Draft:Polka Dot Alley

Polka Dot Alley, a flamenco dance trilogy, is a 2015 American feature length documentary film and story about the choreographers, musicians and dancers from the Santa Barbara, California based Linda Vega Dance Company. The film was directed, filmed and edited by Christine R. Mallet and Randal N. Kazarian, a two person crew.

Trilogy Synopsis

Part One: Dreams and Dedication

The Red and Blue Shoes - Part one of the trilogy focuses on eleven year old Talia, 2009 Jr. Spirit of Fiesta; a young yet experienced performer who becomes a role model to Santa Barbara’s up-and-coming younger dancers: Anais, Jesalyn, Olivia and Talia’s younger sister, Tatum, all striving for the 2010 title. Fulfilling her teacher’s and family’s expectations, Talia’s passion for flamenco is revealed throughout the film. A fine-cut of The Red and Blue Shoes previewed at the Lobero Theatre on July 23, 2014.

Beginning with a flirtatious Rumba or Alegrias, the dancers eventually learn to embrace the spirit of flamenco with deeper cantes (songs) accompanied by professional guitarists and cantaores (singers) enabling them to discover the more emotional qualities of the Guajiras and Siguiriyas.

Part Two: Hopes and Determination

La Mariposa Blanca “The White Butterfly” - Leading the Children’s Parade, eleven year old Anais is carrying on a strong family tradition by winning the coveted Jr. Spirit of Fiesta title just as her mother did 40 years earlier. Will Anais be passing the sash to her friend and Jr. Spirit runner-up Jesalyn?

Ever Present throughout the film are the community values that shine brightly through the dancers, their families and a network of talented flamenco choreographers collaborating with musicians in the varying traditions of flamenco to make the celebration of Fiesta come alive every summer in the city of Santa Barbara.

Part Three: Struggles and Transformation

En La Noche De La Luna LLena “On the Night of the Full Moon” - Performing a flawless Bulerias on her third and final tryout, Jesalyn’s dreams are shattered by an Old Spanish Days committee decision to allow two over-aged 12 year olds to compete. What ensues is a heart warming story of an outraged dance community and how the girls work it out. A 62 minute version of En La Noche De La Luna LLena re-titled The Third Audition was edited for broadcast television.

Experience the rehearsals, the solo and group performances, stroll along with the dancers from gardens to courtyards to plazas and paseos reminiscent of the city culminating in La Fiesta Pequeña, an unforgettable evening on the steps of Old Santa Barbara Mission.

Story and Production

In a 2010 interview with the Santa Barbara Independent, Linda Vega explained, “The goal is [to dance] live.” “Everything in flamenco is based on that. The goal that I have — even for the three-year-olds — is to eventually dance to live music. For me, as a dancer, what I enjoy is the improvisation, when neither the dancer nor the musicians know what the other is going to do. It’s very exciting.”

Linda’s celebrated versatility as a choreographer and generosity as a teacher are revealed as she tirelessly works to prepare her dancers weeks before performance — shopping for treasured polka dot fabric, designing yet another season of flamboyant costumes, and, in the studio, modeling the subtleties of flirtation and panache so typical of flamenco. Remarkable for its improvisational style, the film takes the viewer behind the scenes as Linda’s choreography and step by step interpretations of the compás (rhythmic beat) eventually transform experimental studio work to evocative on stage eloquence.

The film tracks the dancers at home, backstage and in group and solo performance as each connects to the challenges, frustrations and hopes Linda instills. As red lipstick is applied, curly hair recreated into smooth chignons and colorful flounces added to waistlines, the dancers are transformed physically and spiritually eventually learning to embrace the spirit of flamenco. The dancers gain confidence as they discover how — with sure footwork, quick snaps of a fan and the saucy turns of a Spanish shawl — they can control the tempo and haunting rhythms of the guitar and palmas and, ultimately, the intensity of the audience experience.

Beginning in 2009, Windless Chimes Production's first feature length work was filmed over a four year period at several historic landmark Santa Barbara locations. And not since Cutter’s Way, a 1981 film by Ivan Passer, has Santa Barbara’s five day Fiesta and the famous El Desfile Histórico Parade been professionally filmed.

Principal photography was achieved using two newly released Panasonic HVX-200A digital film cameras shooting in the 720 progressive high-definition format giving the picture its super 16mm film look and color palette. “The release of the HVX-200,” said Kazarian, “was a notable game changer allowing low budget filmmakers a $10,000 alternative to the high resolution $50,000 cameras on the market at that time.”

And up until that time most dance films utilized wide shots to show group choreography and full body movements. Mallet and Kazarian’s goal was to dance with the dancers, filming closeup, revealing facial expressions, “it’s all in the look on their faces,” said Mallet. “This is Flamenco,” said Kazarian, “filming closeup allowed our audience a look at dancers hand and arm movements, their use of fans, shawls and castanets, and the grounding footwork so typical of this intense and passionate dance form."

Cinéma vérité, a style of documentary film making that aims to capture reality without interference, manipulation or scripting, was used throughout the production process. And being a two-person crew allowed the filmmakers the intimacy to become unobtrusive and part of the troop.

Language

English and English with French subtitles

Budget

$260,000

Cast

Featured choreographers include:

Linda Vega
Maria "Chacha" Bermudez (Sonidos Gitanos)
Paloma Rios
Pamela Lourant
Timo Nunez
Daniela Zermeño

Featured musicians include:

Antonio Duran - Guitarist
Jesus Montoya - Singer & Composer
Gabriel Osuna - Guitarist/Vocalist
Luis De La Tota - Singer, Cajon, Palmas, Jaleo
Bobby de Sofia - Guitarist
Kambiz Pakandam - Guitarist
Amanda Lucia Cuevas - Palmas & Jaleo

Premier Reception

Part One of the trilogy premiered July 23, 2014 at the historic Lobero Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara to a sold out audience.

Parts Two and Three of the trilogy premiered in May of 2015 at The New Vic Theatre, in Santa Barbara’s Historic Theatre District.

References

Santa Barbara Independent Interview - Fri Jul 30, 2010

Documenting the Dance - Filmmakers Follow Fiesta Dancers from Linda Vega’s Studio to Create Polka Dot Alley

https://www.independent.com/2010/07/30/documenting-dance/

CASA Magazine Review - August 1, 2014

Polka Dot Alley Screening Fills the House

https://issuu.com/casamagazine/docs/8.1.14.casa/24?e=0/8861358

CASA Magazine Interview May 8, 2015

Polka Dot Alley: A Flamenco Dance Trilogy by Jeanette Casillas

https://issuu.com/casamagazine/docs/5.8.15.casa/4?e=0/8861358

Santa Barbara News-Press Interview - May 16, 2015

Polka Dot Alley' a behind-the-scene look at Fiesta dancers

http://polkadotalley.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SantaBarbaraNewsPress_Interview.pdf