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New Documentary Reveals Another Side Of The Subway Showtime Dancers
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 15, 2016
Modified Jun 15, 2016
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 15, 2016
Modified Jun 15, 2016
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Every time I've defended the showtime dancers here, I've been countered with hundreds of negative comments about these kids who perform on the city's subway cars. There have been a few videos (and even documentaries) that have scratched the surface of who these performers are, but this short documentary—called We Live This—is hands down the most humanizing portrait yet.
Focusing on four young men, the film—which has won a number of awards on the festival circuit—lets them tell their own stories regarding why they are underground. One, who explains he is homeless, says: "As I dance on the train, I think about where I'm sleeping that night. Who should I call? Who's going to pick up? People have their own problems... their own lives." Another describes what they are doing as "panhandling," noting, "I'm begging without words... I'm begging with a smile, not begging with a frown."
The film's director, James Burns, said that he hopes people "will watch this and look at these young men as human beings... And see the last vestiges of a culture that may be dying out.” [via Hayden5]
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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