Burden Halved
Four dancers, each bearing their own burden, find comfort when their isolated experiences converge in a lush, emotionally intense exchange.
A film by Kitty McNamee and Lara Schnitger.
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Kitty McNameeDirector/Choreographer
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Lara SchnitgerArtist
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Kitty McNameeProducerThe Yellow Room
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Lara SchnitgerProducer
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Lara SchnitgerArt Director
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FleaSolo Bass Extrapolation
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Reshma GajjarKey Cast
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Zak SchlegelKey Cast
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Raymond EjioforKey Cast
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Derek SchieselKey Cast
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Pavel YatsenkoDirector of Photography
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Lori Lovoy-GoranEditor
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Adam KingSound Design
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Majd MazinFirst AC
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Meeno PelucePhotographer
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Julie SchmidAssociate Producer
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Kourtnie LabayProduction Assistants
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Miyuki KawamuraProduction Assistants
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Project Type:Experimental, Music Video, Short, Other
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Genres:Dance, Experimental, Art, music
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Runtime:8 minutes 23 seconds
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Completion Date:October 10, 2018
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Production Budget:4,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:RED 5K
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Screendance FestivalStockholm
Sweden
April 29, 2019
World Premiere -
On Art Film FestivalWarsaw
Poland
July 1, 2019 -
Seattle Transmedia & Independent Film FestivalSeattle, WA
United States
July 26, 2019 -
Hollyshorts Film FestivalHollywood, CA
United States
August 10, 2019 -
Skyline Indie Film FestWinchester, VA
United States
September 12, 2019 -
The Outlet Dance ProjectHamilton, New Jersey
United States
October 3, 2019 -
Santa Cruz Film FestivalSanta Cruz, CA
United States
October 9, 2019 -
Aesthetica Short Film FestivalYork
United Kingdom
November 6, 2019 -
Cucalorus Film FestivalDowntown Wilmington, North Carolina
United States
November 13, 2019 -
Festival Internacional VideoDanzaBABuenos Aires
Argentina
December 2, 2019 -
Austin Music Video FestivalAustin, TX
United States
December 10, 2019 -
Film Fest SundsvallSundsvall
Sweden
March 11, 2020 -
ADF’S Movies By MoversDurham, NC
United States
June 14, 2020 -
InShadow Lisbon Screendance FestivalLisbon
Portugal
December 15, 2022
Los Angeles-based Kitty McNamee is a highly regarded choreographer and director working across media. McNamee earned distinction from Dance Magazine as an artist with “an outsize talent for that most elusive gift, originality.” Kitty began her career as the Artistic Director of Hysterica Dance Co., a consistently prolific and creative collective that redefined dance in Los Angeles. Kitty’s work has been enriched by collaborations with composers, filmmakers, directors and writers on live performance, TV and film projects.
Recent work includes LA Opera’s Tales of Hoffman, San Diego Opera’s La Traviata, Target’s “A New Kind of Strong” campaign, Secret Cinema’s groundbreaking live performances with Laura Marling in London, the World Premiere of Colony Collapse commissioned by Oregon Shakespeare Festival and The Fantasticks at Pasadena Playhouse.
Kitty loves working with actors and is known for her ability to draw out organically nuanced performances. She has created for Paz Vega, Julianne Hough, Margaret Cho, Vanessa Williams, Vittorio Grigolo, Lily Tomlin, Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon, the boys of 90210 and the ladies of the L- Word. Kitty has loved getting down and dirty choreographing Beautiful and Twisted, Petals on the Wind and Lizzie Borden for Lifetime. She has created movement for music artists Laura Marling, Belly, Fono, Josh Kelley, Kait Weston, Kinky, Hecuba, Nicole Turley, Henry Wolfe and Ariana Delawari.
Concert stage work includes RIFT commissioned by Marin Alsop and Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, colony for LA Ballet (both composed by Anna Clyne) and the creation of the new ballets Traces and Transit for National Choreographer's Initiative.
Kitty collaborated with music icon Easy Mike to create a new hip/hop ballet of “On the Waterfront” for Muse/ique. Opera credits include Tales of Hoffman, Lucia de Lammermoor, Don Carlo and La Rondine for LA Opera, La Traviata for LA Opera, San Francisco Opera and San Diego Opera, Romeo and Juliette for LA Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago. She has a long and fruitful relationship with the LA Philharmonic, where she has choreographed, directed and developed new productions including Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Wing on Wing.
On the commercial front clients include Target, Mercedes, Adobe, GreyAnt, Uniqlo, Proactiv, Wynn Hotels, Devlinhair/Novartis, Flash on the Beach, MADD, Hexbug and Magic Sofa.
This film is a true collaboration between myself and artist Lara Schnitger.
The moment I first encountered artist Lara's sculptural packs I saw them in motion - their stories resonating through dancers’ bodies, not sitting in gallery silence. Lara was spurred to create the sculptures in response to witnessing the current migrant crisis first hand on a recent trip to Europe. Constructed with fabric culled from the lining of vintage suitcases and slim wooden sticks, the packs evoke both physical and emotional rootlessness. We wanted to find an organic intersection of sculpture and dance, body and spirit to explore those themes. With our incredible cast of dancers diving deep into the story and pulling from existing relationships, we collectively created our own world. Flea was equally inspired by Lara’s work and scored “Burden Halved" as a solo bass extrapolation. Having Flea's creative response to the visual narrative of the completed picture was a revelation, it completely transformed the film and brought it fully to life.
Our film traces the journey of four dancers struggling to manage their individual burdens. Only when they come together are they freed of the weight they each carry.
Lara, Flea and I are humbled to have creatively connected with the dancers on this project, generating a story imbued with beauty, struggle and ultimately hope.