About the Project
The Objective
Our Approach
Creative Direction
Pursuit of Solace is a visual exploration where contemporary jazz composition and classical ballet exist in quiet conversation.
Featuring ballerina and choreographer Jasmine Purchas and a self-taught classical composer, Nasir Scott, the project unfolds as a timeless exchange in which sound and movement shape one another.
After discovering Nasirs viral piece Pursuit of Solace on TikTok, which amassed over 1M+ million views, we set out to translate the sound into a visual language.
Sharing the same hometown, Baltimore, MD we collaborated with production company GRITS Founded by Barrett Miller III and Jasmine Purchas to create a visual that would not only honor the music, but serve as the cornerstone for the artist’s debut visuals and ongoing album promotion.
To achieve a sense of permanence, the work was built around the emotional core of the song.
Centered on a grand piano and complemented by the presence of a Black ballerina, we chose Richmond, Virginia and the VCU Dance Studio as the setting to ground the project in intimacy, discipline, and cultural resonance.
Shot inside the VCU Dance Studio, the project draws from the rich, understated aesthetics of Richmond, Virginia to create a visual language that feels timeless and restrained.
Using natural light and the architecture of the space, we shaped silhouettes and soft contrast to give the work a cinematic quality, as if the viewer is watching a film rather than a performance.
The choreography, led by Jasmine Purchas, mirrors the movement of the composition itself, allowing dancer and composer to exist in dialogue, responding to one another rather than performing independently.
As the piece evolves, the second act shifts into an open field, representing the realization of solace, with intercut scenes between dancer and composer that visually translate the full emotional arc of the song.
Direction, Production, and Editing by Cameron Elyse for Céleste Studios, in collaboration with GRITS Collective.
The choreography, led by Jasmine Purchas, mirrors the movement of the composition itself, allowing dancer and composer to exist in dialogue, responding to one another rather than performing independently.
As the piece evolves, the second act shifts into an open field, representing the realization of solace, with intercut scenes between dancer and composer that visually translate the full emotional arc of the song.
Our Approach
To achieve a sense of permanence, the work was built around the emotional core of the song.
Centered on a grand piano and complemented by the presence of a Black ballerina, we chose Richmond, Virginia and the VCU Dance Studio as the setting to ground the project in intimacy, discipline, and cultural resonance.
Creative Direction
Shot inside the VCU Dance Studio, the project draws from the rich, understated aesthetics of Richmond, Virginia to create a visual language that feels timeless and restrained.
Using natural light and the architecture of the space, we shaped silhouettes and soft contrast to give the work a cinematic quality, as if the viewer is watching a film rather than a performance.
Results
Pursuit of Solace served as the debut visual for Nasir Scott, a 19-year-old self-taught classical composer whose original piece had reached over 1 million views on TikTok. The project extended his artistry beyond the platform, positioning him as a serious composer with a defined artistic world rather than a viral moment.
At the center of that world was Jasmine Purchas, a Black ballerina and choreographer whose presence in the piece expanded the visual language of classical composition. The pairing was intentional: a Black composer and a Black ballerina in quiet, disciplined dialogue, holding space in a tradition that has historically excluded them.
The piece became the cornerstone of Nasir's ongoing album promotion and set the visual standard for how his work would be presented moving forward.
Impact
01
02
03
04
05
Debut visual for classical composer Nasir Scott
Repositioned Nasir beyond his viral TikTok moment as a serious artist
Cultural expansion: Black excellence in classical composition and ballet in dialogue
Cornerstone for Nasir's ongoing album promotion and artist rollout
Established Céleste's ability to build worlds for pre-mainstream artists
Costume Design by Parys Panell
GRITS Collective Founder, Barrett Miller III
First Ad,
Zion Ackee
Credits
Director: @cameronnelyse
1st AD: @zionackee
Executive Producer: @cameronnelyse
Producer: @cameronnelyse
Creative Producer: @barrettmillerii
Co-Producer: @_darrian.a
Lead(s): @nastheproducer @jasmcheyl
Choreography: @jasmcheyl
Composition: @nastheproducer
DP: @cameronnelyse
1st Assistant Camera: @barrettmillerii
Gaffer: @cameronnelyse
Grip: @barrettmillerii @cameronnelyse
Costume Design: @paryspannell
Hair: @dakota.collects
MUA: @dakota.collects
Editor: @cameronnelyse
Colorist: @cameronnelyse
Title Design: @cameronnelyse
Agency: @celestestudiosglobal
@gritsonsunday
Production: @celestestudiosglobal @gritsonsunday
Special thanks to @vcuartsdance for the space!
Reflections
PURSUIT OF SOLACE remains the benchmark for our studio. The project expanded our creative capacity and affirmed our ability to create work that exists as art, not just content.
