“Mapping our Stories” film series elevates BIPOC histories of Santa Monica
Apr. 12, 2021 at 6:00 am
Movie: The films from the local dance company are available to watch online. Courtesy photo
Inspired by the racial uprisings of the last year, Suárez Dance Theater is launching a film series shining a light on the often overlooked stories of Santa Monica’s Black, Indigenous, and Latinx community members.
The “Mapping our Stories” project is created in collaboration with filmmaker Leonardo Rivas and three groups of BIPOC performers, whose videos each highlight a different culture and area of the City. Chumash and Tongva poet and songwriter Jessa Calderon captures Santa Monica beach and Tongva Park; Black choreographer and performer Bernard Brown explores the Belmar Triangle; and Latinx dance collective Primera Generación highlights the Pico neighborhood.