In the music video for “The Lines,” Mills, in collaboration with Deaf dancer Lark Detweiler, blends American Sign Language, jazzy choreography, chainmail and swordplay, creating a fever dream somewhere between Flash Dance and Metal Hurlant.
The ASL featured in the video is a unique expression of the emotions in Sade Sanchez’s lyrics, personally interpreted and translated by Detweiler.
The song “The Lines” features repeating lyrics, but Detweiler wanted to explore the many ways ASL can represent “lines”—tracing the shape of a person, drawing a boundary between two people, or even shooting an arrow toward the stars—each reflecting how humans redefine and interact with lines in unique ways.