Rosalynde LeBlanc ’94 Wins Peabody Award for Documentary Film
Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters tells the story of Jones’ powerful and healing ballet sprung out of the heartbreaking AIDS crisis.
Congratulations to Rosalynde LeBlanc ’94 (dance) on winning a Peabody Award for the documentary she produced and co-directed with Tom Hurwitz.
Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters tells the story of Jones’ powerful and healing ballet sprung out of the heartbreaking AIDS crisis.
The film opened season 15 of the popular documentary series AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange series, co-produced by Black Public Media (BPM) and WORLD. The film was co-presented and distributed to public television stations by American Public Television (APT).
Rosalynde LeBlanc ’94 is a BESSIE-nominated performer, as well as a choreographer, educator, and producer who has spent thirty years in dance.
She holds an MFA from Hollins University in addition to her BFA from Purchase. She is a professor and current Chair of the Dance Program at Loyola Marymount University.
Prior to her academic career, LeBlanc was a member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project, and the Liz Gerring Dance Company.
An Important Story
The film takes viewers to LeBlanc’s dance studio at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where her students grapple with learning Bill T. Jones’ tour de force ballet “D-Man in the Waters,” one of the most important works of art to come out of the age of AIDS.
It also transports the audience back to 1989, when the dance was created by Jones, one of America’s most renowned choreographers, as members of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company were themselves besieged by the AIDS pandemic.
Dancers in the company reflect on the devastating losses of their beloved members, including co-founder Zane and Demian Acquavella, a star dancer whose nickname was “D-Man.” Back in the studio, LeBlanc’s current-day students work to master the intense physicality of the piece and to understand a period in America before they were alive. Soon they face the formidable Jones himself as he drops in to observe rehearsals and offer feedback.
Critical Acclaim
The documentary received unanimous critical acclaim during its theatrical release. At the time, Kimber Myers of the Los Angeles Times said, “Death and grief may exist in the soul of ‘D-Man in the Waters’ but ‘Can You Bring It’ is full of vitality and energy, a testament to the power of art in the face of tragedy.”
“We are profoundly honored to have our work recognized by this award that speaks to excellence in storytelling, and we sincerely thank everyone involved with us in funding, making and distributing Can You Bring It…,” says LeBlanc and Hurwitz.
Peabody Awards
The prestigious Peabody Awards honors excellence in storytelling that reflects the social issues and the emerging voices of our day. According to the organization, Can You Bring It is one of 34 projects to receive the distinction this year out of 1,100 entries.
The award will be presented at the 84th Annual Peabody Awards on Sunday, June 9, at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
Where to View the Film
In honor of the win, Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters has been rereleased on WORLD’s YouTube channel. Viewers may watch the documentary for free on the BPM website, WORLDchannel.org, and YouTube through July 9, 2024.
Audiences can visit the Black Public Media YouTube channel to watch an AfroPoP Artist Chat featuring Jones and LeBlanc on the power of dance and other art.
Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters was made possible by grants from Loyola Marymount University’s College of Communication and Fine Arts, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation and the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms.