Kiera, a determined young woman and quadruple amputee since childhood, fights against stereotype and physical expectations as she fulfills her desire to dance and choreograph. All the while, her younger sister Uriah, who has long been both muse and best friend, struggles with the need to fulfill her own independent life and identity. Filmmaker Susan Hess Logeais, is drawn into their journey, documenting the strain on their relationship as they pursue their separate paths and grow apart. In the end, their shared love of dance draws the sisters back together, healing their deep bond.
SOAR explores the relationship between two sisters
Kiera, a quadruple amputee who lost her limbs at age two, and Uriah, who was born a month before her sister contracted pneumococcal sepsis. The film celebrates the extraordinary ways that Kiera has learned to adapt as a dancer, choreographer and medical assistant. It also reveals the deeply loving relationship between the sisters and Uriah’s part in helping her sister adjust. Tension arises when Uriah steps away, finally admitting her need to define herself as an individual. A dance concert reunites them, rekindling their powerful bond.
She feels as though dance gave her a voice. When people see a wheelchair, they most often jump to conclusions, which makes it challenging for them to communicate with her. Dance was and IS her communication technique. With her Medical Assisting degree, she hopes to work in a hospital with toddlers and infants, while at the same time choreograph. One of her biggest goals is to inspire and encourage as many people as possible. Kiera is both a subject and Co-Producer of SOAR.
Uriah Boyd, after graduating from Jefferson High School with an award for Dancer of the Year, Uriah enrolled in the Constructing Hope Pre-apprenticeship Program. Her goal is to have a firm idea of exactly what trade she wants to work in by the end of the program. So far she’s learned that construction is very demanding and intolerant of excuses, but her love of creating things and seeing hard work pay off convinces her she will succeed in that environment. By entering into the trade’s field, she will prove to herself and others that being a black woman is by no means a crutch. Uriah is both a subject and Co-Producer of SOAR.