The Production Team
DANCE OF MY LIFE is a 77-minute video documentary that was shot in Brazil, the Philippines, the USA and France by an international team headed by Lydia Benitez-Brown (Director/Writer) whose past credits include the award-winning "Batibot" (winner of the Prix Jeunesse and the NY Film and Video Festival) - the Philippines' best-loved children's TV program. It was produced by Nick Brown, Maria del Castillo and Queen Bessie LLC. Rii Kanzaki was Technical Consultant and Editor. Script consultants included Jo Atienza, Ralston Jover and Ralph Pena. Philippine footage was provided by Noel Anonuevo (Unit Director) and Mayee Fabregas (Associate Producer) with Manie Magbanua, Jr. on the camera.
DANCE OF MY LIFE features an unforgettable performance by Valquiria Ribeiro, one of Brazil's top stage and TV personalities who eloquently explains the meaning of Carnival. Paolo Montalban, a well-known movie, stage and TV actor provided voice-over translations of the Brazilian interviews.
Post production took place in San Francisco, California with Rii Kanzaki as off-line editor and Manila, Philippines at Brownsugar Productions with Martin Rey Aviles as Editor. Audio post production was done at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC under the supervision of Nick Campbell.
Music for DANCE OF MY LIFE was composed by Eileen Sison and Guarana Band and Nyko Maca + PLAYgROUND. Both groups are well known interpreters of Brazilian music in the Philippines. DANCE OF MY LIFE also features the theme songs of Escola Nene de Vila Matilde by Nene, Adriano Bejar and Sulu; Escola de Samba Unidos de Vila Maria's song by Dao, Veia, Martins, Nando and Moleque-Para; and Escola Vai-Vai's song by Ze Carlinhos, Nayo Denai, Vagner Almeida and Danilo Alves.
The producers also thank Renato Freitas of Winner Publicidade in Sao Paulo for his help in making DANCE OF MY LIFE possible.
DANCE OF MY LIFE features an unforgettable performance by Valquiria Ribeiro, one of Brazil's top stage and TV personalities who eloquently explains the meaning of Carnival. Paolo Montalban, a well-known movie, stage and TV actor provided voice-over translations of the Brazilian interviews.
Post production took place in San Francisco, California with Rii Kanzaki as off-line editor and Manila, Philippines at Brownsugar Productions with Martin Rey Aviles as Editor. Audio post production was done at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC under the supervision of Nick Campbell.
Music for DANCE OF MY LIFE was composed by Eileen Sison and Guarana Band and Nyko Maca + PLAYgROUND. Both groups are well known interpreters of Brazilian music in the Philippines. DANCE OF MY LIFE also features the theme songs of Escola Nene de Vila Matilde by Nene, Adriano Bejar and Sulu; Escola de Samba Unidos de Vila Maria's song by Dao, Veia, Martins, Nando and Moleque-Para; and Escola Vai-Vai's song by Ze Carlinhos, Nayo Denai, Vagner Almeida and Danilo Alves.
The producers also thank Renato Freitas of Winner Publicidade in Sao Paulo for his help in making DANCE OF MY LIFE possible.
Cultures Converge at Carnival
Good intentions do not make good productions. When Lydia Benitez-Brown assembled the DANCE OF MY LIFE production team in Sao Paulo, Brazil they knew it would be the most difficult 2-day shoot of their varied careers. Beto Sporkens, who headed the Brazilian crew, negotiated coveted press passes for the team giving them backstage access to the tightly-controlled staging grounds for each Escola de Samba outside the paserela or avenue where the competition is held. Only 2 members of the crew could go into the avenue at any time so the rest had to stake out positions for themselves and their equipment on either side of the sambodromo or stadium. Rii Kanzaki, who flew in from Boston for the shoot, spoke no Portuguese but was often mistaken for a Brazileira (Japanese migrants to Brazil form one of the largest Japanese immigrant populations outside Japan). Raymond Lee flew almost 36-hours from the Philippines and arrived without his camera or clothes (the airline eventually located them, with only a few hours to spare before Carnival began). Nana Buxani took both video and photos for the production. Ivi Vitoriano, a young Brazileira whom Beto recruited as a production assistant several months previously, proved to be so capable she was promoted to cameraperson and provided some of the most compelling footage seen on the documentary. Like the rest of the crew, it was her first time at Carnival. It was an unforgettable experience for everyone.