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Sunday, June 15
5:15 PM - 7:00 PM

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

641 D St NW, Washington, DC 20004

Move Ya Body: The Birth of House

Director

Elegance Bratton

Executive Producers

Roger Ross Williams, Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Jenny Raskin, Vince Lawrence, Geoff Martz, Siobhan Sinnerton, Johnny Webb, Jeffrey Soros, Andrew Blau, Luke Rodgers, Rick Rosenthal, Nancy Stephens, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Nina Fialkow, David Fialkow, Bill Harnisch, Ruth Ann Harnisch, Adam Lewis, Melony Lewis, Katrina vanden Heuvel, Meadow Fund, Lauren Haber, Kelsey Koenig, Brenda Robinson, Regina K. Scully

Producers

Chester Algernal Gordon, Elegance Bratton

Co-Producers

Drake Burnette, Claire Shanley, Mimi Tseng, Morgan Earnest

Editors

Kristan Sprague, Jeremy Stulberg

Consulting Editor

Co-Editor

Assistant Editor

Cinematographer

Lisa Rinzler

Additional Cinematography

Music

James Newberry

Sound

Narration

Contact

Chester Algernal Chester.algernal@gmail.com

In the chaos of Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, a teenage usher named Vince Lawrence witnessed the fiery backlash against disco—a sound that defined freedom and pride. Undeterred by the hostility, Vince used his earnings to buy a synthesizer, setting in motion a journey that would change music forever.

Venturing into the underground sanctuary of The Warehouse, where Frankie Knuckles spun revolutionary sounds, Vince teamed up with Jesse Saunders to form Z Factor, a scrappy collective of visionaries who captured the pulse of Chicago’s underground on wax. Their track, On and On, became the first recorded house music anthem, sparking a movement that transformed a local DIY culture into a global phenomenon. From those gritty Chicago streets to festival stages worldwide, Vince’s story is an electrifying testament to how a dream, born in the ashes of rejection, ignited a genre that continues to unite and liberate people across the globe.

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Elegance Bratton

Director, Move Ya Body: The Birth of House

Elegance Bratton is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer whose bold and deeply human stories have redefined contemporary cinema. A former U.S. Marine who overcame a decade of homelessness, Bratton uses his art to illuminate the lives of those often overlooked — driven by a profound belief in the universal power of our shared humanity.

His work has screened at over 200 film festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Toronto, New York Film Festival, BFI, Thessaloniki, and BlackStar. Named one of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch for 2023, Bratton’s filmmaking spans both narrative and documentary with fearless authenticity.

Bratton made his television debut as creator and executive producer of Viceland’s My House, which was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for its groundbreaking portrayal of underground ballroom culture. His award-winning documentary Pier Kids earned the Independent Spirit Truer Than Fiction Award, spotlighting Black, queer, and trans homeless youth in New York City.

Bratton’s narrative feature debut The Inspection (A24), a semi-autobiographical story about a young gay Marine seeking acceptance, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and closed the New York Film Festival to critical acclaim — earning nominations from the Golden Globes, Film Independent Spirit Awards, and Gotham Awards.

He is currently in pre-production on By Any Means, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg. Bratton co-runs the production company Freedom Principle with producing partner Chester Algernal Gordon, continuing their mission to tell stories that inspire, challenge, and uplift.

Bratton holds degrees from Columbia University and NYU Tisch, and lives in Baltimore with his partner.

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