Press release
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
New York Theatrical Premiere
@ the Cinema Village on Friday, April 27, 2012
Hybrid Cinema is pleased to announce the New York premiere of the feature length documentary Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance at New York’s Cinema Village on Friday, April 27, 2012 for a one week engagement with regular show times. The premiere weekend will include several engaging Q&As with the filmmakers and others immediately following the screenings. Panelists TBD.
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, directed by Bob Hercules, is the first film to chronicle how the legendary Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet at a time
when it was not routinely accepted.
This insightful documentary, executive produced by Harold Ramis and Jay Alix and produced by Una Jackman and Erica Mann Ramis, examines the dynamic trajectory of the groundbreaking company by weaving a wealth of archival footage, behind-the-scene photos and interviews with former and current Joffrey star dancers.
The film had its world premiere in NYC in late January, at the Lincoln Center Dance on Camera Festival and is currently
touring the US with stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, and other cities.
It will premiere on VOD/DVD/digital release in June of 2012 through New Video.
Director Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man) documents the struggles and achievements of the Joffrey from its newfound beginnings in 1956 to the Company’s present international success. The film features rare excerpts from many seminal Joffrey works including Astarte, Trinity and Billboards, as well as its breakthrough collaborations with choreographers Twyla Tharp, Leonid Massine, Laura Dean, and Kurt Jooss.
Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and a host of ballet notables, including Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more are featured in the film.
Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin, the film is a rich chronicle of a ballet company that continues to reinvent itself, raise the bar and invigorate audiences worldwide.
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
Director: Bob Hercules -USA, 2012, 90min. English
See list of full credits at www.imdb.com/title/tt1829041/fullcredits.
Cinema Village is located at 22 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003.For more information please call 212-924-3363 or visit http://www.cinemavillage.com.For more information on the film please visit http://www.joffreymovie.com.
Multimedia – The Expanded Joffrey Story
Hybrid Cinema is launching a multimedia companion leading up to the DVD release in June. Regular content, including
film clips, bonus outtakes, and blog articles, are also available on the film’s website and YouTube channel.
These multimedia companion projects feature exclusive content for fans wishing to further explore the Joffrey legend beyond the film, including a series of audio podcasts with exclusive new interviews of Joffrey alumni. So far 15 interviews include many beloved Joffrey dancers like James Canfield, Cameron Basden, Carole Valleskey and Suzanne Lopez. The series allows audiences to hear more stories behind the Joffrey legacy and the dancers involved in the success of the company. These podcasts are available on the film’s website.
A series of digital photobooks called Joffrey Maverick Moments is also available for free on the film’s website and
Facebook page. The digital photobooks are based on themes and time frames found in the film such as Joffrey’s Nutcracker, the psychedelic rock ballet Astarte, Arpino’s most well regarded ballets (The Clowns,Trinity, Olympics, Round of Angels, Light Rain), and more, with rare photos accompanied by quotes from Robert Joffrey, his friends and associates, as well as alumni interviews that provide further insight and background into the Company.
Director Bob Hercules
Bob Hercules is an award-winning veteran producer/director (Forgiving Dr. Mengele, Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, Senator Obama Goes to Africa).
The co-founder of Media Process Group, his work has been seen widely on PBS, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and the Independent Film Channel (IFC). He has also directed commercials for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Alzheimer’s Association, McDonald’s Corporation, Gap Clothing Stores and the Obama For President Campaign.
His documentary, A Good Man, co-directed by Gordon Quinn, chronicles the intense creative journey of Bill T. Jones – a 2010 Kennedy Center Honors recipient and two-time Tony® Award winner for Best Choreography.It premiered on November 11, 2011 on PBS’ celebrated series American Masters.
The Joffrey Ballet
For more than a half-century, The Joffrey Ballet’s commitment to taking world-class, artistically vibrant work to a broad
and varied audience has created a solid foundation that continues to support the Company’s unprecedented capacity for achieving important “firsts.”
Today, the Joffrey, which has been hugely successful in its former residences in New York and Los Angeles, lives permanently in a brilliant new facility, Joffrey Tower, in the heart of America – Chicago, Illinois.
The Company’s commitment to accessibility is met through the most extensive touring schedule of any dance company in history, an innovative and highly effective education program including the much lauded Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, and collaborations with myriad other visual and performing arts organizations.
Co-founded in 1956 by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey and dancer Gerald Arpino, who would become the organization’s principal choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet began as a DIY dance company of six dancers touring the United States in a borrowed station wagon.
What started as a childhood dream quickly grew into one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies. Together, Joffrey and Arpino transformed the face of dance by merging classical ballet technique with bold new perspectives for edgy new ballets that challenged conventions.
Aggressive touring took the Company from school auditoriums across America’s Heartland, to the White House at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation, on to Russia for a month-long tour during the height of the Cold War, and beyond.
They also garnered extensive media attention for their daring originality, which included appearances on The Ed
Sullivan Show, the cover of Time Magazine, and in major motion pictures such as Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman’s The Company (which is based on the Joffrey).
Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly
reflecting the diversity of America with its Company, audiences and repertoire, which include major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces, and contemporary works.
The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under internationally renowned Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater and Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway. The Joffrey Ballet has become one of the most revered and recognizable arts organizations in America and one of the top dance companies in the world.
To learn more, please visit joffrey.org
Hybrid Cinema
Hybrid Cinema was created by filmmaker and author Jon Reiss (Think Outside the Box Office, Selling Your Film
Without Selling Your Soul) to help filmmakers navigate the ever-changing world of film distribution and marketing.
Hybrid Cinema consults with filmmakers to help them with the new digital era of distribution and marketing by utilizing
modern strategies of audience engagement, special theatrical events, as well as innovative merchandising and release patterns.
Hybrid Cinema also supervises film releases. Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance is Hybrid’s second full release of a film following the graffiti documentary Bomb It.
Indicative of the innovative release and audience engagement strategies used by Hybrid, the Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance release marks the first time that a film has simulcast its film festival world premiere throughout cinemas
in the U.S. as the launch of its theatrical release.
Hybrid Cinema orchestrated this pioneering release strategy by, among other things, bringing the participating organizations together for these milestone premiere events.
For more information on Hybrid Cinema, please visit www.hybridcinema.com.
Key Links
Official Movie Site –www.joffreymovie.com
Movie YouTube Channel –www.youtube.com/user/JoffreyMovie
Movie Facebook –www.facebook.com/JoffreyBalletMovie
Movie Twitter –www.twitter.com/#!/joffreyMovie
Joffrey Ballet Site – joffrey.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
New York Theatrical Premiere
@ the Cinema Village on Friday, April 27, 2012
Hybrid Cinema is pleased to announce the New York premiere of the feature length documentary Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance at New York’s Cinema Village on Friday, April 27, 2012 for a one week engagement with regular show times. The premiere weekend will include several engaging Q&As with the filmmakers and others immediately following the screenings. Panelists TBD.
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, directed by Bob Hercules, is the first film to chronicle how the legendary Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet at a time
when it was not routinely accepted.
This insightful documentary, executive produced by Harold Ramis and Jay Alix and produced by Una Jackman and Erica Mann Ramis, examines the dynamic trajectory of the groundbreaking company by weaving a wealth of archival footage, behind-the-scene photos and interviews with former and current Joffrey star dancers.
The film had its world premiere in NYC in late January, at the Lincoln Center Dance on Camera Festival and is currently
touring the US with stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, and other cities.
It will premiere on VOD/DVD/digital release in June of 2012 through New Video.
Director Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man) documents the struggles and achievements of the Joffrey from its newfound beginnings in 1956 to the Company’s present international success. The film features rare excerpts from many seminal Joffrey works including Astarte, Trinity and Billboards, as well as its breakthrough collaborations with choreographers Twyla Tharp, Leonid Massine, Laura Dean, and Kurt Jooss.
Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and a host of ballet notables, including Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more are featured in the film.
Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin, the film is a rich chronicle of a ballet company that continues to reinvent itself, raise the bar and invigorate audiences worldwide.
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
Director: Bob Hercules -USA, 2012, 90min. English
See list of full credits at www.imdb.com/title/tt1829041/fullcredits.
Cinema Village is located at 22 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003.For more information please call 212-924-3363 or visit http://www.cinemavillage.com.For more information on the film please visit http://www.joffreymovie.com.
Multimedia – The Expanded Joffrey Story
Hybrid Cinema is launching a multimedia companion leading up to the DVD release in June. Regular content, including
film clips, bonus outtakes, and blog articles, are also available on the film’s website and YouTube channel.
These multimedia companion projects feature exclusive content for fans wishing to further explore the Joffrey legend beyond the film, including a series of audio podcasts with exclusive new interviews of Joffrey alumni. So far 15 interviews include many beloved Joffrey dancers like James Canfield, Cameron Basden, Carole Valleskey and Suzanne Lopez. The series allows audiences to hear more stories behind the Joffrey legacy and the dancers involved in the success of the company. These podcasts are available on the film’s website.
A series of digital photobooks called Joffrey Maverick Moments is also available for free on the film’s website and
Facebook page. The digital photobooks are based on themes and time frames found in the film such as Joffrey’s Nutcracker, the psychedelic rock ballet Astarte, Arpino’s most well regarded ballets (The Clowns,Trinity, Olympics, Round of Angels, Light Rain), and more, with rare photos accompanied by quotes from Robert Joffrey, his friends and associates, as well as alumni interviews that provide further insight and background into the Company.
Director Bob Hercules
Bob Hercules is an award-winning veteran producer/director (Forgiving Dr. Mengele, Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, Senator Obama Goes to Africa).
The co-founder of Media Process Group, his work has been seen widely on PBS, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and the Independent Film Channel (IFC). He has also directed commercials for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Alzheimer’s Association, McDonald’s Corporation, Gap Clothing Stores and the Obama For President Campaign.
His documentary, A Good Man, co-directed by Gordon Quinn, chronicles the intense creative journey of Bill T. Jones – a 2010 Kennedy Center Honors recipient and two-time Tony® Award winner for Best Choreography.It premiered on November 11, 2011 on PBS’ celebrated series American Masters.
The Joffrey Ballet
For more than a half-century, The Joffrey Ballet’s commitment to taking world-class, artistically vibrant work to a broad
and varied audience has created a solid foundation that continues to support the Company’s unprecedented capacity for achieving important “firsts.”
Today, the Joffrey, which has been hugely successful in its former residences in New York and Los Angeles, lives permanently in a brilliant new facility, Joffrey Tower, in the heart of America – Chicago, Illinois.
The Company’s commitment to accessibility is met through the most extensive touring schedule of any dance company in history, an innovative and highly effective education program including the much lauded Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, and collaborations with myriad other visual and performing arts organizations.
Co-founded in 1956 by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey and dancer Gerald Arpino, who would become the organization’s principal choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet began as a DIY dance company of six dancers touring the United States in a borrowed station wagon.
What started as a childhood dream quickly grew into one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies. Together, Joffrey and Arpino transformed the face of dance by merging classical ballet technique with bold new perspectives for edgy new ballets that challenged conventions.
Aggressive touring took the Company from school auditoriums across America’s Heartland, to the White House at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation, on to Russia for a month-long tour during the height of the Cold War, and beyond.
They also garnered extensive media attention for their daring originality, which included appearances on The Ed
Sullivan Show, the cover of Time Magazine, and in major motion pictures such as Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman’s The Company (which is based on the Joffrey).
Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly
reflecting the diversity of America with its Company, audiences and repertoire, which include major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces, and contemporary works.
The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under internationally renowned Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater and Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway. The Joffrey Ballet has become one of the most revered and recognizable arts organizations in America and one of the top dance companies in the world.
To learn more, please visit joffrey.org
Hybrid Cinema
Hybrid Cinema was created by filmmaker and author Jon Reiss (Think Outside the Box Office, Selling Your Film
Without Selling Your Soul) to help filmmakers navigate the ever-changing world of film distribution and marketing.
Hybrid Cinema consults with filmmakers to help them with the new digital era of distribution and marketing by utilizing
modern strategies of audience engagement, special theatrical events, as well as innovative merchandising and release patterns.
Hybrid Cinema also supervises film releases. Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance is Hybrid’s second full release of a film following the graffiti documentary Bomb It.
Indicative of the innovative release and audience engagement strategies used by Hybrid, the Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance release marks the first time that a film has simulcast its film festival world premiere throughout cinemas
in the U.S. as the launch of its theatrical release.
Hybrid Cinema orchestrated this pioneering release strategy by, among other things, bringing the participating organizations together for these milestone premiere events.
For more information on Hybrid Cinema, please visit www.hybridcinema.com.
Key Links
Official Movie Site –www.joffreymovie.com
Movie YouTube Channel –www.youtube.com/user/JoffreyMovie
Movie Facebook –www.facebook.com/JoffreyBalletMovie
Movie Twitter –www.twitter.com/#!/joffreyMovie
Joffrey Ballet Site – joffrey.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Press release
The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Dance Films Association announce
the 40th edition of DANCE ON CAMERA
January 27-31, 2012
Opening Night World Premiere of JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE
will also mark the first collaboration between DFA and Emerging Pictures
New York, NY, November 17, 2011 – The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Dance Films Association are pleased to announce the lineup for the 40th edition of Dance on Camera. The dynamic series will take place from January 27-31 and dance lovers will discover an array of stimulating films, many of them premieres, and diverse disciplines ranging from classical to street – from the refinement of ballet coaching to the intense individuality of club dancing.
The fourteen programs in the series include focuses on peerless international artists such as Natalia Makarova and Robert
Wilson, historic dance presenters and companies such as Jacob’s Pillow, the Joffrey Ballet, and Pilobolus, innovative choreographer Wayne McGregor, and the inspired director Clara van Gool.
“Film is the natural bridge among all the arts, and there is perhaps no greater aesthetic affinity than that which exists between the cinema and dance, two mediums based on motion,” says Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Program Director Richard Pena, “Dance on Camera has become a vital part of our annual offerings, as each year it presents both cutting edge works alongside milestones of the dance/film genre.”
The opening night celebration will launch with the World Premiere of JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE and include attendance by the filmmaker, Bob Hercules, and many members of the cast. The film, and Q&A, will have a
simultaneous premiere for dance enthusiasts in participating theaters across the country and marks the launch of the film’s release by Hybrid Cinema, who is also responsible for spearheading the partnership between DFA and Emerging Pictures for this event. This collaboration also marks the first time that a film has simulcast its world premiere out of a major festival. Audiences across the country will also be able to participate in the Q&A through a live Twitter feed.
Highlights of this year’s DANCE ON CAMERA include FREE “Meet the Artists” forums, which will bring audiences and dance fans up close and personal with established and emerging directors and choreographers. A series of shorts will
also screen free for the public and an exhibit of bold photos and posters by Herbert Migdoll, painter and official photographer for the Joffrey Ballet, will be on view during the month of January, at the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at
Walter Reade Theater.
“This year’s festival coincides with anniversaries for Pilobolus, Jacob’s Pillow, and Eye on Dance. We are thrilled that this festival is proving to be a valuable means of bringing together emerging, as well as established artists to celebrate the multiple ways dance film can inspire artists as well as audiences,” says Deirdre Towers, Festival Curator for Dance Films
Association.
"While Dance on Camera Festival does not adhere to a particular single aesthetic, we try to reach far and wide to find films that connect dance and camera in ways that will surprise and inspire viewers to deepen their interest in both mediums,” says Joanna Ney, co-curator of the festival. "This year's selection offers a diversity of subject, style and genre aimed at the traditionalist as well as the iconoclast.
Dance on Camera, the world’s longest-running and most celebrated event dedicated to the growth and development of dance on film as an art form, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. DFA’s Festival is made possible with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Consulate General of Spain, Cultural Department of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Japan Society, and DFA members.
Tickets go on sale Thursday, January 5, 2012 at the Walter Reade Theater's box office and online at FilmLinc.com. Discounts on tickets are available for students, seniors, Film Society and Dance Film Association members. Everyone can
enjoy special package discounts.
For more information visit FilmLinc.com. Public Screenings will be held at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater (located at 165 West 65th Street) and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center (located at 144 West 65th Street). The photo exhibit is at The Freida and Roy Furman Gallery (located at 165 West 65th Street, adjacent Walter Reade lobby).
FILM DESCRIPTIONS & SCHEDULE FOR THE
2012 DANCE ON CAMERA
OPENING NIGHT
WORLD PREMIERE
JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE
Director: Bob Hercules
Country: USA, 2011, 90min
This insightful documentary, produced by Jay Alix and Una Jackman, examines the life and times of America’s premiere ballet company – The Joffrey Ballet – who daringly combined traditional ballet and modern dance at a time when it was
not routinely accepted. Weaving a wealth of archival footage, behind-the-scene photos and interviews with former and current Joffrey star dancers, director Bob Hercules (BILL T. JONES: A GOOD MAN) documents the struggles and achievements of The Joffrey from its newfound beginnings in 1956 to the company’s present international success.
Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and a host of ballet notables, including Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more, are featured in the film. Narrated by Tony and Academy Award winner Mandy Patinkin, the film is a rich chronicle of a ballet company that continues to reinvent itself, raise the bar and invigorate audiences worldwide.
In addition, for the first time there will be a simultaneous premiere in theaters across the country through Emerging Pictures. This occasion marks the launch of the film’s distribution by Hybrid Cinema who brought DFA and Emerging
Pictures together for this event. The introductions and the Q&A after the Saturday screening will also be streamed live into participating cinemas.
JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Friday, January 27 at 8:30PM and Saturday, January 28 at 1:30PM, and stream live during Saturday’s screening at participating cinemas through the Emerging Pictures.
Special appearances for panel discussions will include:
Friday, January 27 at 8:30PM: Moderator Anna Kisselgoff, former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times; Ashley C. Wheater, Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet; Bob Hercules, Director of the film; Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theater and former Joffrey principal; and former Joffrey Ballet principals Brunilda Ruiz and Adam Skulte (currently Artistic Director of Ballet West)
Saturday, January 28 at 1:30PM: Moderator Sasha Anawalt, author of The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Dance Company (published by Scribner's 1996); Bob Hercules, Director of the film; Trinette Singleton, one of original dancers of The Joffrey Ballet, who appeared on Time Magazine’s cover in 1968 for rock ballet "Astarte"; current Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater; and former Joffrey principal Christian Holder
CENTERPIECE
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Director: Susan Seidelman
Country: USA, 2011, 104min
MUSICAL CHAIRS is a romantic tale of two New Yorkers, Armando (EJ Bonilla) from the Bronx, and Mia (Leah Pipes) from the Upper East Side, who come together through their love of ballroom dancing. When a tragic accident puts Mia in a
wheelchair, Armando, along with a group of colorful misfits at the rehab center, dedicates himself to helping Mia dance again by introducing her to the world of competitive wheelchair ballroom dancing.
As she demonstrated in her early 80s hit, DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, Seidelman has a special talent for capturing the city in all it diversity. MUSICAL CHAIRS pulsates with energy and zest, embracing its characters, their conflicts, and their courage.
MUSICAL CHAIRS will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Saturday, January 28 at 8:30PM.
Q&A with director Susan Seidelman to follow the screening.
CLOSING NIGHT
CHECK YOUR BODY AT THE DOOR
Director: Charles Atlas/Michael Schwartz
Country: USA, 2011, 60min
This long awaited documentary produced by Sally Sommer, brings to light the House dance culture that has largely been in the dark. The film includes underground footage culled from the past thirty years, with focuses on shared relationships and histories of some of its major players and master free-stylists. The virtuosity of eclectic urban dance styles and the
personalities of the people who created these moves are revealed.
PRECEDED BY:
DFA Student Film Competition Winner, 5min
freedom2dance, 20min Director: Ina Sotirova - Country: USA, 2011
In 1970s New York, dancing brought needed liberation in tough times. But can the city's underground dance culture continue to thrive after Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's revival of Prohibition-era "Cabaret Laws"?
CHECK YOUR BODY AT THE DOOR (with DFA Student Film Competition Winner and freedom2dance) will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Tuesday, January 31 at 9:00PM.
Introductions by winning student, director Ina Sotirova and producer Sally Sommer.
BALANCHINE IN PARIS
Director: Dominique Delouche
Country: France, 2011, 57min
Drawing on highlights from his previous films on Alicia Markova, Nina
Vyroubova and Violette Verdy, France’s leading chronicler of the process of
ballet coaching adds new footage of former Paris Opera étoile and Balanchine
muse Ghislaine Thesmar. Setting Palais de Cristal with two of the
company’s dancers, she sheds fresh light on the French/American symbiosis that
marked Balanchine’s career. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for students
and fans of his choreography.
PRECEDED BY:
EN DEDANS
Director: Gabrielle Lamb
Country: USA, 2011,10min
A one-of-a-kind film collage that draws on dancers’ dream journals,
choreography, structured improv and spoken text.
FIGMENT
Director: Gabrielle Lamb
Country: USA, 2010, 3min
Paying homage to Joseph Cornell’s mysterious boxes, director Gabrielle Lamb,
an accomplished dancer and filmmaker, chose a vertical aspect ratio to give the
viewer a sense of peering into a box, as if entering a dream world. With musical
accompaniment by Rob Burger.
BALANCHINE IN PARIS (along with EN DEDANS and FIGMENT) will screen at
the Walter Reade Theatre on Saturday, January 28 at 4:00PM and Monday, January
30 at 1:00PM. Introduction by director Gabrielle Lamb and
Q&A with director Dominique Delouche to follow the screening.
COUP DE GRACE
Director: Clara van Gool
Country: Netherlands, 2010, 26min
A masterful screen adaptation of Ölelés (2003), this latest creation by
Clara van Gool (best known for her screen adaptation of DV8’s Enter
Achilles) explores the relationship between two adversaries who meet in a
remote location and engage in a weaponless duel that is marked by extreme
emotions and an intense movement style that oscillates between savage cruelty
and unexpected warmth. These energetic matadors, dancers Jordi Cortes Molina and
Damian Munoz, turn the reunion into a suspenseful drama.
SCREENING WITH:
NUMB CEREMONY
Director: Ninja Miori and Hannes Hagstrand
Country: Sweden, 2011, 5min
The loss of a loved one can produce a feeling of numbness. Thrust together
with others in a similar state, frozen, hooded creatures engage in a ritual.
SCREENING WITH:
LABYRINTH WITHIN
Director: Pontus Lidberg
Country: Sweden, 2010, 28.5min
A haunting take on jealousy, this existential thriller posits a man, a
woman, and an elusive lover in a series of intense duets in a stark apartment
that becomes a fourth character. Performed to a commissioned score by David
Lang with cello performed by Maya Beiser, the work features NYCBallet principal
Wendy Whelan, Giovanni Bucchieri and Pontus Lidberg, a Swedish choreographer
(Rain, Mirror) also known for his work with Morphoses.
SCREENING WITH:
THE SUPREME TASK OF WHIP IT AND ALLELUIA
Director: Jenn Goodwin
Country: Canada, 2010, 5min
Whip It and Alleluia, backup dancers to a second-rate singer with issues,
hold to the supreme task of ensuring the show goes on, at all costs. Performed
by Valerie Calam, Nicola Pantin, Alicia Grant and produced with the support of
Bravo!FACT.
COUP DE GRACE, NUMB CEREMONY, LABYRINTH WITHIN, THE SUPREME TASK OF
WHIP IT AND ALLELUIA will screen at the Walter Reade Theater on Friday, January
27 at 6:00PM and Sunday, January 29 at 1:30PM. Q&A with directors Clara van
Gool and Jenn Goodwin to follow 1/27 screening. Q&A with directors Clara
van Gool, Pontus Lidberg and Jenn Goodwin to follow 1/29 screening.
FINDING BILLY
Director: Joe Locarro
Country: USA, 2012, 70min
This heartwarming documentary reveals the process of finding and casting the
three original boys who played 'Billy' in "Billy Elliot the Musical" on Broadway
and includes interviews with the creative team during the rehearsal process
leading up to its Broadway opening. The documentary aired on Channel 13 in 2008
and was nominated for two Emmy Awards. When the rights reverted to the director,
he added an epilogue that brings the three Billy’s into the present. A tribute
to the perseverance and sacrifice of the kids and their parents, this film now
features new interviews with the multi-talented boys (who all jointly won the
Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for playing ‘Billy’). They will
join director Joe Locarro onstage for a reunion.
