OLOWA
A New Dance Film by Jason Herbert
Renewal. Belonging. Resilience.
What is OLOWA?
OLOWA is a new dance film exploring renewal, resilience, healing, and belonging through the journey of a queer Ghanaian immigrant ballet dancer building a new life in New York City.
Through movement, music, and cinematic storytelling, the film follows Olowa as he navigates migration, identity, and transformation. Inspired by the symbolism of yellow—the color of sunlight, wisdom, warmth, resilience, and rejuvenation—OLOWA asks what it means to create home in an unfamiliar place and how movement becomes a language of survival, memory, and hope.
Rather than relying on traditional dialogue, the story unfolds through choreography, visual imagery, music, and embodied performance, inviting audiences into an intimate experience of healing and renewal.
Where We Are
OLOWA is currently in production. Rehearsals begin July 22nd, followed by principal photography through July 28th. After filming wraps, the creative team will move directly into editing, sound design, and color finishing in preparation for the film's October 10 premiere.
Development. Production Post-Production Premiere
✓ Complete. NOW Aug–Sept Oct. 10
Want to attend the Screening of OLOWA?
You can purchase tickets to the October 10th Screening now!
Why This Film Matters
Identity
Exploring migration, belonging, and the search for home through the lived experience of a queer Ghanaian immigrant.
Community
Celebrating Black artistry, immigrant experiences, LGBTQ+ visibility, and the power of collective care.
Dance
Using choreography as the primary storytelling language, where movement carries memory, emotion, and transformation.
Meet the Choreographer
Jason Herbert
Jason Herbert is a choreographer, filmmaker, educator, and founder of Jason Herbert Dance. For more than twenty years, his work has explored the intersections of movement, identity, ancestry, and social history through contemporary performance and interdisciplinary collaboration.
OLOWA marks his newest venture into dance cinema, expanding his choreographic practice into a cinematic language rooted in visual storytelling, embodiment, and cultural memory.
Invest in the Journey
Artists
Supporting the dancers and creative collaborators whose work brings the story to life.
Production
Helping transform choreography into cinematic storytelling through filming, locations, and design.
Completion
Making possible the editing, sound, color, and festival presentation that will introduce OLOWA to audiences.
Every contribution—regardless of size—helps move OLOWA from production to the screen.
Fiscal Sponsorship
Jason Herbert Dance is fiscally sponsored by Counterpart (formerly The Field + Pentacle).
Your contribution is processed securely through Counterpoint in support of OLOWA, making eligible donations tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Every contribution directly supports artists, production, and the completion of the film.
Please make checks payable to "The Performance Zone, Inc" with Jason Herbert - Olowa in the notes.
If you'd like to write a check, please make checks payable to "The Performance Zone, Inc" with (Jason Herbert - OLOWA) in the notes. Mailing address is: 228 Park Ave S, Suite 97217, New York, NY 10003 addressed to (Counterpoint - Jason Herbert)
Bring OLOWA to Life
At its heart, OLOWA is a story about finding light in unfamiliar places—about resilience, renewal, and the courage to imagine a new beginning.
As we enter production, your support helps transform this vision into a completed work of dance cinema that can be shared with audiences in Harlem and beyond. Every contribution strengthens the community of artists making this film possible and affirms the importance of bold, independent storytelling.
We invite you to stand with us as a founding supporter of OLOWA. Together, we can bring this story from vision to screen.
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