Filmmaker Thomas Guzman-Sanchez survives death threats & kidnapping in attempt to complete UDM film

June 28, 2011 - PRLog -- After a sixteen year ordeal Thomas Guzman-Sanchez has finally completed his break through documentary "Underground Dance Masters: Final History of a Forgotten Era." The film Features KENNY ORTEGA (Director/Choreographer "This Is It") and stars the actual collective of dancers and their groups that are the true creators and originators of Urban Street Dance.

From Usher to Justin Bieber and Chris Brown, the echoes of these original dance forms are a key part of these superstars performance. "In its own right it is a classical dance", says Ortega. The Indie feature Documentary has become world renowned for its first time expose on the true history of Urban Street Dance. Since filming started in 1992 Guzman-Sanchez began to encounter the dark underbelly in the underworld of Urban Street Dance culture.

From extremist New York Break Dancers threatening his life in 1998, to an attempted kidnapping and gang fight in 2009, Thomas and his co-producer Paul Guzman-Sanchez have had to deal with the most insane situations. "There are some people in the world who have taken these dances way too serious!" says Thomas Guzman-Sanchez.

The 100-minute feature takes the viewer on a journey from 1965 to present day. It shows once and for all where everything that the world refers to as Hip-hop Dance actually came from. The President of the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame has felt the need to scream, "Who in the fuck do you think you are!" regarding his reaction to Thomas's discovery of the true origins, history, and evolution of Urban Street Dance.  

Guzman-Sanchez recently discovered that a bootleg of his film over the years has become curriculum and is being taught in universities across the country as a new subject called Urban Dance Studies. Ohio State university is just one of the schools that offers the course.

Now in association with Producer Jaki Brown, the Indie documentary is planned to be released later this year at selected theaters in NY and Los Angeles. The hardcover book Underground Dance Masters (Houghton-Mifflin/ABC-CLIO) is
scheduled to release at the same time.

Guzman-Sanchez says, “The beauty of dance is that it's colorblind. Black, White or Brown isn't an issue. All that matters is ability. This work celebrates the dance and its great dancers. Lets cut out the craziness and remember, IT'S JUST DANCING.”  

Produced by A Clockman Vision and GS Media Group.

Contact T. Sachelle – GS Media Group 818-727-1979