PRECEDED BY:
WHITE SHIRT, BLACK TIE, BLACK PANTS XXS
Director: David Schilirio & David Fernandez
Country: USA, 2011, 14min
A spirited behind-the-scenes look at 16 young dancers from Dance Theatre of
Harlem, Joffrey Ballet School, Scarsdale Ballet Studio and Westport's Academy of
Dance rehearsing a piece previously made on dancers of NYCB and ABT and now
transposed for these gifted ballet students. Watching these exuberant girls in
their crisp white shirts, black ties awry, soaring in the air in a grand jeté is
solid proof that America’s budding dance talent is not restricted to Dancing
with the Stars.
FINDING BILLY (with WHITE SHIRT, BLACK TIE, BLACK PANTS XXS) will
screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Sunday, January 29 at 4:00PM. Introduction
by director David Fernandez and Q&A with director Joe Locarro and “Billys” -
David Alvarez, Kiril Kulish, Trent Kowalik to follow the screenings.
FIRST POSITION
Director: Bess Kargman
Country: USA, 2011, 92min
This touching documentary follows six ballet students, aged 9-19, as they
prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, a top competition at which the world's
leading dance companies and schools prospect for new talent. Some of the
delightful youngsters featured include Michaela DePrince, an orphan from Sierra
Leone nurtured by her American mom; Aran Bell, a boy dance wonder from a US
military family; and Joan Sebastian Zamor, a Colombian youth with aspirations
for a career with a classical company. Winner of Jury Prize for Best Film at the
San Francisco Documentary and the audience award at Doc NYC, this is arguably
the best film on the subject of ballet competitions. Sundance Selects will
release the film in the spring.
FIRST POSITION will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on January 31
at 6:15PM. Director Bess Kargman and subjects Aran Bell, pupil
of former Paris Opera principal Denys Ganio, and Michaela DePrince (currently a
student at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of ABT) will attend the
screening. Q&A will with director Bess Kargman to follow
the screening.
MAKAROVA: IN A CLASS OF HER OWN
Director: Derek Bailey
Country: England, 1985, 52min
Natalia Makarova, the legendary prima ballerina whose performances set the
standard for artistry in roles such as Swan Lake’s Odette/Odile and Giselle, to
name a few, demonstrates a touching humility and dedication to her craft in this
intimate video portrait. The director shows her at the barre under the tutelage
of the great pedagogue Irina Yakobsen, in candid conversation with choreographer
Roland Petit; and in the creation of Petit’s ballet ‘“The Blue Angel.”
Shown with: Carmen Pas de Deux and Proust Pas de Deux
Makarova and Denys Ganio (the coach for Aran, one of the subjects of FIRST
POSITION) perform two Roland Petit excerpts from the TV special “Natasha”,
produced and directed by Derek Bailey, England, 1985; 16m. The two excerpts
demonstrate Makarova’s adaptability to new repertory. From Petipa to Petit, she
makes a stunning transformation. (Films excerpts from Makarova’s personal
archive, shown with her permission and with thanks).
MAKAROVA: IN A CLASS OF HER OWN will screen at the Walter Reade
Theatre on Friday, January 27 at 1:30PM. Q&A with Natalia Makarova to follow
the screening.
MIS CAMINOS A TRAVES DE LA DANZA/MY PATHS THROUGH DANCE
Director: Daniel Cabrero
Country: Spain, 2010, 90min
Mariemma, the late classical Spanish dancer renowned for her castanets, her
sophisticated choreography and for elevating the level of dancers’ technique
throughout Spain, toured the world with her pianist and later her full company.
This innovative documentary celebrates the artistry of Mariemma who continued in
the tradition of Spanish dancers Argentina, Argentinita, and Pilar Lopez and
includes visual recreations, rare footage, and interviews. Flamenco dancers
Antonio Canales, Aída Gómez, Joaquín Cortés and Lola Greco, her protégées,
describe Mariemma’s invaluable contribution in the film.
MIS CAMINOS A TRAVES DE LA DANZA will screen at the Walter Reade
Theatre on Sunday, January 29 at 6:15PM and Tuesday, January 31 at 4:00PM.
Q&A with director Daniel Cabrero to follow the screening.
NEVER STAND STILL
Director: Ron Honsa
Country: USA, 2011, 74min
Narrated by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones, this documentary features
performances, conversations with choreographers and dancers, and rare archival
footage, while telling the remarkable story of how an abandoned farm in
Massachusetts evolved into Jacob's Pillow, a premiere showcase for dance,
revered around the world. The illustrious interviewees, who include Judith
Jamison, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Suzanne Farrell, and Frederic Franklin, as
well as Merce Cunningham, all sing their praises of this important presenter and
educator, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, founded by the pioneer Ted Shawn in
1933.
NEVER STAND STILL will screen at The Walter Reade Theatre in a
private gala on January 20th and for the public on Friday, January 27 at 3:30PM.
Q&A with director Ron Honsa to follow the screening.
ORA
Director: Philippe Baylaucq
Country: Canada, 2011, 15min
ORA is the first film to use 3D thermal imaging, showcasing luminous
bodies emerging from a single dividing cell. What ensues is akin to the first
human steps - the discovery of the body and its relation to space. Choreographer
José Navas and filmmaker Philippe Baylaucq create a new cinematic sensation.
SCREENING WITH:
EYE ON DANCE: Interview with Moses Pendleton and Jonathan
Wolken
Director: Richard Sheridan
Country: USA, 1987, 28min
Recorded in December 1986 at WNYC studios, this interview of Pilobolus
charter members Moses Pentleton and Jonathan Wolken originally aired on February
6, 1987, marking their first joint appearance since their public breakup.
Although conflicted over being reunited, they cover a wide array of topics
together about the charter’s beginnings, including the influence of Alwin
Nikolais and Murray Louis on their aesthetic, and their early experiments at
Dartmouth with Allison Chase. Producer/Host Ipiotis manages to keep these
irrepressibles under control, while exploring the deep partnership that helped
lead to the creation of one of America’s leading contemporary dance
companies.
Co-produced by Jeff Bush.
SCREENING WITH:
STILL MOVING: PILOBOLUS AT 40 (Fine Cut)
Director: Jeffrey Ruoff
Country: USA, 2012, 38min
In the summer of 2010, on the eve of their 40th anniversary, the modern
dance company Pilobolus returned to the Hopkins Center for the Arts of Dartmouth
College for a world premiere of Hapless Hooligan in Still Moving, a
collaboration with graphic artist Art Spiegelman. This documentary charts the
lifecycle of this company, whose founders were students together at Dartmouth,
and its evolution, transformation, and regeneration.
ORA, EYE ON DANCE, STILL MOVING: PILOBOLUS AT FORTY will screen at
the Walter Reade Theatre on Saturday, January 28 at 6:15PM. Introductions by
directors Philippe Baylaucq, Jeffrey Ruoff and Eye on Dance’s Celia
Ipiotis.
THE SPACE IN BACK OF YOU
Director: Richard Rutkowski
Country: USA, 2011, 65min
This visual and visceral documentary travels more than 20 years, from Japan
to New York City and back to Japan again, in pursuit of the creative life of
Suzushi Hanayagi, a powerful, innovative, radical Japanese dancer and
choreographer. Constantly willing to experiment, Hanayagi challenged her art
form and herself well into her ‘70s. From the discipline of early Japanese
traditional dance to her decades of modern performance, this bold indominatable
woman uniquely bridged East and West, choreographing works that expanded what
classical or modern dance is and could be. Her life and influence is examined in
detail with theater legend Robert Wilson who collaborated with her for over
twenty years and found her suffering from Alzheimer’s in an old-age home. With
cameras in tow, he re-connects with her, and he and his troup create their
homage to her for premiere at New York’s Guggenheim Museum. The film is a final
collaboration between a great teacher and her most renowned student.
PRECEDED BY:
LA FEMME A LA CAFETIERE
Director: Robert Wilson
Country: France, 1989, 7min
Inspired by a painting of the same title by Paul Cézanne, Wilson wittily
conveys the boredom of the figure within the frame, as she passes her time,
nibbling sweets, unmoved by the changes around her until she must relinquish her
place to a successor. Co-produced by the Musèe d'Orsay, INA, and La September,
performed by Suzushi Hanayagi and Consuelo de Haviland.
THE SPACE IN BACK OF YOU and LA FEMME A LA CAFETIERE will screen at
The Walter Reade Theatre on Sunday, January 29, 8:45PM and Monday, January 30 at
3:30PM. Q&A to follow both screenings with director Richard
Rutkowski.
TWO SECONDS AFTER LAUGHTER
Director: David Rousseve
Country: USA, 2011, 16min
Weaving stunning cinematography shot in Java by Cari Shim Sham, traditional
Indonesian dance, postmodern gesture performed by Sri Susilowati, original
Sudanese music, and a potent narrative, this stunning film creates a
border-jumping dialogue on a universal irony: The heart longs most for the place
called home to which it can never return.
SCREENING WITH:
SAND
Director: Cari Ann Shim Sham
Country: USA, 2010, 10min
A rhythmic and visual study, this engaging short looks at a tradition being
passed down from father to son. Sand dance stems from turn of the 20th century
vaudevillian and traveling shows. With only a handful of people still performing
it, this dance is a rare archive of the transference of sand dance or "passin'
the sand", from one generation to the next. Featuring emerging tap dance artist
Kenji Igus and his father Darrow.
SCREENING WITH:
BLACK TRAIN IS COMING
Director: John T. Williams
Country: USA, 2011, 3min
Inspired by a 1920’s sermon about Hell and Damnation by preacher Rev J. M.
Gates, this short blends old time religion with modern day Flex and Turf dance
styles choreographed and performed by ENinja and Joyntz Scott to create a
winner.
SCREENING WITH:
PURSUIT
Director: Amy Campion
Country: USA, 2011, 4min
Parkour artist Danni G races down the sidewalk, flies over obstacles and
careens through crowds of breakdancers, salsa dancers and krumpers.
SCREENING WITH:
RE-STAGING SHELTER
Director: Bruce Berryhill & Martha Curtis
Country: USA, 2011, 29min
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder of Urban Bush Women created “Shelter” in
1988 in response to the plight of the homeless in New York City. In the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a new version of Shelter was created
and then reconstructed for Virginia Commonwealth University dance majors. The
dancers were challenged to look at issues of displacement and what Zollar calls
"An Actor’s Process through a Dancer’s Body." In a 1990 review in The New
York Times, Jennifer Dunning wrote, "Zollar's 'Shelter' is so filled with
compassion and anger that it becomes a powerful incantation against the evils of
obliviousness and neglect."
TWO SECONDS AFTER LAUGHTER, SAND, BLACK TRAIN IS COMING, PURSUIT,
RE-STAGING SHELTER will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Monday, January 30
at 6:00PM and Tuesday, January 31 at 1:30PM. Introductions by directors David
Rousseve, Cari Ann Shim Sham, John T. Williams, Amy Campion and Bruce
Berryhill.
WAYNE MCGREGOR - GOING SOMEWHERE
Director: Catherine Maximoff
Country: France, 2011, 80min
British choreographer Wayne McGregor is a movement explorer who has been
enormously influential abroad and gaining a following in the U.S. through his
touring company Random Dance. Now, the resident choreographer of the Royal
Ballet, he has created a style noted for its elasticity and extreme physicality.
Director Maximoff has filmed this risk-taking scientist of the dance as he
rehearses dancers from Random, the Royal Ballet and local high school students.
Visiting neurologists confirm how his creativity has rippled through realms
beyond the arts.
PRECEDED BY:
FALLING
Director: Adriano Cirulli
Country: England, 2011, 5min
A push/pull of dancers and gravity, made by an artist who has created visual
effects for 18 commercial projects including MERLIN, the TV series.
WAYNE MCGREGOR - GOING SOMEWHERE (with FALLING) will screen at the
Walter Reade Theatre on Monday, January 30 at 8:30pm.
Introduction by FALLING director Adriano Cirulli and Q&A to
follow.
SPECIAL FREE PANELS/CONVERSATIONS
Location: Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
Saturday, January 28 - Sunday January 29, 12:00PM -
5:00PM
Meet the Artist: Clara van Gool
Appearing courtesy of the Cultural Department of the Consulate General of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dutch filmmaker Clara van Gool (ENTER ACHILLES,
NUSSIN, BITINGS AND OTHER EFFECTS) has had a steady stream of winning dance
films, including this year’s premiere at DOCF - COUP DE GRACE. DOCF Curator
Deirdre Towers will interview van Gool about her approach, her philosophy, and
her collaborators.
