Heritage Works: My First Memory of Dance

————————————————————————
Heritage Works partnered with Eat Rice Studio and Marco Orozco to create My First Memory of Dance, a hand-drawn animated documentary centered on personal storytelling, movement, and cultural memory. The film brings to life an intimate reflection on a dancer’s first experience with rhythm and expression, using animation to capture emotional nuance that live-action alone could not fully convey.

Led by Mel McCann as Co-Director, Producer, and Lead Animator, the project was developed with a small team of artists and interns, moving through the full production pipeline from story development and visual exploration to final animation and compositing. The work emphasizes performance-driven animation, focusing on gesture, timing, and rhythm to communicate feeling and authenticity.

The final film blends traditional frame-by-frame animation with a collaborative, mentorship-driven production approach, giving emerging artists hands-on experience within a working studio environment. The result is a piece that reflects both the story's emotional core and the community-centered spirit shared by Heritage Works and Eat Rice Studio.

“My First Memory of Dance” is currently touring the festival circuit, but for now, check out the trailer below.

The Process

The Interview: Discovery & Development

The project began through a collaboration with Heritage Works, a Detroit-based organization dedicated to youth and community development through cultural arts and education. At the center of the film is Papa Assane Konte, a master teaching artist and longtime member of the Heritage Works community.

Through a recorded interview, we explored Papa’s earliest memory of dance, which shaped the film's emotional foundation through his personal reflections.

“The feeling, it’s the joy, it’s part of you. And those drums will get to you.” - A. Konte

This moment became the guiding thread for the piece, informing both the visual direction and the rhythm of the animation.

The Interns: Selecting the Team

An open call for interns was conducted through the College for Creative Studies, inviting students to submit portfolios for consideration. Co-Directors Mel McCann and Marco Orozco reviewed submissions blind, selecting five artists whose work best aligned with the film's visual direction and needs.

The selected team contributed across visual development, animation, compositing, and sound, working within a collaborative studio environment that emphasized both production and mentorship.

Al Caruso

Visual Development

David Castellano

Zoe Doyle

Animator

Bella Vasilides

FX Animator

Randy Ruskowski

Animator

Early Stages: Visual Development

The team explored multiple visual directions to define the film's look and feel, balancing warmth, clarity, and expressive performance. References from Papa’s home and family photos helped ground the designs in personal history, while consideration of the time period informed the overall setting. The final style leans into stylization to better connect with younger audiences, while remaining rooted in cultural authenticity through ongoing collaboration with Heritage Works.

Style Frame by Al Caruso

Character Development by Al Caruso

World Building

Environment design focused on capturing the feeling of memory through space, using color, shape, and texture to reflect Papa’s childhood and surroundings. Drawing on real-life references, the team created a world that feels both personal and culturally grounded, supporting the story's emotional tone.

Environment Exploration & Style Frame by Al Caruso

The Narrative: Story & Timing

The animatic was developed to test pacing, structure, and emotional rhythm, allowing the team to refine the narrative before moving into final production. Using key moments from multiple interviews and working closely with Heritage Works, the story was shaped directly from Papa’s voice and experiences.

The narrative was carefully visually assembled by Randy Ruskowski, Marco Orozoco, and Mel McCann. Refined by Jamal Jackson, bringing clarity and cohesion to the final piece.

Boards by Randy Ruskowski, Marco Orozco, & Mel McCann
Animatic Edit by Jamal Jackson

Production: The Animation Begins

Animation was approached through performance and rhythm, focusing on gesture, timing, and expression to bring authenticity and life to each moment. The work emphasized hand-drawn performance, allowing subtle imperfections and movement to carry emotional weight.

The process also required careful study of dance and cultural context. Movement, gesture, and interaction were informed by research and ongoing collaboration with Heritage Works, including attention to details such as how food is shared and eaten, ensuring accuracy and respect in every frame.

Rough Animation by Zoe Doyle

Performance & Reference

Movement was informed by studying traditional dance and working closely with Heritage Works to ensure cultural accuracy throughout the film. Gesture, timing, and interaction were carefully considered, allowing the animation to reflect both the spirit of the movement and the lived experience behind it.

Dance reference by Idy Ciss

Rough Animation by Mel McCann

FX & Motion Accents

FX animation was used to enhance key moments of transformation and movement throughout the film. As Papa dances, energetic particle elements emerge from his body, inspired by patterns found on traditional Senegalese boats. These accents extend the motion beyond the character, reinforcing rhythm and energy.

In a pivotal transformation sequence, Papa shifts through a series of dance movements, incorporating an element of a Senegalese mask, guided by Heritage Works. This moment blends performance and symbolism, visually expressing the cultural depth and evolution within his journey.

Animation by Marco Orozco
Clean-up Assistance & FX by Bella Vasilides

Production Workflow

The film was developed through a ‘tradigital’ pipeline, combining hand-drawn animation with digital compositing. Animation was created frame by frame and integrated with the designed environments, allowing flexibility in timing, lighting, and final composition.

Work was developed iteratively through work reels, with shots progressively refined from rough animation to final composite. This approach allowed the team to maintain clarity across the production while adapting to creative and technical needs.

Storyboard by Marco Orozco | Background by David Castellano | Animation by Alaina Smith Lighting by Mel McCann | Composite by Jamal Jackson

Post Production: Final Composite & Sound

Final compositing brought together animation, backgrounds, color, and lighting into a cohesive visual language, ensuring consistency across shots and supporting the film's emotional tone. Led by Jamal Jackson, the compositing process involved applying texture to rendered animation, using Mel McCann’s refined lighting and shading, and introducing camera movement and depth to create a more dimensional final image.

Sound and music were developed in close collaboration with musicians, drawing from different regional styles to match the dances portrayed on screen. The soundtrack was built around authentic Senegalese rhythms, with drums acting as the heartbeat of the piece and guiding Papa’s journey.

Special thanks to musicians and collaborators Assane Mbaye, Aly Guisse, Idy Ciss, Holly Baynham, and Morikeba Kouyate, and to New Growth Studio and R Street Studio for additional support.

The final mix unified image and sound, completing the transition from personal memory to a fully realized film.

Animation by Randy Ruskowski & Bella Vasilides

Lighting by Mel McCann | Composite by Jamal Jackson