>> IT'S AN EXTENSION OF MY THESIS PROJECT, AN EXTENSION OF ME FALLING IN LOVE WITH NEW ORLEANS.

I MET THE SCHOOL OF DANCE ALMOST 16 YEARS AGO.

EVER SINCE, THEY CANNOT GET RID OF ME.

I'M NOT LEAVING.

I FEEL LIKE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO USE OUR ART FOR CHANGE AND ALSO TO REFLECT THE TIMES IN WHICH WE EXIST.

HURRICANE KATRINA WAS SUCH A HUGE MOMENT.

EVEN THOUGH I WATCHED IT FROM THE SCREEN, ONCE I BECAME PART OF THE COMMUNITY, I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WITHIN ME AND WITHIN MY SPIRIT THAT CALLED ME TO CREATE THIS WORK.

ESPECIALLY SEEING FIRSTHAND HOW DISPLACED THE COMMUNITY HAS STROO STRATEGICALLY BEEN.

I WANTED TO USE MY ART TO BRING AWARENESS TO GLOBAL WARMING BUT ALSO TO THE REALITIES OF WHAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE WHEN MARGINALIZED AND UNINVESTED IN BUT PERSEVERE.

>> MY ROLE STARTED RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN BRIAN WAS SHARING THE IDEA WITH ME.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT NEW ORLEANS AND VISIT THE EAST AND GO TO THE SPACES AND SEE HIS CONNECTION TO NEW ORLEANS AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE'S CONNECTION TO HIM AS WELL AS THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER AND SEE WHAT WAS SO SPECIAL ABOUT NEW ORLEANS, WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT LOUISIANA AND EXPERIENCE THE CULTURE, THE PEOPLE, HOW THEY VIBE AND THEIR ENERGY.

IT'S INFECTIOUS.

>> LAST SUMMER, WE HAD THE FIRST PART OF THE CREATIVE RESIDENCY.

BETWEEN LAST SUMMER AND NOW, A LOT OF THE TECHNICAL ELEMENTS HAVE COME TO LIFE.

THE INTEGRATED MEDIA, REIMAGINED MUSIC.

WE WENT FROM SYNTHETIC SOUND TO LIVE RECORDING.

MY TEAM GOT BIGGER.

I RELEASED CONTROL A LITTLE BIT UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A TEAM AROUND ME THAT CARES ABOUT ME BUT ALSO CARES ABOUT THE WORK HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE.

QUINN JOHNSON, ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER AND THE DIRECTOR HAVE COME IN AND JUST MADE THINGS EVEN BETTER THAN WHAT THEY WERE.

BROUGHT IN JONATHAN HUNTER AS THE PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER.

LIGHT AND DESIGN AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE TEAM TO PREPARE FOR THIS.

WE'RE DOING A LOT OF IMMERSIVE SOUND, A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY.

>> AS AN ARTIST, IT'S HARD TO GET EXACTLY WHAT'S IN YOUR MIND OUT.

SO I THINK I'M MOSTLY TRANSLATING WHAT HE WANTS.

IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING HE IS DOING.

I'M ALWAYS TAKING NOTES, FOLLOWING HIM AROUND.

I'M LEARNING A LOT, TOO.

RYAN HAS HIS HAND IN EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING.

FROM THE SOUND TO THE MUSIC TO THE CHOREOGRAPHY TO THE SET.

SO I'M REALLY JUST GOING AROUND WITH HIM AND MAKING IT ALL COME ALIVE.

THE MOST REWARDING THING HAS BEEN SEEING IT ALL COME TO LIFE.

IT HAS LIVED IN RYAN'S MIND FOR PROBABLY EIGHT YEARS NOW.

WE HAVE DONE OTHER ITERATIONS.

BUT IT HAS GROWN WITH HIM SO MUCH.

SO IT'S JUST SO NICE TO SEE IT ALL COME ALIVE THROUGH THE PEOPLE, THE SET, THROUGH THE SOUND, THE MUSIC.

IT'S JUST BEEN AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE.

>> SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHERE I WAS AND I AM NOT A NATIVE FROM NEW ORLEANS.

