Storyblocks recently had the pleasure of connecting and collaborating with Pretty BIG Movement as part of our artist highlight series – a series dedicated to uplifting historically excluded voices and delivering meaningful stories to you that accurately depict the essence of today’s world. You have continually encouraged and challenged us to connect with artists and creators that allow you to create with all identities in mind, and working with Pretty BIG Movement is just one of many of those stories that we look forward to sharing with you this year and beyond.
Pretty BIG Movement was founded by Akira Armstrong, a dancer who historically had issues getting represented by agents due to her full figure. She created Pretty BIG Movement in 2008 to debunk the stereotype that dancers need to “look a certain way” in order to be successful, book gigs and create opportunity. Akira continued to hone in on her passions, and over time has become the architect and role model of a plus-sized dance troupe that leans on the guiding principles of self-love and empowerment. By creating this stable platform for herself, she has served as a changemaker, uplifting and inspiring men and women all around the world through the power of dance and movement.
Download this clip here
Akira described to us some of the challenges that she faced while growing up, saying that, “there weren’t many examples of women who looked like me, therefore there was not much for me to relate to.” Our hope in creating this collection is that the essence of what was missing for Akira is documented through the power of movement, so future generations and viewers of these clips can feel inspired and equitably represented.
Download this clip here
Pretty BIG Movement helped give us insight into the plus-size human experience through the stock media clips that they built with Storyblocks. This collection focuses on the power of community that exists inside and outside of the dance studio. By getting to know the troupe, we started to understand their definition of authenticity, and were thrilled to connect with their artistry, creativity and sense of purpose. When we asked Akira what impact she hoped this collection would have, she said, “I hope this collection makes people feel like anything is possible. Your looks, your aesthetic, where you come from, and who you are should not stop you from doing what you want to do.”
Beyond the power of inclusive video to support content creation, there’s great potential and promise in utilizing the power of audio to evoke a particular mood for your story. When we produced this collection, we saw an opportunity to highlight a diverse set of artists in the Storyblocks library that have produced music that breathes new life into the clips generated through our partnership with Pretty BIG movement. From hip-hop to high BPM hits, the complementary audio collection adds a sense of vibrancy and spirit to the collection.
Experience and enjoy the passionate stories curated by Pretty BIG Movement by downloading their video collection here and their audio collection here for you to use in your own videos. Looking for more content that’s curated from a foundation of highlighting underrepresented and historically excluded voices? Check out our additional collections as part of our Re: Stock initiative.