Clara van Gool will speak on Saturday, January 28,
4:00PM.
Meet the Artist: Nuria Font
Appearing courtesy of the Consulate General of Spain and Institut Ramon
Llull, filmmaker/producer Nuria Font has been running Mostra de VideoDansa, a
Spanish biannual dance film festival for twenty years, and her own production
company Nu2 since 2003. She has been a galvanizing force for dance on camera,
commissioning films from Spanish artists, exhibiting them internationally, and
conducting research into the field. She will present excerpts from: ESCENARI
(1995), PEIX (1995), DIVADLO (2000), as well as a work-in-progress of her
own.
Nuria Font presentation and conversation on Saturday, January 28,
12:00PM.
Meet the Artist: Richard Daniels
Modern dance now has a new performance space accessible anywhere in the
world with the touch of a finger - the iPhone, with a free app called Dances for
an iPhone, created by choreographer/videographer Richard Daniels. He will
present four solos from Vol 4 set to music by Scriabin, demonstrate how the app
works, and converse, as moderated by Norton Owen, with some of the dancers who
appear in videos. Anticipated participants include Molissa Fenley, David
Leventhal, Barbara Mahler, Risa Steinberg, and Christine Wright.
Richard Daniels and panel discussion on Sunday, January 29,
1:30PM.
SHORTS PROGRAM
Location: Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
BENCH SEAT
Director: Anna Mastro
Country: USA, 2011,19min
A classic love story with a musical twist choreographed by Chris Judd and
written by Neil LaBute, this film catches a young couple on the verge of either
moving forward or breaking up. While the girl envisions a happy future with her
boyfriend, he imagines quite the reverse.
COME SIT STAY
Director: Jody Oberfelder
Country: USA, 2010, 7min
A man confuses his girlfriend with a dog, expecting loyalty and obedience.
Playfulness turns to violence and fantasy, leaving questions as to who is man’s
best friend.
FANFARE for MARCHING BAND
Director: Danielle Wilmouth
Country: USA, 2011, 15min
Saturated colors, exuberant music, and ecstatic choreography fail to engage
an immobilized public. The efforts of this ragtag musical militia fall on deaf
ears until.....
PLAY HOUSE
Director: Ruben van Leer
Country: Netherlands, 2011, 3min
The song is a shout-out for emancipation, with an experimental video created
with a fusion of pop-culture, dance and technology.
SPRING CLEANING
Director: Pooh Kaye
Country: USA, 2011, 8min
Choreographer and film-maker, Pooh Kaye’s alter-ego ‘Wild Girl’, performed
by Alex Clack, has a busy day weeding the dandelions, digging in the earth and
swimming with the local beavers.
BENCH SEAT, COME SIT STAY, FANFARE for MARCHING BAND, PLAY HOUSE,
SPRING CLEANING will screen on Saturday, January 28 at 2:00PM. Q&A to follow
with directors Anna Mastro, Jody Oberfelder, Danielle Wilmouth, Pooh
Kaye.
SEVEN SOLOS: A Documentary
Director: Douglas Rosenberg
Country: USA, 2011, 60min
This documentary follows the process of dancer Li Chiao-Ping as she prepares
to perform the work of seven postmodern choreographers including Elizabeth
Streb, Heidi Latsky, June Watanabe, Victoria Marks, Cynthia Adams, Molissa
Fenley and Bebe Miller. Li immerses herself in the choreographic language of
each choreographer as she learns the solos created specifically for her.
SEVEN SOLOS will screen on Sunday, January 29 at 3:30PM. Q&A with
director Douglas Rosenberg, subject Li Chiao-Ping, and Molissa Fenley to follow
the screening.
FURMAN GALLERY PHOTO EXHIBIT
Dance on Camera is accompanied by a colorful photo exhibit in the Freida and
Roy Furman Gallery by Herbert Migdoll, painter and official photographer for the
Joffrey Ballet. The exhibit highlights “Joffrey’s Carousel: Celebrating 50 Years
of Dance,” a photographic parade of Joffrey’s dancers in costume, representing
the company’s classical and contemporary repertory. The multiple images on
panels were shot in 1996 at Chicago’s Navy Pier’s famed outdoor carousel.
30 YEARS OF EYE ON DANCE
Editor: Celia Ipiotis
Country: USA, 2010, 23 min
Highlights from the cable interview program include clips of some of the
brightest dance stars in all disciplines interviewed by producer and host Celia
Ipiotis. Some of the astonishing subjects being interviewed include Alvin Ailey,
Agnes de Mille, Lloyd Newson, Edward Villela, Glen Tetley, Jimmy Slyde, Doug
Varone, Yvonne Rainer and Sara Rudner, and many more.
*Will be featured in the Furman Gallery also
PUBLIC SCREENING SCHEDULE FOR DANCE ON CAMERA
2012
Friday, January 27
1:30pm Makarova: In A Class of her Own (52min)
(Q&A with Natalia Makarova)
3:30pm Never Stand Still (74min)
(Q&A with director Ron Hosa)
6:00pm Coup de Grace (26min), Numb Ceremony (5min),
The Supreme Task of Whip it & Alleluia (5min), Labyrinth Within
(28min)
(Q&A with directors Clara van Gool and Jenn Goodwin)
8:30pm Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
(90min)
(Panel discussion with moderator Anna Kisselgoff,
former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times; Ashley C. Wheater, Artistic
Director of the Joffrey Ballet; Bob Hercules, Director of the film; Kevin
McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theater and former Joffrey
principal; former Joffrey Ballet principals Brunilda Ruiz and Adam Sklute,
current Artistic Director of Ballet West)
Saturday, January 28
1:30pm Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
(90min)
(Panel discussion with moderator Sasha Anawalt,
author of The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the making of an American Dance
Company (published by Scribner's 1996); Bob Hercules, Director of the film;
Trinette Singleton, one of original dancers of The Joffrey Ballet, who appeared
on Time Magazine’s cover in 1968 for rock ballet "Astarte"; current Artistic
Director Ashley C. Wheater; former Joffrey principal Christian
Holder)
4:00pm En Dedans (10min), Figment (3min), Balanchine
in Paris (57min)
(Introduction by director Gabrielle Lamb, Q&A with director
Dominique Delouche)
6:15pm Ora (15min), Eye on Dance: Interview
with Moses Pendleton and Jonathan Wolken (28min), Still Moving:
Pilobolus at 40 (38min)
(Introduction by directors Philippe Baylaucq and Jeffrey Ruoff, and
Eye on Dance’s Celia Ipiotis)
8:30pm Musical Chairs (104min)
(Q&A with director Susan Seidelman)
Sunday, January 29
1:30pm Coup de Grace (26min), Numb Ceremony (5min),
The Supreme Task of Whip it & Alleluia (5min), Labyrinth Within
(29min)
(Q&A with directors Clara van Gool, Jenn Goodwin and Pontus
Lidberg)
4:00pm White Shirt, Black Tie, Black Pants XXS
(14min), Finding Billy (70min)
(Introduction by director David Fernandez, Q&A with director Joe
Locarro and “Billys” David Alvarez, Kiril Kulish, Trent Kowalik)
6:15pm Mis Caminos a traves de la Danza (My Paths
through Dance) (90min)
(Q&A with director David Cabrero)
8:45pm La Femme à la Cafetière (7min), The Space in
Back of You (65min)
(Q&A with director Richard Rutkowski)
Monday, January 30
1:00pm En Dedans (10min), Figment (3min), Balanchine
in Paris (57min)
(Introductions by directors Gabrielle Lamb and Dominique
Delouche)
3:30pm La Femme à la Cafetière (7min), The Space in
Back of You (65min)
(Q&A with director Richard Rutkowski)
6:00pm Two Seconds After Laughter (16min),
Sand (10min), Black Train Is Coming (3min), Pursuit (4min),
Re-staging Shelter (90min)
(Introductions by directors David Rousseve, Cari Ann Shim Sham, John
T. Williams, Amy Campion, Bryce Berryhill)
8:30pm Falling (5min), Wayne McGregor - Going
Somewhere (80min)
(Introduction by director Adriano Cirulli)
Tuesday, January 31
1:30pm Two Seconds After Laughter (16min),
Sand (10min), Black Train Is Coming (3min), Pursuit (4min),
Restaging Shelter (90min)
(Introductions by directors David Rousseve, Cari Ann Shim Sham, John
T. Williams, Amy Campion, Bryce Berryhill)
4:00pm Mis Caminos/My Journey through Dance
(90min)
(Q&A with director David Cabrero)
6:15pm First Position (92min)
(Q&A with director Bess Kargman)
9:00pm DFA Student Competition/Winning Film (5min),
freedom2dance (20min), Check Your Body at the Door (60min)
(Introductions by student winner, director Ina Sotirova and producer
Sally Sommer)
FREE EVENTS
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
Amphitheatre
Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29
12:00PM-5:00PM
Saturday, January 28
12:00pm Meet the Artist: Nuria Font
2:00pm Bench Seat (19min), Come Sit Stay (7min),
Fanfare for a Marching Band (15min), Spring Cleaning (8min)
(Q&A with directors Anna Mastro, Jody
Oberfelder, Danielle Wilmouth, Pooh Kaye)
4:00pm Meet the Artist: Clara van Gool
Sunday, January 29
12:00pm DFA NYC Public School Student Dance Film
Competition (45min)
1:30pm Meet the Artist: Richard Daniels
3:30pm Seven Solos: A Documentary (70min)
(Q&A with director Douglas Rosenberg, dancer Li Chiao-Ping, and
choreographer Molissa Fenley)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Dance Films Association announce
the 40th edition of DANCE ON CAMERA
January 27-31, 2012
Opening Night World Premiere of JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE
will also mark the first collaboration between DFA and Emerging Pictures
New York, NY, November 17, 2011 – The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Dance Films Association are pleased to announce the lineup for the 40th edition of Dance on Camera. The dynamic series will take place from January 27-31 and dance lovers will discover an array of stimulating films, many of them premieres, and diverse disciplines ranging from classical to street – from the refinement of ballet coaching to the intense individuality of club dancing.
The fourteen programs in the series include focuses on peerless international artists such as Natalia Makarova and Robert
Wilson, historic dance presenters and companies such as Jacob’s Pillow, the Joffrey Ballet, and Pilobolus, innovative choreographer Wayne McGregor, and the inspired director Clara van Gool.
“Film is the natural bridge among all the arts, and there is perhaps no greater aesthetic affinity than that which exists between the cinema and dance, two mediums based on motion,” says Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Program Director Richard Pena, “Dance on Camera has become a vital part of our annual offerings, as each year it presents both cutting edge works alongside milestones of the dance/film genre.”
The opening night celebration will launch with the World Premiere of JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE and include attendance by the filmmaker, Bob Hercules, and many members of the cast. The film, and Q&A, will have a
simultaneous premiere for dance enthusiasts in participating theaters across the country and marks the launch of the film’s release by Hybrid Cinema, who is also responsible for spearheading the partnership between DFA and Emerging Pictures for this event. This collaboration also marks the first time that a film has simulcast its world premiere out of a major festival. Audiences across the country will also be able to participate in the Q&A through a live Twitter feed.
Highlights of this year’s DANCE ON CAMERA include FREE “Meet the Artists” forums, which will bring audiences and dance fans up close and personal with established and emerging directors and choreographers. A series of shorts will
also screen free for the public and an exhibit of bold photos and posters by Herbert Migdoll, painter and official photographer for the Joffrey Ballet, will be on view during the month of January, at the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at
Walter Reade Theater.
“This year’s festival coincides with anniversaries for Pilobolus, Jacob’s Pillow, and Eye on Dance. We are thrilled that this festival is proving to be a valuable means of bringing together emerging, as well as established artists to celebrate the multiple ways dance film can inspire artists as well as audiences,” says Deirdre Towers, Festival Curator for Dance Films
Association.
"While Dance on Camera Festival does not adhere to a particular single aesthetic, we try to reach far and wide to find films that connect dance and camera in ways that will surprise and inspire viewers to deepen their interest in both mediums,” says Joanna Ney, co-curator of the festival. "This year's selection offers a diversity of subject, style and genre aimed at the traditionalist as well as the iconoclast.
Dance on Camera, the world’s longest-running and most celebrated event dedicated to the growth and development of dance on film as an art form, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. DFA’s Festival is made possible with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Consulate General of Spain, Cultural Department of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Japan Society, and DFA members.
