Hard Rain: An Award-Winning Short Film with Choreography by Jeremy Steward

What dance can express when words fall short

Jeremy Steward and I have known each other since we were kids. Our older brothers were best friends and, as often happens when you’re young, our families became entangled—enjoying dinners, vacations, and a bunch of trampoline jumping together.

So imagine my delight when Jeremy grew up into an incredibly talented, super-cool choreographer, as evidenced by this magical, gentle-yet-invigorating short film Hard Rain.

Set to Lykke Li’s song “Hard Rain,” the film has earned an Official Selection in Venice Shorts, 2021; Best Female Director, San Francisco Best Indie Short Festival, 2021; Official Selection, New York Indie Shorts Awards, 2021; Semi finalist Washington Film Awards Winter, 2022; and Semi Finalist Roma Shorts, 2021. 

Watch the 4-minute dance short:

Backstory

In his teens, Jeremy began studying dance. And in 1993, he graduated from the prestigious Dance Arts program at the University of Michigan and became a founding member of the Peter Sparling Dance Company which performed at renowned venues such as the Interlochen Arts Academy.

On dance, Jeremy writes:

“Dance has always been a source of freedom and empowerment for me especially in this gay male body. It's one of the few arenas in which I felt like competition with others was actually a connective force. I'm incredibly moved by the language of dance: how it shapes, creates, and gives meaning to deep feelings that words often cannot touch or express.”

Choreographing Hard Rain

Jeremy settled in Seattle, and moved from dance to choreography. He and his husband started a bodywork practice offering massage and acupuncture. One day, a chance meeting led him to Abigail Desser, a theater director from LA who, during COVID, was living on Vashon Island and spent many hours walking through the forests, listening to the song “Hard Rain” by Lykke Li. She conjured a story of a young woman transforming toward freedom but not without a cost. The dancers are her guides and possibly also a part of herself. She asked Jeremy to choreograph it, the result of which is the gorgeous film above.

As Jeremy notes, dance can express feelings when words fall short. I know there are times when working on a personal essay or journaling (and journaling and journaling) or even spilling my heart to a trusted friend just cannot move painful or even glorious emotions. But putting on a song and dancing around my house leaves my body feeling heard, honored, loved—and free.

I don’t know about you, but now I want to go dance in a forest!

Tell me…

Is dancing a part of your life? I’d love to hear about any and all dancing you do! At weddings? In a class? Around your house, like me?

What are your initial reactions to the Hard Rain film? How does watching dance make your body feel?

I’ll meet you in the comments!