Be Fabulous, First Stop: Sexitude is a short film about finding self-confidence, fierceness, and spandex in a dance class. Sexitude is a body-positive, sex-positive, age-positive dance class in San Francisco created by D’Arcy Drollinger. The participants in the class come in all shapes, sizes, genders, sexual orientations, and fitness levels, and definitely know how to werk a look in neon spandex, fishnet stockings, and gold booty shorts.
Although the class is a physical workout, what is more significant and exceptional about Sexitude is the way the class has invoked personal transformations. Participants have overcome body image issues, grown more confident, developed strong friendships, and challenged themselves to overcome insecurities. What D’Arcy has created is unique and inspiring. I started going to the class at a time when I need a distraction and to fill space, and I noticed that I started to feel a bit more confident and cared a little less about what others thought or how ridiculously uncoordinated I looked. I was having fun, being a little bit silly, and getting out of my comfort zone.
This short story of community and personal transformations is told through interviews with D’Arcy and three Sexitude dancers, Linden, Jimmy, and Beth. D’Arcy, is a well known performer and producer in the drag community, and a person who has been influential in the creative pursuits of a lot of the Sexitude dancers and within the gay community in general. In addition to this class, he is co-owner of Oasis, a new, very successful grad bar in the SOMA district of San Francisco. The details of opening a bar in the current landscape of San Francisco, when rents are outrageous and cookie-cuter establishments are replacing the character of the city, support D’Arcy’s message of taking risks, stepping out of comfort zone, and being your most fabulous self. Oasis servers as an extension of the Sexitude class, strengthening the community that D’Arcy has built through dance.
The film premiered at the 2016 Frameline Film Festival as part of the shorts program, Only in San Francisco. Awarded Best Student Short 2016 San Francisco Dance Film Festival, Official selection 2016 CMG Short Film Festival, and 2016 Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