Tickets go on sale Thursday, January 5, 2012 at the Walter Reade Theater's box office and online at FilmLinc.com. Discounts on tickets are available for students, seniors, Film Society and Dance Film Association members. Everyone can
enjoy special package discounts.
For more information visit FilmLinc.com. Public Screenings will be held at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater (located at 165 West 65th Street) and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center (located at 144 West 65th Street). The photo exhibit is at The Freida and Roy Furman Gallery (located at 165 West 65th Street, adjacent Walter Reade lobby).
FILM DESCRIPTIONS & SCHEDULE FOR THE
2012 DANCE ON CAMERA
OPENING NIGHT
WORLD PREMIERE
JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE
Director: Bob Hercules
Country: USA, 2011, 90min
This insightful documentary, produced by Jay Alix and Una Jackman, examines the life and times of America’s premiere ballet company – The Joffrey Ballet – who daringly combined traditional ballet and modern dance at a time when it was
not routinely accepted. Weaving a wealth of archival footage, behind-the-scene photos and interviews with former and current Joffrey star dancers, director Bob Hercules (BILL T. JONES: A GOOD MAN) documents the struggles and achievements of The Joffrey from its newfound beginnings in 1956 to the company’s present international success.
Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and a host of ballet notables, including Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more, are featured in the film. Narrated by Tony and Academy Award winner Mandy Patinkin, the film is a rich chronicle of a ballet company that continues to reinvent itself, raise the bar and invigorate audiences worldwide.
In addition, for the first time there will be a simultaneous premiere in theaters across the country through Emerging Pictures. This occasion marks the launch of the film’s distribution by Hybrid Cinema who brought DFA and Emerging
Pictures together for this event. The introductions and the Q&A after the Saturday screening will also be streamed live into participating cinemas.
JOFFREY: MAVERICKS OF AMERICAN DANCE will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Friday, January 27 at 8:30PM and Saturday, January 28 at 1:30PM, and stream live during Saturday’s screening at participating cinemas through the Emerging Pictures.
Special appearances for panel discussions will include:
Friday, January 27 at 8:30PM: Moderator Anna Kisselgoff, former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times; Ashley C. Wheater, Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet; Bob Hercules, Director of the film; Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theater and former Joffrey principal; and former Joffrey Ballet principals Brunilda Ruiz and Adam Skulte (currently Artistic Director of Ballet West)
Saturday, January 28 at 1:30PM: Moderator Sasha Anawalt, author of The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Dance Company (published by Scribner's 1996); Bob Hercules, Director of the film; Trinette Singleton, one of original dancers of The Joffrey Ballet, who appeared on Time Magazine’s cover in 1968 for rock ballet "Astarte"; current Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater; and former Joffrey principal Christian Holder
CENTERPIECE
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Director: Susan Seidelman
Country: USA, 2011, 104min
MUSICAL CHAIRS is a romantic tale of two New Yorkers, Armando (EJ Bonilla) from the Bronx, and Mia (Leah Pipes) from the Upper East Side, who come together through their love of ballroom dancing. When a tragic accident puts Mia in a
wheelchair, Armando, along with a group of colorful misfits at the rehab center, dedicates himself to helping Mia dance again by introducing her to the world of competitive wheelchair ballroom dancing.
As she demonstrated in her early 80s hit, DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, Seidelman has a special talent for capturing the city in all it diversity. MUSICAL CHAIRS pulsates with energy and zest, embracing its characters, their conflicts, and their courage.
MUSICAL CHAIRS will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Saturday, January 28 at 8:30PM.
Q&A with director Susan Seidelman to follow the screening.
CLOSING NIGHT
CHECK YOUR BODY AT THE DOOR
Director: Charles Atlas/Michael Schwartz
Country: USA, 2011, 60min
This long awaited documentary produced by Sally Sommer, brings to light the House dance culture that has largely been in the dark. The film includes underground footage culled from the past thirty years, with focuses on shared relationships and histories of some of its major players and master free-stylists. The virtuosity of eclectic urban dance styles and the
personalities of the people who created these moves are revealed.
PRECEDED BY:
DFA Student Film Competition Winner, 5min
freedom2dance, 20min Director: Ina Sotirova - Country: USA, 2011
In 1970s New York, dancing brought needed liberation in tough times. But can the city's underground dance culture continue to thrive after Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's revival of Prohibition-era "Cabaret Laws"?
CHECK YOUR BODY AT THE DOOR (with DFA Student Film Competition Winner and freedom2dance) will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Tuesday, January 31 at 9:00PM.
Introductions by winning student, director Ina Sotirova and producer Sally Sommer.
BALANCHINE IN PARIS
Director: Dominique Delouche
Country: France, 2011, 57min
Drawing on highlights from his previous films on Alicia Markova, Nina
Vyroubova and Violette Verdy, France’s leading chronicler of the process of
ballet coaching adds new footage of former Paris Opera étoile and Balanchine
muse Ghislaine Thesmar. Setting Palais de Cristal with two of the
company’s dancers, she sheds fresh light on the French/American symbiosis that
marked Balanchine’s career. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for students
and fans of his choreography.
PRECEDED BY:
EN DEDANS
Director: Gabrielle Lamb
Country: USA, 2011,10min
A one-of-a-kind film collage that draws on dancers’ dream journals,
choreography, structured improv and spoken text.
FIGMENT
Director: Gabrielle Lamb
Country: USA, 2010, 3min
Paying homage to Joseph Cornell’s mysterious boxes, director Gabrielle Lamb,
an accomplished dancer and filmmaker, chose a vertical aspect ratio to give the
viewer a sense of peering into a box, as if entering a dream world. With musical
accompaniment by Rob Burger.
BALANCHINE IN PARIS (along with EN DEDANS and FIGMENT) will screen at
the Walter Reade Theatre on Saturday, January 28 at 4:00PM and Monday, January
30 at 1:00PM. Introduction by director Gabrielle Lamb and
Q&A with director Dominique Delouche to follow the screening.
COUP DE GRACE
Director: Clara van Gool
Country: Netherlands, 2010, 26min
A masterful screen adaptation of Ölelés (2003), this latest creation by
Clara van Gool (best known for her screen adaptation of DV8’s Enter
Achilles) explores the relationship between two adversaries who meet in a
remote location and engage in a weaponless duel that is marked by extreme
emotions and an intense movement style that oscillates between savage cruelty
and unexpected warmth. These energetic matadors, dancers Jordi Cortes Molina and
Damian Munoz, turn the reunion into a suspenseful drama.
SCREENING WITH:
NUMB CEREMONY
Director: Ninja Miori and Hannes Hagstrand
Country: Sweden, 2011, 5min
The loss of a loved one can produce a feeling of numbness. Thrust together
with others in a similar state, frozen, hooded creatures engage in a ritual.
SCREENING WITH:
LABYRINTH WITHIN
Director: Pontus Lidberg
Country: Sweden, 2010, 28.5min
A haunting take on jealousy, this existential thriller posits a man, a
woman, and an elusive lover in a series of intense duets in a stark apartment
that becomes a fourth character. Performed to a commissioned score by David
Lang with cello performed by Maya Beiser, the work features NYCBallet principal
Wendy Whelan, Giovanni Bucchieri and Pontus Lidberg, a Swedish choreographer
(Rain, Mirror) also known for his work with Morphoses.
SCREENING WITH:
THE SUPREME TASK OF WHIP IT AND ALLELUIA
Director: Jenn Goodwin
Country: Canada, 2010, 5min
Whip It and Alleluia, backup dancers to a second-rate singer with issues,
hold to the supreme task of ensuring the show goes on, at all costs. Performed
by Valerie Calam, Nicola Pantin, Alicia Grant and produced with the support of
Bravo!FACT.
COUP DE GRACE, NUMB CEREMONY, LABYRINTH WITHIN, THE SUPREME TASK OF
WHIP IT AND ALLELUIA will screen at the Walter Reade Theater on Friday, January
27 at 6:00PM and Sunday, January 29 at 1:30PM. Q&A with directors Clara van
Gool and Jenn Goodwin to follow 1/27 screening. Q&A with directors Clara
van Gool, Pontus Lidberg and Jenn Goodwin to follow 1/29 screening.
FINDING BILLY
Director: Joe Locarro
Country: USA, 2012, 70min
This heartwarming documentary reveals the process of finding and casting the
three original boys who played 'Billy' in "Billy Elliot the Musical" on Broadway
and includes interviews with the creative team during the rehearsal process
leading up to its Broadway opening. The documentary aired on Channel 13 in 2008
and was nominated for two Emmy Awards. When the rights reverted to the director,
he added an epilogue that brings the three Billy’s into the present. A tribute
to the perseverance and sacrifice of the kids and their parents, this film now
features new interviews with the multi-talented boys (who all jointly won the
Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for playing ‘Billy’). They will
join director Joe Locarro onstage for a reunion.
PRECEDED BY:
WHITE SHIRT, BLACK TIE, BLACK PANTS XXS
Director: David Schilirio & David Fernandez
Country: USA, 2011, 14min
A spirited behind-the-scenes look at 16 young dancers from Dance Theatre of
Harlem, Joffrey Ballet School, Scarsdale Ballet Studio and Westport's Academy of
Dance rehearsing a piece previously made on dancers of NYCB and ABT and now
transposed for these gifted ballet students. Watching these exuberant girls in
their crisp white shirts, black ties awry, soaring in the air in a grand jeté is
solid proof that America’s budding dance talent is not restricted to Dancing
with the Stars.
FINDING BILLY (with WHITE SHIRT, BLACK TIE, BLACK PANTS XXS) will
screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Sunday, January 29 at 4:00PM. Introduction
by director David Fernandez and Q&A with director Joe Locarro and “Billys” -
David Alvarez, Kiril Kulish, Trent Kowalik to follow the screenings.
FIRST POSITION
Director: Bess Kargman
Country: USA, 2011, 92min
This touching documentary follows six ballet students, aged 9-19, as they
prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, a top competition at which the world's
leading dance companies and schools prospect for new talent. Some of the
delightful youngsters featured include Michaela DePrince, an orphan from Sierra
Leone nurtured by her American mom; Aran Bell, a boy dance wonder from a US
military family; and Joan Sebastian Zamor, a Colombian youth with aspirations
for a career with a classical company. Winner of Jury Prize for Best Film at the
San Francisco Documentary and the audience award at Doc NYC, this is arguably
the best film on the subject of ballet competitions. Sundance Selects will
release the film in the spring.
FIRST POSITION will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on January 31
at 6:15PM. Director Bess Kargman and subjects Aran Bell, pupil
of former Paris Opera principal Denys Ganio, and Michaela DePrince (currently a
student at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of ABT) will attend the
screening. Q&A will with director Bess Kargman to follow
the screening.
MAKAROVA: IN A CLASS OF HER OWN
Director: Derek Bailey
Country: England, 1985, 52min
Natalia Makarova, the legendary prima ballerina whose performances set the
standard for artistry in roles such as Swan Lake’s Odette/Odile and Giselle, to
name a few, demonstrates a touching humility and dedication to her craft in this
intimate video portrait. The director shows her at the barre under the tutelage
of the great pedagogue Irina Yakobsen, in candid conversation with choreographer
Roland Petit; and in the creation of Petit’s ballet ‘“The Blue Angel.”
Shown with: Carmen Pas de Deux and Proust Pas de Deux
Makarova and Denys Ganio (the coach for Aran, one of the subjects of FIRST
POSITION) perform two Roland Petit excerpts from the TV special “Natasha”,
produced and directed by Derek Bailey, England, 1985; 16m. The two excerpts
demonstrate Makarova’s adaptability to new repertory. From Petipa to Petit, she
makes a stunning transformation. (Films excerpts from Makarova’s personal
archive, shown with her permission and with thanks).
MAKAROVA: IN A CLASS OF HER OWN will screen at the Walter Reade
Theatre on Friday, January 27 at 1:30PM. Q&A with Natalia Makarova to follow
the screening.
MIS CAMINOS A TRAVES DE LA DANZA/MY PATHS THROUGH DANCE
Director: Daniel Cabrero
Country: Spain, 2010, 90min
Mariemma, the late classical Spanish dancer renowned for her castanets, her
sophisticated choreography and for elevating the level of dancers’ technique
throughout Spain, toured the world with her pianist and later her full company.
