Local Sacramento dancers Julia Feldman and Stefan Calka dance against a velvet canopy of green foliage, moving in time to soft music against a backdrop of brick. This scene unfurled here at the Railyards in Autumn of 2020 when Capital Dance Projects filmed Canopy for their Digital Series. The video below features a ballet dance filmed in the historic buildings at the center of the Railyards that will one day be the heart of the Central Shops District.
Learn more about the creation of this breathtaking project from dancer and choreographer Stefan Calka of Capital Dance Project.
Meet Capital Dance Project
The artists behind Capital Dance Project (CDP) have been raising spirits in Sacramento since the project's launch in 2015. The dancer-run company is dedicated to bringing inclusive, innovative, and accessible performing arts experiences to the Sacramento community.
The group is known for their Behind the Barre production. Calka explains, "CDP's annual Behind the Barre live performance series celebrates Sacramento's burgeoning arts scene by providing a platform for its resident choreographers to create world premiere works in collaboration with local visual artists and musicians. To date Behind the Barre has presented over 50 world premiere dance works while employing over 60 local artists, musicians, and professional dancers."
The 6th annual Behind the Barre series was postponed to August of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the group continued to inspire Sacramento by going virtual for their beautiful Digital Series.
About the Digital Series
Calka describes the series, stating "Choreographed and performed by CDP artists, in collaboration with filmmaker Brandon Manning, CDP Digital Series: Made in Sacramento brought 11 new works celebrating our Sacramento community with featured local artists, musicians, and city landmarks."
Viewers of the Digital Series may spot familiar backdrops, including local favorites like:
Creating Canopy
"The inspiration for this piece was the trees of Sacramento and the juxtaposition between nature and an urban setting." Calka continues, "I was lucky enough to visit the Railyards earlier in the year and knew it would provide the perfect backdrop for this project, as well as for local artist David Stone's large scale projections. I am so very grateful to all those at the Railyards that helped bring this piece together."
You can support Capital Dance Program by visiting their website. Contributions support dancers, choreographers, and local artists in their mission to uplift Sacramento and bring inspiration to our community. Learn more about donating.