Cha Cha Real Smooth
2022 Sundance festival winner
We centered the experience around a Jewish cultural dance lesson and a story wall
This story is about the rite of passage of the bar and bat mitzvahs.
It’s also about how life can take us down many paths filled with uncertainty and adventure, something we can all relate to.
Changing Perceptions
The perception of Sundance in some communities is that it’s inaccessible to the average person, both in cost and in culture.
We were tasked with curating some experiences that created an environment of playful connection, inclusivity, and education.
Dance
Our Jewish born and raised dance teacher infused elements of her cultural upbringing, and extensive experience in dance to teach 3 dances traditional Jewish dance styles; Yemenite, Mizrachi, Klezmer.
Dance is a universal language
We educated the audience on what the bar and bat mitzvahs rite of passage means and how many cultures have similar coming of age traditions, highlighting that we are all connected regardless of our borders or beliefs.
Connection through storytelling
Sundance tells stories, and rallies communities in support of independent storytelling.
We designed a story wall so that guests could share a few stories of their own.
3 writing prompts:
What’s on your bucket list?
What’s been your greatest accomplishments so far?
What legacy would you like to leave behind?
Sharing is caring
Once answered, we invited them to hang their cards on the wall by attaching them to the movie film reel.
Participants read each others answers and were able to share moments of connection seeing the hopes and aspirations of their fellow lives.
Impact
1100 people
3 Jewish cultural dances
200+ notes written
1 festival award winning film
Uncapped fun, connection and joy