This innovative documentary celebrates the artistry of Mariemma who continued in
the tradition of Spanish dancers Argentina, Argentinita, and Pilar Lopez and
includes visual recreations, rare footage, and interviews. Flamenco dancers
Antonio Canales, Aída Gómez, Joaquín Cortés and Lola Greco, her protégées,
describe Mariemma’s invaluable contribution in the film.
MIS CAMINOS A TRAVES DE LA DANZA will screen at the Walter Reade
Theatre on Sunday, January 29 at 6:15PM and Tuesday, January 31 at 4:00PM.
Q&A with director Daniel Cabrero to follow the screening.
NEVER STAND STILL
Director: Ron Honsa
Country: USA, 2011, 74min
Narrated by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones, this documentary features
performances, conversations with choreographers and dancers, and rare archival
footage, while telling the remarkable story of how an abandoned farm in
Massachusetts evolved into Jacob's Pillow, a premiere showcase for dance,
revered around the world. The illustrious interviewees, who include Judith
Jamison, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Suzanne Farrell, and Frederic Franklin, as
well as Merce Cunningham, all sing their praises of this important presenter and
educator, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, founded by the pioneer Ted Shawn in
1933.
NEVER STAND STILL will screen at The Walter Reade Theatre in a
private gala on January 20th and for the public on Friday, January 27 at 3:30PM.
Q&A with director Ron Honsa to follow the screening.
ORA
Director: Philippe Baylaucq
Country: Canada, 2011, 15min
ORA is the first film to use 3D thermal imaging, showcasing luminous
bodies emerging from a single dividing cell. What ensues is akin to the first
human steps - the discovery of the body and its relation to space. Choreographer
José Navas and filmmaker Philippe Baylaucq create a new cinematic sensation.
SCREENING WITH:
EYE ON DANCE: Interview with Moses Pendleton and Jonathan
Wolken
Director: Richard Sheridan
Country: USA, 1987, 28min
Recorded in December 1986 at WNYC studios, this interview of Pilobolus
charter members Moses Pentleton and Jonathan Wolken originally aired on February
6, 1987, marking their first joint appearance since their public breakup.
Although conflicted over being reunited, they cover a wide array of topics
together about the charter’s beginnings, including the influence of Alwin
Nikolais and Murray Louis on their aesthetic, and their early experiments at
Dartmouth with Allison Chase. Producer/Host Ipiotis manages to keep these
irrepressibles under control, while exploring the deep partnership that helped
lead to the creation of one of America’s leading contemporary dance
companies.
Co-produced by Jeff Bush.
SCREENING WITH:
STILL MOVING: PILOBOLUS AT 40 (Fine Cut)
Director: Jeffrey Ruoff
Country: USA, 2012, 38min
In the summer of 2010, on the eve of their 40th anniversary, the modern
dance company Pilobolus returned to the Hopkins Center for the Arts of Dartmouth
College for a world premiere of Hapless Hooligan in Still Moving, a
collaboration with graphic artist Art Spiegelman. This documentary charts the
lifecycle of this company, whose founders were students together at Dartmouth,
and its evolution, transformation, and regeneration.
ORA, EYE ON DANCE, STILL MOVING: PILOBOLUS AT FORTY will screen at
the Walter Reade Theatre on Saturday, January 28 at 6:15PM. Introductions by
directors Philippe Baylaucq, Jeffrey Ruoff and Eye on Dance’s Celia
Ipiotis.
THE SPACE IN BACK OF YOU
Director: Richard Rutkowski
Country: USA, 2011, 65min
This visual and visceral documentary travels more than 20 years, from Japan
to New York City and back to Japan again, in pursuit of the creative life of
Suzushi Hanayagi, a powerful, innovative, radical Japanese dancer and
choreographer. Constantly willing to experiment, Hanayagi challenged her art
form and herself well into her ‘70s. From the discipline of early Japanese
traditional dance to her decades of modern performance, this bold indominatable
woman uniquely bridged East and West, choreographing works that expanded what
classical or modern dance is and could be. Her life and influence is examined in
detail with theater legend Robert Wilson who collaborated with her for over
twenty years and found her suffering from Alzheimer’s in an old-age home. With
cameras in tow, he re-connects with her, and he and his troup create their
homage to her for premiere at New York’s Guggenheim Museum. The film is a final
collaboration between a great teacher and her most renowned student.
PRECEDED BY:
LA FEMME A LA CAFETIERE
Director: Robert Wilson
Country: France, 1989, 7min
Inspired by a painting of the same title by Paul Cézanne, Wilson wittily
conveys the boredom of the figure within the frame, as she passes her time,
nibbling sweets, unmoved by the changes around her until she must relinquish her
place to a successor. Co-produced by the Musèe d'Orsay, INA, and La September,
performed by Suzushi Hanayagi and Consuelo de Haviland.
THE SPACE IN BACK OF YOU and LA FEMME A LA CAFETIERE will screen at
The Walter Reade Theatre on Sunday, January 29, 8:45PM and Monday, January 30 at
3:30PM. Q&A to follow both screenings with director Richard
Rutkowski.
TWO SECONDS AFTER LAUGHTER
Director: David Rousseve
Country: USA, 2011, 16min
Weaving stunning cinematography shot in Java by Cari Shim Sham, traditional
Indonesian dance, postmodern gesture performed by Sri Susilowati, original
Sudanese music, and a potent narrative, this stunning film creates a
border-jumping dialogue on a universal irony: The heart longs most for the place
called home to which it can never return.
SCREENING WITH:
SAND
Director: Cari Ann Shim Sham
Country: USA, 2010, 10min
A rhythmic and visual study, this engaging short looks at a tradition being
passed down from father to son. Sand dance stems from turn of the 20th century
vaudevillian and traveling shows. With only a handful of people still performing
it, this dance is a rare archive of the transference of sand dance or "passin'
the sand", from one generation to the next. Featuring emerging tap dance artist
Kenji Igus and his father Darrow.
SCREENING WITH:
BLACK TRAIN IS COMING
Director: John T. Williams
Country: USA, 2011, 3min
Inspired by a 1920’s sermon about Hell and Damnation by preacher Rev J. M.
Gates, this short blends old time religion with modern day Flex and Turf dance
styles choreographed and performed by ENinja and Joyntz Scott to create a
winner.
SCREENING WITH:
PURSUIT
Director: Amy Campion
Country: USA, 2011, 4min
Parkour artist Danni G races down the sidewalk, flies over obstacles and
careens through crowds of breakdancers, salsa dancers and krumpers.
SCREENING WITH:
RE-STAGING SHELTER
Director: Bruce Berryhill & Martha Curtis
Country: USA, 2011, 29min
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder of Urban Bush Women created “Shelter” in
1988 in response to the plight of the homeless in New York City. In the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a new version of Shelter was created
and then reconstructed for Virginia Commonwealth University dance majors. The
dancers were challenged to look at issues of displacement and what Zollar calls
"An Actor’s Process through a Dancer’s Body." In a 1990 review in The New
York Times, Jennifer Dunning wrote, "Zollar's 'Shelter' is so filled with
compassion and anger that it becomes a powerful incantation against the evils of
obliviousness and neglect."
TWO SECONDS AFTER LAUGHTER, SAND, BLACK TRAIN IS COMING, PURSUIT,
RE-STAGING SHELTER will screen at the Walter Reade Theatre on Monday, January 30
at 6:00PM and Tuesday, January 31 at 1:30PM. Introductions by directors David
Rousseve, Cari Ann Shim Sham, John T. Williams, Amy Campion and Bruce
Berryhill.
WAYNE MCGREGOR - GOING SOMEWHERE
Director: Catherine Maximoff
Country: France, 2011, 80min
British choreographer Wayne McGregor is a movement explorer who has been
enormously influential abroad and gaining a following in the U.S. through his
touring company Random Dance. Now, the resident choreographer of the Royal
Ballet, he has created a style noted for its elasticity and extreme physicality.
Director Maximoff has filmed this risk-taking scientist of the dance as he
rehearses dancers from Random, the Royal Ballet and local high school students.
Visiting neurologists confirm how his creativity has rippled through realms
beyond the arts.
PRECEDED BY:
FALLING
Director: Adriano Cirulli
Country: England, 2011, 5min
A push/pull of dancers and gravity, made by an artist who has created visual
effects for 18 commercial projects including MERLIN, the TV series.
WAYNE MCGREGOR - GOING SOMEWHERE (with FALLING) will screen at the
Walter Reade Theatre on Monday, January 30 at 8:30pm.
Introduction by FALLING director Adriano Cirulli and Q&A to
follow.
SPECIAL FREE PANELS/CONVERSATIONS
Location: Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
Saturday, January 28 - Sunday January 29, 12:00PM -
5:00PM
Meet the Artist: Clara van Gool
Appearing courtesy of the Cultural Department of the Consulate General of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dutch filmmaker Clara van Gool (ENTER ACHILLES,
NUSSIN, BITINGS AND OTHER EFFECTS) has had a steady stream of winning dance
films, including this year’s premiere at DOCF - COUP DE GRACE. DOCF Curator
Deirdre Towers will interview van Gool about her approach, her philosophy, and
her collaborators.
Clara van Gool will speak on Saturday, January 28,
4:00PM.
Meet the Artist: Nuria Font
Appearing courtesy of the Consulate General of Spain and Institut Ramon
Llull, filmmaker/producer Nuria Font has been running Mostra de VideoDansa, a
Spanish biannual dance film festival for twenty years, and her own production
company Nu2 since 2003. She has been a galvanizing force for dance on camera,
commissioning films from Spanish artists, exhibiting them internationally, and
conducting research into the field. She will present excerpts from: ESCENARI
(1995), PEIX (1995), DIVADLO (2000), as well as a work-in-progress of her
own.
Nuria Font presentation and conversation on Saturday, January 28,
12:00PM.
Meet the Artist: Richard Daniels
Modern dance now has a new performance space accessible anywhere in the
world with the touch of a finger - the iPhone, with a free app called Dances for
an iPhone, created by choreographer/videographer Richard Daniels. He will
present four solos from Vol 4 set to music by Scriabin, demonstrate how the app
works, and converse, as moderated by Norton Owen, with some of the dancers who
appear in videos. Anticipated participants include Molissa Fenley, David
Leventhal, Barbara Mahler, Risa Steinberg, and Christine Wright.
Richard Daniels and panel discussion on Sunday, January 29,
1:30PM.
SHORTS PROGRAM
Location: Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
BENCH SEAT
Director: Anna Mastro
Country: USA, 2011,19min
A classic love story with a musical twist choreographed by Chris Judd and
written by Neil LaBute, this film catches a young couple on the verge of either
moving forward or breaking up. While the girl envisions a happy future with her
boyfriend, he imagines quite the reverse.
COME SIT STAY
Director: Jody Oberfelder
Country: USA, 2010, 7min
A man confuses his girlfriend with a dog, expecting loyalty and obedience.
Playfulness turns to violence and fantasy, leaving questions as to who is man’s
best friend.
FANFARE for MARCHING BAND
Director: Danielle Wilmouth
Country: USA, 2011, 15min
Saturated colors, exuberant music, and ecstatic choreography fail to engage
an immobilized public. The efforts of this ragtag musical militia fall on deaf
ears until.....
PLAY HOUSE
Director: Ruben van Leer
Country: Netherlands, 2011, 3min
The song is a shout-out for emancipation, with an experimental video created
with a fusion of pop-culture, dance and technology.
SPRING CLEANING
Director: Pooh Kaye
Country: USA, 2011, 8min
Choreographer and film-maker, Pooh Kaye’s alter-ego ‘Wild Girl’, performed
by Alex Clack, has a busy day weeding the dandelions, digging in the earth and
swimming with the local beavers.
BENCH SEAT, COME SIT STAY, FANFARE for MARCHING BAND, PLAY HOUSE,
SPRING CLEANING will screen on Saturday, January 28 at 2:00PM. Q&A to follow
with directors Anna Mastro, Jody Oberfelder, Danielle Wilmouth, Pooh
Kaye.
SEVEN SOLOS: A Documentary
Director: Douglas Rosenberg
Country: USA, 2011, 60min
This documentary follows the process of dancer Li Chiao-Ping as she prepares
to perform the work of seven postmodern choreographers including Elizabeth
Streb, Heidi Latsky, June Watanabe, Victoria Marks, Cynthia Adams, Molissa
Fenley and Bebe Miller. Li immerses herself in the choreographic language of
each choreographer as she learns the solos created specifically for her.
