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Here is what happened when FKA Twigs’ hosted an epic dance workshop in Baltimore

Shows the true "soul" and "amazing energy" of the city

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It’s been a while since we last heard from London singer/songwriter FKA Twigs, and it looks like there’s good reason behind it. The impressionistic, genre-fluid artist has just released some new information and an accompanying trailer for new short film, Baltimore Dance Project.

The project began during one of FKA Twigs’ (real name Tahliah Barnett) tour stopovers in Baltimore, MD back in July. According to a press statement the 28-year-old originally envisaged holding dance workshops in LA and New York. However, she ultimately chose Baltimore for its “soul” and “amazing energy”.

“Over the past couple of years, Baltimore has always seemed to be in the news for really sad and tragic things,” she said. Barnett explained she wanted to connect with the people of Baltimore rather than being “another artist that is passing through.”

It’s this yearning to unite individuals and inspire the people of the city that shows through on the teaser trailer. “I felt like I was welcome into a community that is just powerful,” says one Baltimore dancer.

It seems Twigs certainly challenged the negative stereotypes of a city only previously seen through the lens of the HBO show The Wire. “I just wanted to see what the truth was, and the truth was very different from what the media had made it out to be,” Twigs said.

“When you are there and everyone’s laughing, or you walk down the street and someone helps you with something. How you feel a beat pulsing under your feet that makes you want to explore. When you call 400 people into a room and by themselves they start whiling out and going crazy, doing backflips, dancing together. That’s soul. That’s vitality.”

Baltimore Dance Project is available to stream right now. You can check out the trailer in the gallery above and get an in-depth look at the full doco and project here.

 

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