If you’ve ever seen Kiera Brinkley and Uriah Boyd dance together, you know that they share a bond that goes beyond sisterhood. Born one month after a childhood illness resulted in the amputation of Kiera’s hands and legs, Uriah grew up helping her older sister adapt. Her style of movement reflects the grace and flow that Kiera relies on to move without prosthetics. In fact, both young women credit each other for helping them become the people they are today.
“You really have to see them to believe it,” says filmmaker Susan Hess Logeais, who began working with Kiera and Uriah after filming their duet “Soar.” Now, two years later, their documentary of the same name is concluding with a concert that brings together the Portland dance community and offers Kiera and Uriah a chance to reprise their duet. The entire day will be filmed—dress rehearsal, backstage, the performance, audience responses, and afterward—for inclusion in the final edit of the documentary.
Hess Logeais is currently fundraising to help pay for the event and finish her film, which she hopes will be eye-opening and inspiring. “We want to change people’s ideas about what is possible,” she says. “For all of us, but especially for the millions of people living with alternate abilities, Kiera shows us what happens when you challenge your limitations. That’s a message I would love to share with as many people as possible.” To honor their courage in sharing their story, all net profits will go to Kiera and Uriah.
To find out more about the film, and see some powerful footage of the sisters dancing, visit the SOAR Kickstarter campaign. Kiera, Uriah and Susan invite you to join the Soar community by pledging to their campaign.
SOAR Dance Concert & Documentary Finale
April 21, 2014, 7:30 pm at the Newmark Theater
http://soardocumentary.com