On Dream Street…

Documentary about a dance team for people with disabilities called Dream Street as they compete at the Central Park Challenge.

00:00Copy video clip URL Tape begins with a still and a countdown to six. Titles: “On Dream Street… by Skip Blumberg” RT is listed as 19:30.

00:13Copy video clip URL Slow motion of people dancing onstage. The music fades in and gradually grows louder and the footage speeds up to normal. B-roll of people dancing onstage.

00:48Copy video clip URL Blumberg interviews a man who explains the event taking place: it’s the Central Park Challenge for the National Institute for People with Disabilities, AKA YAI Network. Clips of people dancing, both on stage and in the crowd play over his voice.

01:21Copy video clip URL Blumberg switches to Park Slope, Brooklyn, where the Dream Street group practices. Titles on the screen include the location and “On Dream Street…” Footage of the community and members going to the rehearsal space.

01:35Copy video clip URL Titles: “by Skip Blumberg”

01:54Copy video clip URL Inside the rehearsal room, people begin warming up, talking to one another, waving at the camera,etc.

02:04Copy video clip URL Kristine Samuel speaks to the camera, introduces herself. This is followed by other people saying hello and their names to the camera.

02:43Copy video clip URL Rehearsal begins and the dancers begins to take their marks.

02:57Copy video clip URL As Jeffery takes his mark, a smaller frame appears of Blumberg interviewing him about his involvement with Dream Street and his future goals.

03:18Copy video clip URL Rehearsal continues. As the people practice, a smaller frame of the choreographer appears as she talks about Dream Street: “Dream Street is an organization that brings people with disabilities together and to give them an opportunity to express themselves. Create, perform, dance, act.” Another quote from an unknown woman plays as well as rehearsal continues.

04:01Copy video clip URL The unknown woman talks about how Dream Street has members who work on television and movies. This is followed by clips of members talking about their roles (one was on Law & Order), embedded in the rehearsal footage.

04:30Copy video clip URL In smaller frames embedded in the rehearsal footage, people, including the choreographer, talk about Dream Street’s goals as the members dance to John Lennon’s “Imagine:” “With us, we don’t look at the disability. We just look at the person and see what their abilities are, and through that, we create work.”

04:57Copy video clip URL Footage of rehearsal.

06:23Copy video clip URL Smaller frames of various people speaking play over the rehearsal footage. Members speak of what they do in Dream Street. The choreographer: “Sometimes I’ll get an idea and try it out on them. But it’s a collaborative effort.” A man talks about how Dream Street works with parents and tries to give disabled people the same opportunities as non-disabled people, but he is difficult to hear clearly.

07:45Copy video clip URL One of the dance teachers is interviewed over rehearsal footage, followed by Samuel. Footage of rehearsal continues.

09:20Copy video clip URL Footage switches to the YAI Network’s Central Park Challenge. Footage of the event and members of Dream Street talking and practicing. Insert frames of the choreographer speaking about the various types of artists in Dream Street play.

12:21Copy video clip URL Dream Street is about to go on stage. The MC tells them they’re the main event of the day, which makes them very excited: “This is the hottest point of the day. Everyone loves you.” Another insert frame from the man interviewed at the beginning also plays as Dream Street takes the stage. He is difficult to understand clearly, but interestingly makes the point that “When people see the appearance of a disability, that’s all they see. People are more educated… about skin color than the appearance of a disability.”

12:59Copy video clip URL Dream Street begins performing. Insert frames of the crowd and members speaking about their involvement with Dream Street also play.

15:44Copy video clip URL Insert frames of interviews still play as Dream Street gets off the stage after their performance.

16:17Copy video clip URL Dream Street huddles to cheer as the choreographer gives a pep talk. Footage of them talking to each other and relatives, getting ready to go.

17:52Copy video clip URL Samuel talks to the camera as she walks to the van: “We want to show the world we can do things just like the rest of the world can do.”

18:37Copy video clip URL She keeps talking as the credits roll. She talks nonstop until other members of the group interrupt her so she can get in the van.

20:00Copy video clip URL End of tape.