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Songs in Sign Language Demonstration | Walt Disney Animation Studios 4K
Apr 20, 2026
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0:05
Hope you all enjoyed the screening and
0:07
the panel discussion downstairs. Um, now
0:10
we have a special treat for you. As you
0:12
saw in the featurette, the behind the
0:14
scenes featurette for songs and sign
0:16
language, we had the pleasure of working
0:18
with the amazing Beth West Theater. um
0:23
as we reimagined these iconic Disney
0:25
songs. And we have with us today DJ
0:30
Kurs, the artistic director of Duck West
0:32
Theater, and Catalene Sicetti, our
0:35
reference choreographer, and they're
0:37
going to come up and teach us some of
0:39
the iconic lyrics that we had in the
0:42
series. So, please welcome DJ and Pedal.
0:49
>> Yeah. Thank you so much.
0:53
Hello.
0:54
>> Hi, everybody.
0:57
>> We're very excited to have you all here.
0:58
Are you ready to learn some sign
1:00
language?
1:05
>> Great. So, American Sign Language does
1:08
have its own grammar, its own rules, its
1:10
own syntax. Interpretation is not word
1:13
for word from English to American Sign
1:15
Language. So, we had to work diligently
1:18
to find the right signs to match the
1:20
lyrics, the timing of the lyrics, the
1:22
tone of the song. And during that
1:24
process, we'll show you a little bit of
1:27
what we went through and what it looked
1:28
like when we were doing this.
1:30
>> Yeah. And I want to make sure we I
1:32
focused on the meaning of this song and
1:34
the message was what we were trying to
1:36
convey to match Moana's thoughts and
1:40
emotional journey. So, let's see what it
1:42
looks like. Huh.
1:45
So when Moana 2 came out, the Pacific
1:49
Islander deaf community got together and
1:51
developed their own signs for the
1:53
characters and they developed the sign
1:56
for the name Moana. This was given to us
2:00
from members of the Pacific Islander
2:02
community. So we brought members of that
2:04
community in as consultants and asked
2:07
them to develop the sign for Moana which
2:09
is Moana goes from a fist or an a hand
2:13
shape to this motion which represents
2:16
the waves of the ocean. Moana
2:21
got it. Okay. Well with that we're going
2:24
to run this clip and then afterwards
2:26
we're going to teach you the signs for
2:28
the last stanza. Enjoy.
2:41
That is who I always.
3:02
So obviously that then is let's say our
3:04
first line I am Moana and this is what
3:07
the sign looks like. This is the I am
3:11
I am
3:12
>> I am
3:13
>> Moana.
3:16
The next line of the land and of the
3:18
sea. So you're going to sign land of the
3:20
land
3:22
>> and of the sea.
3:23
>> And of the sea.
3:25
>> So I am Moana
3:28
of the land and of the sea.
3:34
And I promise
3:37
that is who I will always be. So you're
3:39
going to do the inside
3:43
my I care. The line is actually and I
3:45
have that is who I will always be.
3:52
So that is who I'll always be.
3:55
The next line is I must go.
3:58
And that's the sign for that. I must go.
4:02
So man is realizing in that moment that
4:04
she has to leave. She has to leave. She
4:06
has to be brave. She must be courageous.
4:09
And so the sign is for I must go is I
4:12
have to be courageous. I must go and
4:15
then I will go
4:18
and then we'll know
4:21
what lies
4:23
beyond.
4:25
So let's do it again. Want to do it with
4:27
the clip? Yeah. Let's do it with the
4:29
clip. Okay. So, we're going to do this
4:31
clip at half speed so everyone can keep
4:34
along.
4:36
>> There'll be no sound to the clip.
4:38
>> No audio.
4:39
>> Remember the signs.
4:40
>> Try your best.
4:42
>> We'll help you.
4:46
>> So, I am
4:49
>> Moana
4:53
of the land
4:56
and of the sea.
5:00
And I promise that is who
5:04
I'll always be.
5:09
I must go.
5:13
I will go.
5:18
And then we'll know
5:22
what lies beyond.
5:30
Very good.
5:33
>> Good job.
5:35
So, is everybody ready to run it at full
5:38
speed? Any questions before we dive in
5:41
as a group? We have to get this perfect,
5:43
guys. Okay. No mistakes allowed. All
5:45
right.
5:46
>> You guys feel ready? Feel good? Yeah.
5:49
>> The bigger we go.
5:50
>> Here we go. Okay. Let's try it.
6:04
I must go. I will fall.
6:18
>> Good job. Thanks everybody. Good job.
6:22
So for us at Def West Theater, sign
6:25
language is not only our language of
6:26
communication, but it gives us the
6:28
ability to express artistic forms of
6:32
expression as well. We can see Moana's
6:35
feelings in a different way when her
6:38
words are expressed through sign
6:39
language. I'm so excited we found this
6:41
project and I can't wait to see the
6:43
impact it has on our deaf children of
6:45
the future. Thank you.
6:51
Thank you, DJ. Thank you, Catalene. And
6:53
thank you to our amazing interpreters
6:54
today. Aren't they doing an amazing job?