Ruth

An elderly woman named Ruth, moves back in with her family after they take her out of a retirement home for the first time in many years. As her family experiences tough times, Ruth is suddenly transported into an alternate universe where she is engulfed into a world full of movers.


This first-of-it's-kind dance experience will feature 9 chapters, each accompanied by reading, beautiful illustrations, and cinematic video. These videos will comprise of 35+ total minutes of film starring Keone & Mari, 200+ incredible dancers from all over the world, beautiful locations in 5 different countries, and of course... dance. Both reading and watching will be crucial to the experience as the writing and illustrations take place in Ruth's own world, while the film and dancing will take place in the alternate dimensional world. All connected by only one character... Ruth.


Ruth is a fictional story created by Keone & Mari. Writing authored by Mariel Madrid, videos directed by Keone Madrid, film and edit by Jeremy Fabunan, original music by Ben Sollee, and illustrations by Ian Abando. This production was funded by supporters through the Kickstarter community.


About the Creators


Keone & Mari are world renowned choreographers, dancers and creatives. Their unique work has been seen across many platforms and places including: Justin Bieber, NBC's World of Dance, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, BTS, Flying Lotus/Kendrick Lamar, Nike, viral dance videos, global dance instruction and more. Their love for each other and for the art of dance has elevated them to creating the future of dance inside of a book. With Mari's creative writing degree, Keone's visual direction, and their joint passion for storytelling, their first dance ebook, RUTH, marks a moment in dance history.


Ian Abando is a Los Angeles based illustrator who graduated from the Art Center College of Design in the spring of 2011. His company credits include Jim Henson, Nickelodeon, Laika, Disney TV, Illumination, Sony, and, currently, Dreamworks where he is a storyboard artist and more. 


Jeremy Fabunan is a San Diego-based dancer turned cinematographer. Beautiful visuals that compliment movement in the most seamless of ways, Jeremy is one of the top dance cinematographers out there today and continues to set a standard for the art of film and dance. 


Ben Sollee is an Emmy award winning American cellist, singer-songwriter, and composer known for his beautiful music. His music incorporates banjo, guitar, and mandolin along with percussion and unusual cello techniques. His songs exhibit a mix of folk, bluegrass, jazz, and R&B elements. Ben has also composed longer instrumental pieces for dance ensembles and for film.