- Painted Sky Music and Northstar Pow Wow Dancer (Navajo Nation, Te-Moak Shoshone and Apache Tribes), Soraya “Yaxla'' Medina- Painted Sky Music and Northstar Pow Wow Dancer (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs), Laisha Solis- Ballet Folklórico Corazones Alegres Dancer, Danika Montoya- Ballet Folklórico Corazones Alegres Dancer, Sridharini Sridharan- Bharatanatyam Dancer
- CinematographerGary Nolton
- EditorGary Nolton
- AnimatorShilpa Sunthankar
- Production Designn/a
- ComposerNoah Simpson
- Sound Designn/a
- MusicNoah Simpson