We all run wild in our dreams. We fly, we break out of our lives and morph into other people, watch ourselves from the outside, appear in multiple locations, we even speak with the dead. Unhindered by time, space, gravity, age, etc., the impossible becomes possible. And just sometimes… we dance.
It’s a sad fact that beyond getting drunk at weddings there are few unifying phenomena or rituals in American culture that bring us together to dance. As such, many people can only dream of dancing in their everyday lives. But… Why? Why should it even be considered strange to stand on the street corner and suddenly move wildly and freely with absolute abandon if we so choose? And why should we even care what others think if we do?
In Dreams I Run Wild is a lovely short film that explores this notion. Seven or eight people leading parallel lives suddenly interrupt their daily routines – a businessman, a shopkeeper, a woman folding laundry, a young man on a bus and more. Each of them suddenly, seemingly taps into their dreams and breaks into dance. Directed and choreographed by my friend Ramaa Mosely, produced by James Graves, with cinematography by Danny Moder, editing by Katz, and set to a soulful rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by Martin Luther McCoy, this film is an ode to the integration of dance with every day life.
When asked what inspired her to create In Dreams I Run Wild, Ramaa had this to say:
“Inside our minds we are having dreams and thoughts of doing outrageous things but on the outside – sitting on the bus, or walking down the street – we keep to a code of conduct. I loved the idea of people suddenly breaking out of the mold of conformity and having dance represent this idea of a burst of expression – the inside dream coming out into the world through movement. For me, dance is most powerful when it’s for the people and of the people. It becomes very exciting to me when it is taken off the stage and into everyday life.”
As someone who creates site-specific dance works, I’m all about that. I hope you enjoy.
In Dreams I Run WildHD from Trio Films on Vimeo.