BEING AN OUTSIDER AND WORKING ON THE CHOREOGRAPHY AND BEING ABLE TO EMBODY THOSE EXPERIENCES CAN BE A BIT OF A CHALLENGE.

SO I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS THE ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER AND BRINGING THOSE IDEAS AND VISIONS AND PIECES TO LIFE AND WORKING WITH THE CAST AND MAKE SURE WE ARE ALL ON POINT AND ALL TELLING THE STORY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.

>> WITH THIS WORK SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE IT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF CARE THAT GOES INTO THIS, BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY TAKING THE ORAL HISTORIES OF SURVIVORS AND TURNING IT INTO EMBODIED STORYTELLING THROUGH THESE ART FORMS.

IT'S IMPORTANT THE WORK DOES -- IT EDUCATES PEOPLE, BUT DOESN'T CAUSE HARM.

RIGHT?

SO THE PACE AND THE TEMPO AND THE FLOW AND THE ORCHESTRATION OF THE DANCE AND THE STORY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T OVERLOAD THE AUDIENCE.

THE IDEA FOR IT TO BE AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, BUT IN A WAY THAT IS HEALTHY.

♪ ♪ ♪ JESUS ♪ >> THE AUDIENCE WILL EXPERIENCE FAN DANCE.

FAN DANCE IS AN ART FORM THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVEN'T SEEN IN PROBABLY DECADES.

WE ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE PREDECESSORS THAT HAVE LEFT TREASURES WITH US ALONG THE WAY.

WE ARE USING THE ESSENCE OF FAN DANCE AS A WAY OF SYMBOLIZING REBIRTH AND THE BIRTH OF A PHOENIX COMING BACK TO LIFE.

I'M EXCITED FOR THE AUDIENCE TO SEE THAT.

>> THE SHOW --I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT A SHOW.

IT'S DEFINITELY AN EXPERIENCE.

THE EXPERIENCE IS THE INTERSECTION OF THEATER AND DANCE.

VOCAL ARRANGEMENT, TWO WORLDS COME TOGETHER.

WE HAVE ADDED MORE NUANCE TO THE SPACE.

YEAH.

IT'S HERE.

WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE THEATER, FROM THE TOP OF THE SHOW, IT WILL BE ABOUT 5:00 P.M.

ON A SUMMER DAY IN NEW ORLEANS.

THEN THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE PROLOGUE, YOU BLEND INSIDE, THE CENTER OF THE STORY.

♪ ♪ THE SHOW TAKES YOU INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THESE WORLDS.

IT'S SET UP LIKE A NIGHTCLUB.

YOU TRANSFORM FROM WALKING INTO A THEATER LOBBY INTO A WORLD.

TO BE REALLY CLEAR, THIS IS NOT THE FULLY STORY OF HURRICANE KATRINA.

EVERY PERSON WHO EXPERIENCED THIS STORM AND THE GOVERNMENTAL FAILURES HAS THEIR OWN STORY, THEIR OWN CONNECTION.

THIS IS A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BECOME CONNECTED AND IT'S A PART OF THEIR STORY WE'RE BRINGING TO LIFE.

AS ARTISTS, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PRESERVE THESE ORAL HISTORIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY.

>> I HOPE PEOPLE FEEL SOMETHING.

I THINK WE ARE IN A TIME WHERE EVERYONE IS SO DESENSITIZED.

WE LOOK AT OUR PHONES.

WE SEE A LOT OF CRAZY STUFF EVERY DAY.

WE JUST KIND OF KEEP IT MOVING, HOPING PEOPLE COME TO THE SHOW AND SIT, PUT THEIR PHONES DOWN AND FEEL SOMETHING.

REMEMBER JUST WHAT HUMANITY IS, WHAT PEOPLE ARE.

WE'RE ALL THE SAME.

WE'RE ALL GOING THROUGH THE SAME STUFF.

WE LOVE THE SAME.

WE LOSE THE SAME.

I HOPE THEY CAN SIT IN THAT AND EXPERIENCE.

RYAN CALLS IT AN EXPERIENCE.

I HOPE PEOPLE COME AND CAN BE FULLY IMMERSED IN THE EXPERIENCE.

>> IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE CURRENTLY LIVING IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE BLACK AND BROWN IDENTITY AND CULTURE AND HISTORY IS STRATEGICALLY BEING ERASED.

