Move American: Unpleasantville by Trystan Merrick

Concept and art direction by Trystan Merrick // Production and videography by Zaquia Mahler Salinas

We are currently living in a country where misogyny and white supremacy rule unchecked. The rights and humanity of our fellow citizens are continuously compromised; the gleeful disregard for the sanctity of our basic human rights and wellbeing is nauseating. I wanted to share this piece of satire not to make light of our circumstances, but to bring light to the disgusting behavior allowed and encouraged by this administration. Our inherently racist and misogynistic system needs reform, rather than return to a past when these issues were commonplace. We need to stand up to injustice and VOTE! Make America brave again.

Human Rights Campaign

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TRYSTAN MERRICK has studied ballet under the tutelage of Ahita Ardalan of the Paris Opera Ballet. They have performed in the works of such great choreographers as Twyla Tharp, Robert Cohen, George Balanchine, and Septime Webre. Trystan started his professional career with Nevada Ballet Theater in 2007, and has since danced for California Ballet, San Diego Ballet, Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater, Malashock, Owen Cox Dance, City Ballet of San Diego, concept zero, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Trystan has enjoyed touring internationally to 18 countries on five continents. As a principal they danced leading roles in Swan Lake, Carmen, Juanita y Alicia, Fluctuating Hemlines, Le Sylphides, Cinderella, Spectre de la Rose, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo & Juliet, and to critical acclaim as Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby.

ABOUT MOVE AMERICAN

ARTISTS TESTIFY WITH EMBODIED STORIES, COMPOSE THE ART THAT WILL PRESENT THE HISTORY OFTEN BURIED AND ERASED, AND CREATIVELY ENACT THE BETTER WORLD WE KNOW IS POSSIBLE. TO SUPPORT THE MASSIVE MOBILIZATION FOR CHANGE IN THE UNITED STATES AND HELP SUSTAIN THE MOMENTUM OF THE MOVEMENT ALL THE WAY TO THE ELECTION, WE PRESENT MOVE AMERICAN FROM SEPTEMBER 7 – NOVEMBER 2: A SERIES OF SHORT DANCE FILMS FEATURING A DIFFERENT SELF-DIRECTED MOVEMENT ARTIST FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES, EXAMINING OR SHARING A SOCIAL JUSTICE/POLITICAL/HUMAN RIGHTS TOPIC. THESE DANCE FILMS ARE INTENDED TO SERVE AS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF SORTS, WITH A CLEAR ACTION ITEM LINKED TO EACH FILM CALLING ON FOLKS TO PREPARE AND TAKE ACTION TO VOTE.