Interview: Jeffrey Schecter Creator of MONDAYS FOR BIDEN'S DANCING FOR DEMOCRACY Virtual Fundraising Event Monday October 5th

Jeffrey: Sure.

It's been a process using every way to connect you can imagine. We zoom, we group text, we do smaller group texts, we do late night facetime chats, middle of the night idea texts, recording messages and sending via text, and we record a lot of video tutorials to share in order to explain what we are going for.

Just last night I was trying to figure out how

J. Elaine (my co-host) and I will go from LIVE to Pre-recorded content that we are in.

I started a ZOOM meeting by myself to work through the section out loud and then made it shareable with our team. My tech director Bree Pavey who is using a system called OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) replied to that link to the zoom with "This is brilliant Shecky." It's all a matter of making sure we are all on the same page as we are moving so quickly and there are so many live channels of communicating.

The performance videos have probably been the trickiest. They start with me reaching out to friends to see if they are interested in creating something original for our event. Sometimes seeing something on INSTAGRAM will inspire me to reach out. That's what happened with James Kinney and Jessica Lee Goldyn. Jessica posted this awesome combination from James' class and it was exactly what I had in mind for the show. They were both game and open to creating something new based on that class. In about 10 minutes we had a concept and a deadline and they on their own, choreographed, filmed and edited an original piece to Pinks "Raise Your Glass." It is awesome and will be a highlight of the evening.

The opening number was more complex. Melissa McCann, our choreographer put out feelers to dancers to dance in person, wearing masks and be socially distant. The amazing thing is she had 10 yes replies in about 15 minutes. Everyone is hungry to be together and dance and move for a great cause. And then Melissa made 4 Youtube videos of her teaching choreography for 4 different sections of our opener. I also had to learn the choreo looking at her videos. Most of the time it was late at night when my kids were asleep or while I was on the playground watching my kids. Well, trying to watch them, and Melissa on my iphone.

Then we all got together on the day of our shoot, quickly blocked out our number and went right to filming. The editing process was done via text, zoom and many phone calls. It's amazing, without trying to plan too much there is a groove and a rhythm that just seems to evolve and everyone understands the machine and how it works. There are hiccups and sometimes somebody is a few texts or emails behind, but overall it's working and the results are just incredible. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Dancing for Democracy team is just unbelievable. You would never know we all have other jobs because we are connected all day every day.

As we are coming close to the finish line it's all about getting the word out, rehearsing and using our most powerful tool... The internet and our voices.

Valerie-Jean: Thank you for conceiving Dancing for Democracy and following it through to fruition, using yours and others artistic talents. The moment I heard about it, I was so excited, I had to call Heather Lee, and wanted to help my fellow artists achieve their goal. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, at practically the last minute, here.

Jeffrey: I could list a million reasons why I don't do certain things. Time is certainly a valid reason. But when something causes you to scream, NO MORE, you, me, we are all capable of great change and movement. I am a person that constantly looks for ways to connect with people and inspire them. For me dance has been my medicine during these times. So many times I have said to my wife, "I need to get outside and just move." It was those times when i would put on music and just dance. I would cry and dance. I would move to release whatever I was feeling, which was usually anger, sadness, confusion and frustration. Once again I am moved to move. It is no mistake that I am asking people to move with me. To get up and take the steps needed to release and cause a major rift.

WE NEED A DRASTIC CHANGE IN THE UNITED STATES. We cannot do it alone and we cannot do it sitting on our butts. So, I ask that people move. If not with me than with someone they trust and love. Move for health and well being, and move for change.

As far as what we have in store or special surprise? I can tell you that a lot of heart and passion has been put into the show. We are all professionals that care about the arts and so we've been treating this with great integrity and care. I asked people to send me inspiring and wonderful performances. We have that. We asked celebrities to take a moment and send us their thoughts on what a Biden win would mean to them. We have that. I wanted an amazing cohost that I knew I could have fun with and be real with and be spontaneous with and We have that. The biggest surprise may come from it being live and what could spontaneously happen in the moment; also what I think this is going to do for people that tune in and watch it. I think they're going to see that this is not your average online fundraiser.

I am so proud that it is an interactive event where people will learn things they can do to help this campaign but by the end of our evening will have done something to support this campaign by dancing with us and living into the possibility of victory as if Joe has won!! And that is the goal of the whole evening. For people to see it, believe it, and live it!