Malamente: Storytelling & Production

This past fall, Refuge Art School brought together movement, culture, and storytelling through Malamente, a video dance production developed during our Storytelling Through Dance: Performance and Production course. Led by choreographer and director Carolyn Macc, the project invited dancers to explore how different cultures honor the dead, drawing from traditions such as Día de los Muertos in Mexico and Pchum Ben in Cambodia.

Through movement, expression, and collaboration, dancers crafted a narrative centered on a group of friends gathering to pray for a loved one who has passed. Influenced by the Flamenco elements of the music, the story unfolds as they seek guidance from a medium, questioning whether their loved one has found peace. The process pushed students to connect emotion with performance, using their bodies to communicate what words cannot.

https://youtu.be/VLLl4eYNhTU

This final piece reflects both individual and collective storytelling. Each dancer brought their own interpretation, background, and presence into the work, resulting in a layered and intentional production. The project also gave students hands-on experience in performance for film, working closely with a videographer to translate live movement into a cinematic format.

We are grateful to all the artists and collaborators who made this project possible.

Choreographer & Director: Carolyn McCarthy. Dancers: Maritza Flores, Daryan Kong, Alejandra Lezama, Paw Moo, Gabriela Pimentel, Cloudy Rosas. Videographer: Lea Sophia Productions

This project was supported by Mosaic Lowell, with special thanks to Taffeta Music Hall and Western Avenue Studios for hosting, and to Rosalía for the music that shaped the tone and direction of the piece. Malamente stands as a strong example of how storytelling, culture, and collaboration can come together to create meaningful work that resonates beyond the studio.