Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/879767
40 SAG-AFTRA | Summer/Fall 2017 | SAGAFTRA.org On Location MIKE QUAIN/QUAINPHOTO.COM Members learn how to make their dance routines stand out. CHOREOGRAPHY AND CONTRACTS S AG-AFTRA's Los Angeles Dancers Committee, along with staff, produced a successful information session for dancers that included two professional dance classes and a seminar on April 25 at the West Coast Dance Theater in North Hollywood. Kicking off the day, choreographer Kat Burns taught her routine, recently featured in a union-signed Southwest Airlines commercial, to demonstrate practical on-set components such as awareness of varied camera angles, switching out performers and a general understanding of a day on set. The seminar covered contractual issues, noting that dancers should always be signed as principal performers and that dancers are covered under each union contract separately, rather than under a single overarching contract. At the day's conclusion, choreographer Tricia Miranda taught a second class focused on new media and music videos. To help them stand out, she paired up dancers with disparate styles. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, center, is anked by Secretary-Treasurer and L.A. Local President Jane Austin, left, and Betty Buckley, the recipient of The Actors Fund's Julie Harris Award for Artistic Achievement, along with other members and sta at The Actors Fund's 21st Annual Tony Awards viewing party in Los Angeles. 21 ST ANNUAL TONY AWARDS VIEWING PARTY I n Los Angeles, the place to be on Broadway's biggest night was The Actors Fund's 21st Annual Tony Awards viewing party at the Skirball Cultural Center. Hosted by actor Bryan Bratt, the June 11 gala honored Betty Buckley, who received the Julie Harris Award for Artistic Achievement. The evening also featured live performances, a silent auction and, of course, a live feed of the 2017 Tony Awards broadcast from New York City. DEVELOPING DIVERSE ROLES M ore than 100 members headed to the Tateuchi Democracy Forum in downtown Los Angeles on April 25 for Millennial Voices of Diversity: The Next Generation of Hollywood, a high-prole panel of ethnically diverse millennial actors who discussed their experiences managing budding careers. Panelists included stunt performer Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez (The Fate of the Furious) and actors Brandon T. Jackson (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters), Danny Pudi (Community), Justin Chon (Twilight series) and Sujata Day (Insecure). Panelists discussed the conict felt by actors — particularly those who are just starting on their career paths and are eager for work — when they are offered a role that perpetuates ethnic stereotypes. The panel concluded on an optimistic note, saying that diversity onscreen is making slow but steady progress. As a combined effort between SAG-AFTRA's National Ethnic Employment Opportunities Committee and the L.A. Local's NextGen Performers Committee, the panel was followed by a late-night mixer around the corner at Little Tokyo's bustling Far Bar. Brandon T. Jackson, Sujata Day and Justin Chon keep the panel lighthearted. Los Angeles NINA PROMMER