SEVEN SOLOS will screen on Sunday, January 29 at 3:30PM. Q&A with
director Douglas Rosenberg, subject Li Chiao-Ping, and Molissa Fenley to follow
the screening.
FURMAN GALLERY PHOTO EXHIBIT
Dance on Camera is accompanied by a colorful photo exhibit in the Freida and
Roy Furman Gallery by Herbert Migdoll, painter and official photographer for the
Joffrey Ballet. The exhibit highlights “Joffrey’s Carousel: Celebrating 50 Years
of Dance,” a photographic parade of Joffrey’s dancers in costume, representing
the company’s classical and contemporary repertory. The multiple images on
panels were shot in 1996 at Chicago’s Navy Pier’s famed outdoor carousel.
30 YEARS OF EYE ON DANCE
Editor: Celia Ipiotis
Country: USA, 2010, 23 min
Highlights from the cable interview program include clips of some of the
brightest dance stars in all disciplines interviewed by producer and host Celia
Ipiotis. Some of the astonishing subjects being interviewed include Alvin Ailey,
Agnes de Mille, Lloyd Newson, Edward Villela, Glen Tetley, Jimmy Slyde, Doug
Varone, Yvonne Rainer and Sara Rudner, and many more.
*Will be featured in the Furman Gallery also
PUBLIC SCREENING SCHEDULE FOR DANCE ON CAMERA
2012
Friday, January 27
1:30pm Makarova: In A Class of her Own (52min)
(Q&A with Natalia Makarova)
3:30pm Never Stand Still (74min)
(Q&A with director Ron Hosa)
6:00pm Coup de Grace (26min), Numb Ceremony (5min),
The Supreme Task of Whip it & Alleluia (5min), Labyrinth Within
(28min)
(Q&A with directors Clara van Gool and Jenn Goodwin)
8:30pm Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
(90min)
(Panel discussion with moderator Anna Kisselgoff,
former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times; Ashley C. Wheater, Artistic
Director of the Joffrey Ballet; Bob Hercules, Director of the film; Kevin
McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theater and former Joffrey
principal; former Joffrey Ballet principals Brunilda Ruiz and Adam Sklute,
current Artistic Director of Ballet West)
Saturday, January 28
1:30pm Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
(90min)
(Panel discussion with moderator Sasha Anawalt,
author of The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the making of an American Dance
Company (published by Scribner's 1996); Bob Hercules, Director of the film;
Trinette Singleton, one of original dancers of The Joffrey Ballet, who appeared
on Time Magazine’s cover in 1968 for rock ballet "Astarte"; current Artistic
Director Ashley C. Wheater; former Joffrey principal Christian
Holder)
4:00pm En Dedans (10min), Figment (3min), Balanchine
in Paris (57min)
(Introduction by director Gabrielle Lamb, Q&A with director
Dominique Delouche)
6:15pm Ora (15min), Eye on Dance: Interview
with Moses Pendleton and Jonathan Wolken (28min), Still Moving:
Pilobolus at 40 (38min)
(Introduction by directors Philippe Baylaucq and Jeffrey Ruoff, and
Eye on Dance’s Celia Ipiotis)
8:30pm Musical Chairs (104min)
(Q&A with director Susan Seidelman)
Sunday, January 29
1:30pm Coup de Grace (26min), Numb Ceremony (5min),
The Supreme Task of Whip it & Alleluia (5min), Labyrinth Within
(29min)
(Q&A with directors Clara van Gool, Jenn Goodwin and Pontus
Lidberg)
4:00pm White Shirt, Black Tie, Black Pants XXS
(14min), Finding Billy (70min)
(Introduction by director David Fernandez, Q&A with director Joe
Locarro and “Billys” David Alvarez, Kiril Kulish, Trent Kowalik)
6:15pm Mis Caminos a traves de la Danza (My Paths
through Dance) (90min)
(Q&A with director David Cabrero)
8:45pm La Femme à la Cafetière (7min), The Space in
Back of You (65min)
(Q&A with director Richard Rutkowski)
Monday, January 30
1:00pm En Dedans (10min), Figment (3min), Balanchine
in Paris (57min)
(Introductions by directors Gabrielle Lamb and Dominique
Delouche)
3:30pm La Femme à la Cafetière (7min), The Space in
Back of You (65min)
(Q&A with director Richard Rutkowski)
6:00pm Two Seconds After Laughter (16min),
Sand (10min), Black Train Is Coming (3min), Pursuit (4min),
Re-staging Shelter (90min)
(Introductions by directors David Rousseve, Cari Ann Shim Sham, John
T. Williams, Amy Campion, Bryce Berryhill)
8:30pm Falling (5min), Wayne McGregor - Going
Somewhere (80min)
(Introduction by director Adriano Cirulli)
Tuesday, January 31
1:30pm Two Seconds After Laughter (16min),
Sand (10min), Black Train Is Coming (3min), Pursuit (4min),
Restaging Shelter (90min)
(Introductions by directors David Rousseve, Cari Ann Shim Sham, John
T. Williams, Amy Campion, Bryce Berryhill)
4:00pm Mis Caminos/My Journey through Dance
(90min)
(Q&A with director David Cabrero)
6:15pm First Position (92min)
(Q&A with director Bess Kargman)
9:00pm DFA Student Competition/Winning Film (5min),
freedom2dance (20min), Check Your Body at the Door (60min)
(Introductions by student winner, director Ina Sotirova and producer
Sally Sommer)
FREE EVENTS
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center
Amphitheatre
Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29
12:00PM-5:00PM
Saturday, January 28
12:00pm Meet the Artist: Nuria Font
2:00pm Bench Seat (19min), Come Sit Stay (7min),
Fanfare for a Marching Band (15min), Spring Cleaning (8min)
(Q&A with directors Anna Mastro, Jody
Oberfelder, Danielle Wilmouth, Pooh Kaye)
4:00pm Meet the Artist: Clara van Gool
Sunday, January 29
12:00pm DFA NYC Public School Student Dance Film
Competition (45min)
1:30pm Meet the Artist: Richard Daniels
3:30pm Seven Solos: A Documentary (70min)
(Q&A with director Douglas Rosenberg, dancer Li Chiao-Ping, and
choreographer Molissa Fenley)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Press release
SCREEN MEDIA presents
JIG
Directed by Sue Bourne
JIG is the remarkable story of the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships, held in March 2010 in Glasgow.
Three thousand dancers, their families and teachers from around the globe descend upon Glasgow for one drama filled week. Clad in wigs, make up, fake tan, diamantes and dresses costing thousands of pounds they compete for the coveted world titles. A year of incredibly hard work for just a few tense minutes on stage.
This feature length documentary was given access for the very first time to the little known world of competitive Irish Dancing. Wonderful characters of all ages from across the globe….Ireland, Holland, Britain, America and Russia. JIG discovers a world of dedication, hard work, obsession, passion.
Success and failure. And astonishing talents pushed to their limits in the quest for perfection.
With financial backing from BBC Scotland and Creative Scotland award‐winning filmmaker Sue Bourne went behind the normally closed doors of Irish Dancing and found a remarkable world.
Running Time: 93 minutes
Rating: “PG” by the MPAA
Official Website: www.jig-the-film.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jig-The-Irish-Dancing-Documentary/148245595204375
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jigthefilm
* * * 2011 Hot Docs Official Selection and Top Ten Audience Favorite * * *
JIG will open on Friday, June 17th at the following theaters:
NEW YORK: Quad Cinema (34 West 13th Street)
LOS ANGELES: Laemmle Sunset 5 (8000 Sunset Blvd)
BOSTON: Stuart Street Playhouse (200 Stuart Street)
CHICAGO: Beverly Arts Center (2407 West 111th Street)
TORONTO: Royal Theater (608 College Street)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SCREEN MEDIA presents
JIG
Directed by Sue Bourne
JIG is the remarkable story of the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships, held in March 2010 in Glasgow.
Three thousand dancers, their families and teachers from around the globe descend upon Glasgow for one drama filled week. Clad in wigs, make up, fake tan, diamantes and dresses costing thousands of pounds they compete for the coveted world titles. A year of incredibly hard work for just a few tense minutes on stage.
This feature length documentary was given access for the very first time to the little known world of competitive Irish Dancing. Wonderful characters of all ages from across the globe….Ireland, Holland, Britain, America and Russia. JIG discovers a world of dedication, hard work, obsession, passion.
Success and failure. And astonishing talents pushed to their limits in the quest for perfection.
With financial backing from BBC Scotland and Creative Scotland award‐winning filmmaker Sue Bourne went behind the normally closed doors of Irish Dancing and found a remarkable world.
Running Time: 93 minutes
Rating: “PG” by the MPAA
Official Website: www.jig-the-film.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jig-The-Irish-Dancing-Documentary/148245595204375
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jigthefilm
* * * 2011 Hot Docs Official Selection and Top Ten Audience Favorite * * *
JIG will open on Friday, June 17th at the following theaters:
NEW YORK: Quad Cinema (34 West 13th Street)
LOS ANGELES: Laemmle Sunset 5 (8000 Sunset Blvd)
BOSTON: Stuart Street Playhouse (200 Stuart Street)
CHICAGO: Beverly Arts Center (2407 West 111th Street)
TORONTO: Royal Theater (608 College Street)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Advance DVD press release
Frederick Wiseman's
LA DANSE: LE BALLET DE L'OPÉRA DE PARIS
Now on DVD as a 2-Disc Set (158 minutes)
Special price: $32
Click here to order online
Expected delivery time: approximately 2 weeks from date of order. All orders shipped by UPS Ground.
Your credit card will not be charged until your order is shipped.
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Frederick Wiseman's
LA DANSE: LE BALLET DE L'OPÉRA DE PARIS
Now on DVD as a 2-Disc Set (158 minutes)
Special price: $32
Click here to order online
Expected delivery time: approximately 2 weeks from date of order. All orders shipped by UPS Ground.
Your credit card will not be charged until your order is shipped.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2010 DANCE-on-Film ARCHIVES
Report from ON Demand Weekly
Dance Off Thanksgiving With Billy Blanks Jr. (VOD Hidden Gem)
12/16/10 (Available till Jan. 3, 2011)
Every Thursday, media savant T Tara Turk goes deep inside cable TV to reveal Video On Demand's Hidden Gems so even the busiest of our readers can get the most out of On Demand TV. Tell Tara what VOD shows you think deserves her attention...
__Billy Banks, Jr. Dance With Me Groove and Burn Disco (VOD Hidden Gem) _
To go along with last week's Thanksgiving dining I thought it would be nice to balance out that Pumpkin Martini and Turkey Terrific sandwich with a little bit of cardio. Wait, before I lose you, I'm not talking about mindless step step step or the boring treadmill. I'm talking a little groove from an expected source.
Hopefully you remember (even in your quietest moments) the days when Tae Bo swept the nation faster than you could say "Hammertime." Well, Billy Blanks has given yet another gift to the exercise world. Billy Blanks, Jr.!
Billy Blanks, Jr. has come out with a series of dance related cardio workouts that go way beyond the Janet Jackson headset and Jim Kelly kicks his dad made famous. No, he didn't go straight Madonna but BBJ has managed to come up with a set of fun dance moves in "Dance With Me Groove and Burn Disco."
Watching BBJ and his gang of happy dancers is actually kind of infectious. First we start with a little body pop, moving on to a hustle and throwing in some 80s snake moves just to keep it fresh. Did I wipe my face with sweat? No, but I had fun feeling like I was doing my own little Soul Train line.
BBJ is fun, light and surprisingly coordinated. It takes a strong man to do a kick-ball-change with a straight face and I'm not mad at him. This video would be great for somebody who wants a very light cardio workout and just wants to get the body going. You are not, I repeat, NOT going to look like Madonna doing this video a few times. And, I beg of you, don't do these
moves at a party unless it's a themed party where Rerun from "What's Happening" would've been right at home (RIP Rerun).
BBJ might have a good thing going on with his dance themed cardio workouts since they aren't super hard and kind of fun and silly. Is it wrong that I can't wait to see the Bollywood one?
