Mining the Moon
In 2015, I learned U.S. Congress sold the moon. Mineral and water rights were sold to Moon Express Program. This meant we no longer had a national space program. From then on it would be privatized. This was before the 2016 elections and the dismantling of Roe vs Wade. I was also struck by the environmental impact of this decision.
A photographer friend, Ronnie Farley told me ‘they sold the moon’ on the sidewalk in Beacon. She said her Native American friends say: ‘all women will feel it.’ This stayed with me and I began choreographing Mining the Moon. Tom Moore shot the film over a weekend in 2017 at Ballet Arts Studio in Beacon, NY
![](https://i0.wp.com/susanosberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/0-4-e1677950864189.jpg?fit=640%2C372&ssl=1)
I begin choreographing with music that moves me and then I searched for a composer for the film’s soundtrack. I met J Brooks Marcus and Jonny Taylor of OBSIDIAN SOUNDSYSTEM, who composed the soundtrack once the dance was finished. Then I edited the dances, and had it mastered by Mike Arginsky. So, it is a layered process and it takes time.
Choreography and editing are similar, so I approach the film as a separate entity and choreograph not for the stage but for the screen. I lose the original dance this way. It becomes a short film. Mining the Moon opened in the time of Covid and I submitted to International film festivals through Film Freeway. It was my great pleasure to find that Mining the Moon won Awards and Finalist positions.
![](https://i0.wp.com/susanosberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/remembering_group_shot.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/susanosberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/mining_poster.png?fit=452%2C640&ssl=1)
Susan Osberg, choreographer, director, editor.
Cinematography by Tom Moore.
Dancers: Susan Osberg, Marika Blossfeldt, Alex Bloomstein, Catlin Cobb, Anna Brady Nuse-Marcus, Rain Saukus, Alexis Steeves.
Make up and moon lights: Cassandra Saulter.
Editor: Susan Osberg. Final edit: Mike Arginsky.
Music: OBSIDIAN SOUNDSYSTEM Composed, performed and recorded by: J. Brooks Marcus and Jonny Taylor, featuring: Liz Kelly – Vocals.