AS A PERFORMING ARTIST, AS A BLACK BODY, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE FIND WAYS TO USE ART AS A MEDIUM TO ARCHIVE AND PRESERVE THE ORAL HISTORIES TO ENSURE THAT THESE STORIES DON'T GO AWAY.

THAT'S VITAL.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE CHILDREN IN 2005 ARE NOW ADULTS.

THIS COMMUNITY, THE CITY IS STILL NAVIGATING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL, THE FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE MISTREATMENT OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WHEN IT CAME TO PREPARING THE CITY FOR THIS.

AS ARTISTS, AS AN ORGANIZATION, JUST AS A HUMAN, IT WAS VITAL FOR ME TO CREATE LOVE, TO PRESERVE THE ORAL HISTORIES OF THE PEOPLE THAT I'M CONNECTED TO, TO ADDRESS AND BRING AWARENESS TO THE REALITIES OF THE RESPONSE OR LACK THEREOF.

TRY TO CREATE SOMETHING MAGICAL.

BRINGING THEATER AND DANCE TOGETHER, BRINGING MY 22 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE INTO THE SPACE, LISTENING TO ALL OF THESE TALENTED ARTISTS WHO HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED TO IT.

I HAD THE IDEA BUT NONE OF IT COULD HAVE COME TO LIFE WITHOUT EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS PUT THEIR HANDS ON IT.

I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE SEE LIVE THEATER, WE EXPECT THIS HAPPY ENDING.

THE REALITY IS, THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN A HAPPY ENDING POST KATRINA.

THERE HAVE BEEN AREAS LIKE THE FRENCH QUARTER THAT HAVE WELCOMED SO MANY PEOPLE IN AND PEOPLE STILL GO AND PARTY AND CELEBRATE AND DO ALL THOSE THINGS.

NEW ORLEANS EAST STILL LOOKS LIKE KATRINA HAPPENED.

SOMETHING ABOUT THAT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT TO ME.

AND I THINK PEOPLE HAVE EITHER DECIDED TO FORGET THAT IT HAPPENED, FORGOT IT HAPPENED OR WEREN'T ALIVE WHEN IT HAPPENED.

>> I HOPE THE AUDIENCE REALLY FEELS IT.

I HOPE THE AUDIENCE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON MAYBE WHERE THEY WERE WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA IS HAPPENING.

I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING.

JUST CONTINUE TO KEEP THE STORY ALIVE.

>> THIS IS BEYOND CAPITALISM.

THIS IS ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS .

AND IT'S REAL.

I DON'T EVEN CALL IT A SHOW, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD EVER USE THE PAIN AND HURT OF BLACK BODIES AS A WAY TO MAKE MONEY.

WHICH IS WHY THE LARGE PROCEED THAT GO BACK INTO THE KELLY SCHOOL OF DANCE AND THE NEW ORLEANS TAP FESTIVAL THAT THEY PARTNER WITH.

THIS IS ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS IS STILL AFFECTING PEOPLE TO THIS DAY.

IT'S REAL.

PEOPLE LOST EVERYTHING.

PEOPLE LOST LOVED ONES.

PEOPLE LOST EVERYTHING THAT THEY WORKED FOR.

NEW ORLEANS EAST WAS ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT BLACK COMMUNITIES IN NEW ORLEANS.

NOW IT'S A FOOD DESERT, EMERGENCY SERVICES DON'T FREQUENT THE AREA, AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS A MASTERS OF FINE ART IN SOCIAL JUSTICE, I HAVE TO USE DANCE AS A FORM OF SOCIAL JUSTICE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK, WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?

YOU ARE NOT FROM NEW ORLEANS.

I'M CLEAR ON THAT.

BUT I'VE BEEN REALLY BLESSED TO HAVE A FRUITFUL CAREER TO PUT ME IN PLACES I CAN ACTUALLY CREATE SOME CHANGE, EVEN IF IT'S A SMALL PUSH FORWARD.

BECAUSE OF THAT, AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT I LOVE THE YOUNG PEOPLE AT KELLY SCHOOL OF DANCE, THE MUSICIANS OF NEW ORLEANS, THE ARTISTS , THAT'S WHY I DO IT.