New Richard Walters video made with dancers from the Juillard Dance School
aaamusic | On 24, Aug 2010
Over the last couple of months Richard Walters has been making his first inroads into the American market with a string of shows in support of the American release of his debut album The Animal. Although he is yet to be a household name in America, his music has worked it’s way into millions of American homes. Earlier this year his song American Stitches was featured on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy; however it is his song Elephant In The Room, taken from his debut Pilot Lights EP, that has really caught the imagination.
What oddly enough began on American reality television, with dancer Jakob Karr dancing to Elephant in the Room on the multi-million viewed talent show ‘So You Think You Can Dance America’, has continued to grow into something of a viral internet sensation. Try typing “Richard Walters + dance” into YouTube and along with Karr’s flawless audition piece on American television, you will find homemade videos of dancers from across America – solo, duos, entire dance troupes no less – adding fresh interpretation to Walters songs.
It’s this appreciation and respect that led to a recent meeting with Juilliard student and choreographer Nathan Makolandra who choreographer Jakob’s piece on SYTYCD, and the resulting dance video, set to Walters song American Stitches. Filmed at Juilliard, the worlds most highly regarded performing arts schools (known best for inspiring the film Fame!), the video feautures Makolandra and his dancers performing the piece onstage at Juilliard for Walters whilst in New York during his recent tour.
“It was incredible to watch, to be the only audience member in that huge hall, to see the song put together like that…it was wonderfully surreal.” said Walters “The dedication and talent of those dancers was amazing, thier energy was infectious.”
Asked why he thinks Walters music has struck a chord with the dance world, Makolandra says this. “It’s his voice, without a doubt, there’s so much emotion in there…it just works.”
American Stitches Juilliard Dance Video:
