Filmmaker Addison Wright Turns His Lens to An Inspirational Chicago Dance Troupe in …

Addison Wright’s Hiplet: Because We Can is part of the Scene In Color Film Series, presented by Target, which shines a light on incredible filmmaking talent. As part of the series, three emerging filmmakers will receive mentorship from producer Will Packer, and their films are available to watch on Rotten Tomatoes, MovieClips Indie Channel, Peacock, and the NBC App. They have the “sexy walk;” “the pretzel;” “the dougie;” “the Vivian.” These aren’t 1950s innuendoes. They’re the dance moves performed by a special Chicago-based ballet company. Founded by Homer Hans Bryant, hiplet is a combination of hip-hop and traditional ballet performed to dizzying, intoxicating effect by a collection of incredible local dancers. Director Addison Wright, another Chicago native, decided to make a film about these viral sensations after discovering the troupe on Instagram. His eight-minute documentary short, Hiplet: Because We Can, was an Official Selection at the 2020 South by Southwest Film Festival, later became a Vimeo Staff pick, and is now part of the Scene in Color Film Series.  Wright’s film, titled after the dance, fuses together a choreographed music video feel with a precise documentary style for a lively exploration of this new invigorating movement style. Though the performers’ movements speak for…
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