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| How a Dance Video Director Spends His Sundays | How a Dance Video Director Spends His Sundays |
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| Life in New York has shifted since Redha Medjellekh was photographed in February. But his message in the video below remains the same: Keep dancing. | Life in New York has shifted since Redha Medjellekh was photographed in February. But his message in the video below remains the same: Keep dancing. |
| By Tammy La Gorce | By Tammy La Gorce |
| Redha Medjellekh has created videos for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and for corporate clients like Target. His company, Red Is Dancing, also produces social commentary, like his response to the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, “Paris Is Kissing,” and a tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Redha Medjellekh has created videos for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and for corporate clients like Target. His company, Red Is Dancing, also produces social commentary, like his response to the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, “Paris Is Kissing,” and a tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. |
| A French-Algerian immigrant from the outskirts of Paris, Mr. Medjellekh, 34, is a widower; his wife, Sandrine, died shortly after their daughter, Amani, was born. He and Amani, now 5, live in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, in the childhood apartment of the rapper Biggie Smalls. | A French-Algerian immigrant from the outskirts of Paris, Mr. Medjellekh, 34, is a widower; his wife, Sandrine, died shortly after their daughter, Amani, was born. He and Amani, now 5, live in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, in the childhood apartment of the rapper Biggie Smalls. |
| SAME PASSION, DIFFERENT DAY I have the single-parent lifestyle. I wake up at 5:30 or 6, which gives me a little bit of alone time before the tornado — my daughter, Amani — wakes up. I’m obsessed with my work. I’m blessed that it’s also my passion, so I don’t feel a Sunday is a Sunday. It’s just a continuation of the week for me. | SAME PASSION, DIFFERENT DAY I have the single-parent lifestyle. I wake up at 5:30 or 6, which gives me a little bit of alone time before the tornado — my daughter, Amani — wakes up. I’m obsessed with my work. I’m blessed that it’s also my passion, so I don’t feel a Sunday is a Sunday. It’s just a continuation of the week for me. |
| ALONE TIME I love to watch YouTube videos before Amani wakes up. It can be about self-improvement, like Tony Robbins. I have lemon juice, or I will do coffee. If my parents-in-law or my grandma or my parents are here from France, it’s a whole different schedule because I am able to go and do boxing. I love boxing. I will go train with the bag. To me it’s like a dance. I miss it right now. I don’t have a bag but I have, how do you say, a jump rope. I’m using that. | ALONE TIME I love to watch YouTube videos before Amani wakes up. It can be about self-improvement, like Tony Robbins. I have lemon juice, or I will do coffee. If my parents-in-law or my grandma or my parents are here from France, it’s a whole different schedule because I am able to go and do boxing. I love boxing. I will go train with the bag. To me it’s like a dance. I miss it right now. I don’t have a bag but I have, how do you say, a jump rope. I’m using that. |
| VOILÀ Very, very early on Sunday morning I will call my family in France, because in France there’s a six-hour difference. Voilà. Sometimes I’m alone, and sometimes I have family. | VOILÀ Very, very early on Sunday morning I will call my family in France, because in France there’s a six-hour difference. Voilà. Sometimes I’m alone, and sometimes I have family. |
| My grandma lives with me sometimes, although clearly she cannot be here now. I call her Mamy Zaza. She’s 75. She’s the one who introduced me to dance. She’s in Algeria right now, and I’m happy about that. I’m FaceTiming with her every day, and with my parents, and with my parents in-law. My parents caught the virus in Paris, but they’re feeling good. | My grandma lives with me sometimes, although clearly she cannot be here now. I call her Mamy Zaza. She’s 75. She’s the one who introduced me to dance. She’s in Algeria right now, and I’m happy about that. I’m FaceTiming with her every day, and with my parents, and with my parents in-law. My parents caught the virus in Paris, but they’re feeling good. |
| Me, I’m Algerian, and so our culture is we’re always together. It was a huge step for me to move to New York two years ago, but after my wife died I had to move, I had to take action. Brooklyn feels like home. | Me, I’m Algerian, and so our culture is we’re always together. It was a huge step for me to move to New York two years ago, but after my wife died I had to move, I had to take action. Brooklyn feels like home. |
| BRUNCH SPOT Before all the restaurants closed down, I liked to go to Risbo for brunch. It’s an amazing place in Flatbush. My friend Boris is the chef and owner. The food is a delicious mix with all the cultures in it. There’s always music and there’s always creative people. I love the Risbo plate. It has a little bit of everything: it has hummus, it has rice, it has vegetables. Amani is all-American. She has mac and cheese. | BRUNCH SPOT Before all the restaurants closed down, I liked to go to Risbo for brunch. It’s an amazing place in Flatbush. My friend Boris is the chef and owner. The food is a delicious mix with all the cultures in it. There’s always music and there’s always creative people. I love the Risbo plate. It has a little bit of everything: it has hummus, it has rice, it has vegetables. Amani is all-American. She has mac and cheese. |
