Pride to me works best when it honours the theatrical, encourages the playful, and celebrates the unique. I had a chance to witness these qualities when I was filming the backup dancers on stage with Deborah Cox at last year’s festival. Maybe I’ve watched too many dancing shows, but it was a treat to follow them from practice, to mentally preparing before the show, and then to the performance. I’ve tried to learn dance choreography and, especially with hip-hop and r&b, it isn’t easy.
The night of the performance, I was backstage to capture the dancers hard at work. It was a long night for them as they did a solo show, then danced for Deborah Cox. The crowd was energized (before Deborah went onstage, the audience had been shouting “We want Cox! We love Cox!”) and cheered on every move, dip, and dive. Nothing feels better as an artist than having your hard work appreciated; as a storyteller, getting to capture that was an astounding opportunity.
Pride’s a massive undertaking, but I couldn’t appreciate that as an attendee. With the chance to chronicle the story behind the scenes, I not only got to share why others make an effort for Pride, but also created my favourite Pride moments too.
Sexy.
What a great idea! Lookin’ good Jaime!