In 2016 choreographer Tyler Gilstrap created a solo for the stage for dancer Samuel Lee Roberts. Ms. Gilstrap drew her inspiration from a live recording by Cuban musician Silvio Rodriguez.

The song, "Mi Unicornio Azul,” is a moving plea by Rodriguez to find the blue unicorn that he has lost. He desperately wants back the impossible.

Samuel’s character and the movements he embodies are rooted in the poetic descriptions that Rodriguez has woven through the song. The solo was also deeply inspired by Samuel's unique qualities as a dancer and artist.

Upon retiring from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2019, Samuel approached Tyler about turning the solo into a film. They sought out dancer and filmmaker Tobin Del Cuore to help bring this vision to film.

Below is the English translation of Silvio Rodriguez’s beautiful song that has inspired us all to make this film.

“My Blue Unicorn”

Yesterday, I lost my blue unicorn
I left him grazing and he suddenly disappeared
I'll generously reward any information
On his whereabouts
The flowers he left behind,
They still don't want to talk to me
 
Yesterday, I lost my blue unicorn
I don't know if he escaped
I don't know if he got lost
And I have nothing
Nothing but a blue unicorn
If someone knows anything
I beg them to share that information with me
Be its cost one hundred thousand or one million
I will pay
 
My blue unicorn
Got lost yesterday
He's gone
 
My unicorn and I forged a friendship that was
Based a bit on love, based a bit on truth
He would capture songs with his indigo horn
He knew how to share them with others,
That was his vocation
 
Yesterday, I lost my blue unicorn
And this might seem like an obsession
But I have nothing
Nothing but a blue unicorn
And even if I had two
The only one I want is that one
I'll pay for any information on his whereabouts
 
My blue unicorn
Got lost yesterday
He's gone...

- Silvio Rodriguez

Tyler Gilstrap (Danville, VA) earned her BFA in Dance from Southern Methodist University. She was a founding member of Battleworks Dance Company (2001-2010), under the direction of Robert Battle. In 2014, she was the associate choreographer for the Sochi Winter Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. She was also the assistant choreographer for the film; 'Love And Other Drugs' and for the Italian San Remo TV Award show for three years in a row. She has choreographed music videos for music artists Andrew McMahon, Son Lux, Skyes, FireHorse and SENIT. Her company TunanuT has created events for Panorama Music Festival, Figment Festival NYC, The Blue Bus Project, Big Data's fall tour 2015, Un(Scene) Art show, Ballroom Marfa, The Feast, and The Windmill Factory. As a dancer, Tyler has been featured in such films as 'Across the Universe’, 'The Wackness,' and the Italian TV show 'Amici.' She has been a guest artist with the Bavarian State Opera, Irish Modern Dance Theater, The Windmill Factory, Azure Barton, New York Theater Ballet, Corbin Dances, and Amy Marshall Dance Company. She has taught improv, contemporary, and modern dance in Russia, Germany, Hungary, Italy and throughout the USA. She also has been on faculty at Montclair State University, Joffrey Ballet School, New York Dance Project, and Peridance Capezio.


Samuel Lee Roberts (Quakertown, PA) began his dance training under the direction of Kathleen Johnston and attended The Juilliard School. He performed in the first international show of Radio City's Christmas Spectacular in Mexico City and danced with the New York cast from 1999-2004. Mr. Roberts performed during the award ceremony at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, worked with Corbin Dances and Keigwin + Company, and was a founding member of Battleworks Dance Company. In May 2006, Mr. Roberts was named Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise” dancer. He performed several roles in Julie Taymor’s film Across the Universe and the original opera Grendel. Mr. Roberts was a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 2009 until May of 2019.


A native of Maine, USA, Tobin Del Cuore began his ballet training at the Walnut Hill School in Natick, Massachusetts.  He attended The Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, graduating in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Upon graduating, Del Cuore joined the artists of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he danced for six years and had the opportunity to work with some of today’s most important choreographers.  Since leaving HSDC, Del Cuore has danced for Aszure Barton & Artists, The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, The Metropolitan Opera, Alessandra Ferri Dance, SFDanceworks, Houston Grand Opera, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, and BalletX. Del Cuore has staged work internationally for HSDC resident choreographer, Alejandro Cerrudo and often stages existing work for Aszure Barton and assists her in the creation of new works.  Tobin Del Cuore is also the owner of a video production company, Imagination + Muscle, that creates promotional and music videos, short documentaries, video projections for live performance and dance films.

Copyright 2019