LIFT
Screening + Q&A

Acclaimed ballet dancer Steven Melendez returns to the Bronx shelter that was his childhood home, where he teaches a ballet workshop for children through New York Theatre Ballet’s LIFT program. As a mentor to young dance students facing housing insecurity, Steven works with the children to turn hidden trauma into dance, and turn a  classical art form into an expression all their own. 

This emotionally rich, unforgettable documentary from director David Petersen follows Melendez as he mentors a trio of aspiring dancers in the program. 

Bios:

David Petersen is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, whose films include Fine Food, Fine Pastries; Open 6 to 9; If You Lived Here You Would Be Home Now; Let the Church Say Amen; Journey of the Bonesetter’s Daughter, and The Witmans. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

Steven Melendez is a principal artist with the New York Theatre Ballet and the company's Artistic Director. Born in the South Bronx, he lived in a New York City homeless shelter before beginning his ballet training at age seven. He has performed internationally and has served as a faculty member of Ballet School New York and the Joffrey Ballet School Summer Program in New York City.

📍: BDC Annex, 364 E. 151st St, Bronx, NY 10455 

© LIFT