Khadifa Wong’s UPROOTED: THE JOURNEY OF JAZZ DANCE interview at HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY Film Festival INTERVIEW; exploration of jazz dance’s history
Khadifa Wong’s UPROOTED: THE JOURNEY OF JAZZ DANCE , now playing film festivals is an entertaining, and I hesitate to say (because of the negative connotations of the word when it comes to watching movies) educational, exploration of jazz dance’s history and influences and meaning since the beginning of this country’s history.
I am a former dancer, so I am a natural audience for the film. However, I feel very comfortable in saying you don’t need to have that direct connection to dance to enjoy the film and get into it.
THE JOURNEY OF JAZZ DANCE)
In the interview, Khadifa and I talk about the insane number of people – really KEY people they got to do interviews for the film, the importance of Patrick Swayze’s mom as an influence on jazz dance in this country, and the approach of making the film via a dancer’s perspective visually, and through choreography, as well as how having an editor with a little distance from the subject can help protect filmmakers from overindulging their “favorite” parts or interests in service of the film’s whole.
Khadifa Wong’s UPROOTED: THE JOURNEY OF JAZZ DANCE ast HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FF INTERVIEW; exploration of jazz dance’s history