| Since Risbo closed, Boris started crowdfunding for his employees. It’s a tough moment for him because he wants to support them. If he’s hurt, six people are hurt. It’s the ripple effect. I’m trying to support him by getting takeout. | Since Risbo closed, Boris started crowdfunding for his employees. It’s a tough moment for him because he wants to support them. If he’s hurt, six people are hurt. It’s the ripple effect. I’m trying to support him by getting takeout. |
| SINGLE PARENT CREW Then I’m usually with my S.P.C. — my single parent crew. In better days, they would meet us at Risbo, and we would go to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum or a playground. | SINGLE PARENT CREW Then I’m usually with my S.P.C. — my single parent crew. In better days, they would meet us at Risbo, and we would go to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum or a playground. |
| There’s Nasrin, there’s Niki and Farhia. They’re all amazing, creative black women. They’re stylists, singers, creators. They all live in Bed-Stuy or Clinton Hill. They all have a child Amani’s age. I’m the only single father. They take care of me. They make fun of me. | There’s Nasrin, there’s Niki and Farhia. They’re all amazing, creative black women. They’re stylists, singers, creators. They all live in Bed-Stuy or Clinton Hill. They all have a child Amani’s age. I’m the only single father. They take care of me. They make fun of me. |
| Now I am also constantly checking in with them by text and WhatsApp to see how we can help each other. Having their support is huge right now since Mamy Zaza can’t travel to the U.S.A. from Paris. | Now I am also constantly checking in with them by text and WhatsApp to see how we can help each other. Having their support is huge right now since Mamy Zaza can’t travel to the U.S.A. from Paris. |
| MAINTENANCE Once again, before the businesses shut down, I would go to the barber every week. I’m bald with a beard. Instead of a haircut, it’s more like how not to have the crown on your head. For me, the barber was my integration to American culture. We don’t have barbers like that in France. My barber is Peter, at Levels Barbershop. | MAINTENANCE Once again, before the businesses shut down, I would go to the barber every week. I’m bald with a beard. Instead of a haircut, it’s more like how not to have the crown on your head. For me, the barber was my integration to American culture. We don’t have barbers like that in France. My barber is Peter, at Levels Barbershop. |
| Now I have to do it myself. I’m letting the beard go wild. | Now I have to do it myself. I’m letting the beard go wild. |
| SHAKE IT When the city is not in lockdown mode, I like to go to this party called Everyday People. It changes locations but most of the time it’s in Brooklyn. The culture is amazing there. I will dance, shake my ass, sweat out all the stress of being an entrepreneur, the stress of being a single parent. There’s everything from dancehall to Afrobeat to hip-hop. To me it’s one of the best parties in New York. | SHAKE IT When the city is not in lockdown mode, I like to go to this party called Everyday People. It changes locations but most of the time it’s in Brooklyn. The culture is amazing there. I will dance, shake my ass, sweat out all the stress of being an entrepreneur, the stress of being a single parent. There’s everything from dancehall to Afrobeat to hip-hop. To me it’s one of the best parties in New York. |
| Updated September 1, 2020 | |
| Hopefully, I can do it at home soon: I think they are trying to do it on Instagram Live. They’re going to do a D.J. session online and I’m going to tune into that. | Hopefully, I can do it at home soon: I think they are trying to do it on Instagram Live. They’re going to do a D.J. session online and I’m going to tune into that. |
| COOKING My grandma is known for her couscous. She will never tell you what’s in it. I tried many times to take a video of how she does it. She will never let you. When she visits, she does some sort of prep before I wake up. I don’t even try to make it. | COOKING My grandma is known for her couscous. She will never tell you what’s in it. I tried many times to take a video of how she does it. She will never let you. When she visits, she does some sort of prep before I wake up. I don’t even try to make it. |
| Food is a challenge now. Suddenly I have to make lunch for my child, so she’s looking at me like I’m the cook. I’m making sandwiches and pasta. It’s pretty intense for parents right now. That’s why I check in with the single parent crew every day. | Food is a challenge now. Suddenly I have to make lunch for my child, so she’s looking at me like I’m the cook. I’m making sandwiches and pasta. It’s pretty intense for parents right now. That’s why I check in with the single parent crew every day. |
| CURRENT PROJECT In light of the coronavirus outbreak, I’ve thought a lot about how it affects our interactions and how I can find ways to inspire people to keep dancing. I’ve thought of a way to make videos without shooting outside. I’m sending green screens to dancers I know around the world. They’re going to perform the routine at home, and then I’m going to integrate all the performances digitally. I plan to post it on Instagram in about a month. | CURRENT PROJECT In light of the coronavirus outbreak, I’ve thought a lot about how it affects our interactions and how I can find ways to inspire people to keep dancing. I’ve thought of a way to make videos without shooting outside. I’m sending green screens to dancers I know around the world. They’re going to perform the routine at home, and then I’m going to integrate all the performances digitally. I plan to post it on Instagram in about a month. |
| We’ve got to keep on dancing, no matter what. | We’ve got to keep on dancing, no matter what. |
| Sunday Routine readers can follow Redha Medjellekh on Instagram @redisdancing. | Sunday Routine readers can follow Redha Medjellekh on Instagram @redisdancing. |