She Started Dancing at 17 — and Screens Los Angeles Dance Films to the World

“I knew dance is my destiny when I first saw it”In most people’s imagination, a successful choreographer begins at three years old in a studio, enters a conservatory as a teenager, and stands center stage by twenty.Kitty McNamee’s story runs almost in reverse.She didn’t start dancing until she was seventeen.She grew up in a small town in Ohio.She didn’t have formal training as a child.And yet today, she is a choreographer, a director, and the founder of LA Pops Up — a curator who brings original dance films by Los Angeles artists to film festivals around the world.She laughs when she says it:“I don’t know why. But the moment I saw a ballet show, I just knew — that was what I was meant to do.”“My Body Couldn’t Do What I Saw in My Head — So I Started Directing Others”Many people enter dance because of physical talent. Kitty didn’t.“My body couldn’t do what I saw in my mind,” she says, completely matter-of-fact.Precisely because her body couldn’t fully execute the visuals in her imagination, she chose another path — she placed them on other bodies.She has the instinct of a director.In her head, she sees ensemble movement unfold like a film: blocking, rhythm, pacing — sometimes like a game screen switching back and forth.It’s a rare trajectory.Not from “I dance very well.”But from—“I imagine clearly and vividly.”She casts like a filmmaker, too. She doesn’t ask dancers to dance like her. She studies what is unique about each person, then builds work that is about them — more alive, less imitative.Some of those once “quirky,” “unusual,” “hard-to-place” young dancers went on to choreograph Super Bowl commercials. Some won Emmy Awards.“If I made them move like me, it would be boring, and sad” she says.The strongest creators don’t replicate themselves.They unlock other people.Dance Is Transient, She Turned to Film“Dance onstage vanishes. After the curtain call, it’s gone.”She worked in theater, created for dance companies, took on television and film-related projects. But one day she confronted the most brutal truth about live performance: it is fleeting. Once it ends, it dissolves. Even when it’s recorded, it’s not the same thing.So she began making her own short films and documentaries — using the camera to hold onto movement.Then she noticed something else. Around her, extraordinary artists were creating dance films. Emmy winners. Big-name collaborators. They would screen their films at festivals — and then the works would sit on a shelf, unseen.She realized:“These pieces are beautiful. Why isn’t anyone seeing them?”That’s how LA Pops Up was born.“I wanted to bring Los Angeles dance films to the world.”Why Are Dancers So Often Invisible?We can name pop stars. We can name film directors. But how many people know:* Who choreographed Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance?* Who designed the movement in a Harry Styles music video?* Who coached the physical language of actors in a film?“Even at the top of the industry, many choreographers and dance creators remain unknown to the public,” Kitty says.A dancer’s career is short. Income is unstable. Visibility is low. How do you survive?Her answer is clear:Diversify.Teach. Direct. Choreograph. Create your own films. Keep making your own work.“Don’t be a single vertical stick that falls with one push. Grow branches. Be versatile.”What Is a Dance Film, Really?Must it have no dialogue?Must it be large-scale choreography?Must the movement look technically difficult?She tells a story.A girl stands in a clown costume. The camera slowly pulls back. Almost no movement.“That’s a dance film too,” Kitty says.Her criteria are simple:* A strong, original voice.* Clear music rights so it can be screened widely.* As long as it centers around movement and the body, and involves a choreographer (as director or choreographer).She also emphasizes: LA Pops Up does not obsess over premieres or “brand new” work. She wanted to give already-screened, forgotten works a second life.Film Doesn’t Have to Be ExpensiveWhen asked whether dance films are costly to make, Kitty’s answer is grounded — and encouraging:They can be affordable.She’s seen filmmakers shoot on an iPhone and still create something breathtaking through editing and music. Budgets may range from $4,000 to $40,000 — but more money does not automatically mean better art.Dancers, she believes, are experts at making the impossible possible.When resources are scarce, imagination sharpens.When conditions are tight, creativity pushes harder.For the Late Starters: Stop Accepting “No” as Your Fate“If you could speak to your younger self, what would you say?”Kitty says she would stop listening to the voices that tried to limit her:“You started too late. You won’t have a career.”“You’re not a director. You can’t make documentaries.”She admits she once took those words to heart — enough to hold herself back from bigger possibilities.But to every late starter, she says:You don’t need to start earlier than anyone else. You only need to believe in yourself.No one is born knowing how. Passion is the best teacher.She says she’s had a lot of “crazy ideas.” Most of them didn’t work. LA Pops Up did — because she found someone willing to take a leap of faith, “Let’s try.”Sometimes, that’s just how life works.You toss a stone.It might sink.Or it might create ripples.Support & Getting Involved* Official Website* LA Pops Up — lapopsup.com* Dance Camera West — dancecamerawest.org* Instagram* @hystericaprods* @kittymcnamee* Dance Film Submission: Submit via official website / Submit via email* [email protected]* [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thetrygirl.substack.com