- T. Tara Turk
http://ondemandweekly.com/blog/article/real_estate_intervention_-_hgtv_on_demand_vod_hidden_gem
mailto:[email protected]
T. Tara Turk is a novelist/playwright/screenwriter, living in LA with her boyfriend and dog - all three successful TV addicts. You can find her at www.ttaraturk.com or follow her on Twitter @ttaraturk._
Billy Blanks Jr. Dance With Me Groove and Burn Disco Available until 1/3/11 on Exercise TV On Demand / 15 minutes / TV PG
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Dance Off Thanksgiving With Billy Blanks Jr. (VOD Hidden Gem)
12/16/10 (Available till Jan. 3, 2011)
Every Thursday, media savant T Tara Turk goes deep inside cable TV to reveal Video On Demand's Hidden Gems so even the busiest of our readers can get the most out of On Demand TV. Tell Tara what VOD shows you think deserves her attention...
__Billy Banks, Jr. Dance With Me Groove and Burn Disco (VOD Hidden Gem) _
To go along with last week's Thanksgiving dining I thought it would be nice to balance out that Pumpkin Martini and Turkey Terrific sandwich with a little bit of cardio. Wait, before I lose you, I'm not talking about mindless step step step or the boring treadmill. I'm talking a little groove from an expected source.
Hopefully you remember (even in your quietest moments) the days when Tae Bo swept the nation faster than you could say "Hammertime." Well, Billy Blanks has given yet another gift to the exercise world. Billy Blanks, Jr.!
Billy Blanks, Jr. has come out with a series of dance related cardio workouts that go way beyond the Janet Jackson headset and Jim Kelly kicks his dad made famous. No, he didn't go straight Madonna but BBJ has managed to come up with a set of fun dance moves in "Dance With Me Groove and Burn Disco."
Watching BBJ and his gang of happy dancers is actually kind of infectious. First we start with a little body pop, moving on to a hustle and throwing in some 80s snake moves just to keep it fresh. Did I wipe my face with sweat? No, but I had fun feeling like I was doing my own little Soul Train line.
BBJ is fun, light and surprisingly coordinated. It takes a strong man to do a kick-ball-change with a straight face and I'm not mad at him. This video would be great for somebody who wants a very light cardio workout and just wants to get the body going. You are not, I repeat, NOT going to look like Madonna doing this video a few times. And, I beg of you, don't do these
moves at a party unless it's a themed party where Rerun from "What's Happening" would've been right at home (RIP Rerun).
BBJ might have a good thing going on with his dance themed cardio workouts since they aren't super hard and kind of fun and silly. Is it wrong that I can't wait to see the Bollywood one?
- T. Tara Turk
http://ondemandweekly.com/blog/article/real_estate_intervention_-_hgtv_on_demand_vod_hidden_gem
mailto:[email protected]
T. Tara Turk is a novelist/playwright/screenwriter, living in LA with her boyfriend and dog - all three successful TV addicts. You can find her at www.ttaraturk.com or follow her on Twitter @ttaraturk._
Billy Blanks Jr. Dance With Me Groove and Burn Disco Available until 1/3/11 on Exercise TV On Demand / 15 minutes / TV PG
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DVD Publicity release
FIRST RUN FEATURES TO RELEASE
“DANCING ACROSS BORDERS”
ON DVD AND BLU-RAY DECEMBER 7, 2010
New York (November 23, 2010) – First Run Features is pleased to announce the DVD and BLU-RAY release of DANCING ACROSS BORDERS on December 7, 2010.
DANCING ACROSS BORDERS is the intimate and triumphant story of Sokvannara "Sy" Sar, who as a young man in Cambodia was dancing with a small troupe in Angkor Wat when Anne Bass, a longtime patron of dance in America, saw him perform. Bass was so taken with Sy's talent and potential that she arranged for him to come to New York and audition for the prestigious School of American Ballet.
What unfolds in DANCING ACROSS BORDERS is a tentative negotiation between Sy and the world of American ballet and culture. From the serene countryside of Southeast Asia to the high-powered rehearsal studios of New York, and finally to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, the film follows Sy's unusual development as a dancer and offers an astonishing, behind-the-scenes look into the world of American ballet.
At its heart, DANCING ACROSS BORDERS is an extraordinary story of growth, adaptation, and belonging - and a window into the development of talent at the highest level and the mastery of an art form.
First Run Features released DANCING ACROSS BORDERS theatrically in 30 cities on March 26, 2010.
First Run Features released DANCING ACROSS BORDERS on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on December 7, 2010. The DVD will be available for $27.95 SRP and on Blu-ray for $34.95 SRP at all major retailers.
“DANCING ACROSS BORDERS” Specifications:
Street Date: December 7, 2010
Genre: Documentary
Run Time: 88 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Sound: Optional 5.1 Surround Sound
DVD SRP: $27.95
Blu-ray SRP: $34.95
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Closed Captioning included
Bonus Materials include:
•Recent performance footage of Sokvannara Sar - Pacific Northwest Ballet; 2009
•Selected performances from the film
--Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux
--Square Dance
--La Sylphide
--Coppelia
--La Sonnambula
--On the Other Side
•Interview with Anne Bass, Director
DP 30 Interview with David Poland - Publisher, Movie City News -Los Angeles, April 14, 2010
•Photo gallery
About First Run Features
First Run Features has been a leading indie film distributor since 1979.
Last year the company celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a retrospective at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Recent releases include the Academy Award-nominated documentary THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS, Joe Berlinger's CRUDE, and KINGS OF PASTRY, from filmmaking legends DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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FIRST RUN FEATURES TO RELEASE
“DANCING ACROSS BORDERS”
ON DVD AND BLU-RAY DECEMBER 7, 2010
New York (November 23, 2010) – First Run Features is pleased to announce the DVD and BLU-RAY release of DANCING ACROSS BORDERS on December 7, 2010.
DANCING ACROSS BORDERS is the intimate and triumphant story of Sokvannara "Sy" Sar, who as a young man in Cambodia was dancing with a small troupe in Angkor Wat when Anne Bass, a longtime patron of dance in America, saw him perform. Bass was so taken with Sy's talent and potential that she arranged for him to come to New York and audition for the prestigious School of American Ballet.
What unfolds in DANCING ACROSS BORDERS is a tentative negotiation between Sy and the world of American ballet and culture. From the serene countryside of Southeast Asia to the high-powered rehearsal studios of New York, and finally to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, the film follows Sy's unusual development as a dancer and offers an astonishing, behind-the-scenes look into the world of American ballet.
At its heart, DANCING ACROSS BORDERS is an extraordinary story of growth, adaptation, and belonging - and a window into the development of talent at the highest level and the mastery of an art form.
First Run Features released DANCING ACROSS BORDERS theatrically in 30 cities on March 26, 2010.
First Run Features released DANCING ACROSS BORDERS on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on December 7, 2010. The DVD will be available for $27.95 SRP and on Blu-ray for $34.95 SRP at all major retailers.
“DANCING ACROSS BORDERS” Specifications:
Street Date: December 7, 2010
Genre: Documentary
Run Time: 88 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Sound: Optional 5.1 Surround Sound
DVD SRP: $27.95
Blu-ray SRP: $34.95
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Closed Captioning included
Bonus Materials include:
•Recent performance footage of Sokvannara Sar - Pacific Northwest Ballet; 2009
•Selected performances from the film
--Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux
--Square Dance
--La Sylphide
--Coppelia
--La Sonnambula
--On the Other Side
•Interview with Anne Bass, Director
DP 30 Interview with David Poland - Publisher, Movie City News -Los Angeles, April 14, 2010
•Photo gallery
About First Run Features
First Run Features has been a leading indie film distributor since 1979.
Last year the company celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a retrospective at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Recent releases include the Academy Award-nominated documentary THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS, Joe Berlinger's CRUDE, and KINGS OF PASTRY, from filmmaking legends DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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Publicity release - SALE ENDS Nov. 30, 2010
NOVEMBER 2010 We're getting our dance on this month with two new dance films and a dance sale to boot!
Now available on DVD are Dancing Dreams, a moving portait of choreographer Pina Bausch, and Dancing Across Borders (also available on Blu-ray), the triumphant story of a young Cambodian who travels to the U.S. to study ballet.
As for the aforementioned Dance Sale, our entire collection of dance films - including this month's new releases - is 35% off through the end of the month.
Our Box Set Sale is still on as well, with all titles 35-60% off. Snag something you've had your eye on at an unbeatable price, or get a headstart on your holiday shopping. From The Ross McElwee Collection to The Up Series toThe Art of Ballet, many of our box sets make great gifts!
COMING SOON TO THEATERS
Also new this month is Eyes Wide Open, a haunting Israeli drama about forbidden love.
EYES WIDE OPEN
Aaron is a dedicated husband and father in Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox community. But when he meets and falls in love with a handsome young student, guilt, torment and community pressure lead him to make a radical decision.
DANCING DREAMS
In 2008, world-famous dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch selected 40 teenagers who had never heard her name to be part of her dance piece Contact Zone. For 10 months, the dancers discover Bausch’s genius and their own bodies.
DANCING ACROSS BORDERS
This is the intimate story of Sokvannara “Sy” Sar who, with the help of American dance patron Anne Bass, left his troupe in Cambodia to audition for the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOVEMBER 2010 We're getting our dance on this month with two new dance films and a dance sale to boot!
Now available on DVD are Dancing Dreams, a moving portait of choreographer Pina Bausch, and Dancing Across Borders (also available on Blu-ray), the triumphant story of a young Cambodian who travels to the U.S. to study ballet.
As for the aforementioned Dance Sale, our entire collection of dance films - including this month's new releases - is 35% off through the end of the month.
Our Box Set Sale is still on as well, with all titles 35-60% off. Snag something you've had your eye on at an unbeatable price, or get a headstart on your holiday shopping. From The Ross McElwee Collection to The Up Series toThe Art of Ballet, many of our box sets make great gifts!
COMING SOON TO THEATERS
Also new this month is Eyes Wide Open, a haunting Israeli drama about forbidden love.
EYES WIDE OPEN
Aaron is a dedicated husband and father in Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox community. But when he meets and falls in love with a handsome young student, guilt, torment and community pressure lead him to make a radical decision.
DANCING DREAMS
In 2008, world-famous dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch selected 40 teenagers who had never heard her name to be part of her dance piece Contact Zone. For 10 months, the dancers discover Bausch’s genius and their own bodies.
DANCING ACROSS BORDERS
This is the intimate story of Sokvannara “Sy” Sar who, with the help of American dance patron Anne Bass, left his troupe in Cambodia to audition for the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Anne Bass' DANCING ACROSS BORDERS opens in NYC on March 26, 2010!!! (Docu)
Press release
FIRST RUN FEATURES to Release
dancing across borders
Feature Documentary by Anne Bass about a Young Man’s Journey
from Cambodia to the Ballet Stage in America
Coming to Theaters Nationwide in Spring 2010
First Run Features has acquired all North American rights to the new feature documentary Dancing Across Borders, which chronicles the intimate and triumphant story of Sokvannara Sar who was discovered in Cambodia and brought to the ballet stage in America. First Run will release the film beginning March 26 in New York, with other major cities to follow.
On a trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia, in 2000, Anne Bass came across sixteen-year-old Sokvannara (Sy) Sar performing in a temple with a traditional Cambodian dance group. His amazing natural charm and grace as a dancer moved her immensely; even after returning to America the memory of Sy’s performance and remarkable abilities lingered.
A longtime patron of dance in the U.S., Bass decided to offer this young man the opportunity to leave his home and follow a dream that he could not yet have fully imagined. She asked the World Monuments Fund, who helped sponsor Sy’s dance troupe, to contact his teacher and parents to find out if Sy would like to visit New York where Anne could introduce Sy to the world of ballet and see if he had an interest in auditioning for the prestigious School of American Ballet (SAB).
Sy arrived in New York at sixteen without any classical ballet training and was initially turned down at SAB, and so after studying privately with legendary ballet teacher, Olga Kostritzky, the head of the boys program at SAB, Sy auditioned and was accepted to study at SAB. When Sy arrived at SAB most of his peers had already been training for at least six years. Sy studied at SAB for five years and when he finished his training there Peter Boal, a principal dancer with New York City Ballet and one of Sy’s instructors at SAB, became the artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) and invited Sy to join the PNB School’s Professional Division, where he eventually became an apprentice and joined the corps de ballet. Shortly after joining PNB Sy also entered and reached the semi finals of the International Ballet Competition at Varna, Bulgaria, the world’s oldest and most prestigious ballet competition.
What unfolds in Dancing Across Borders is a tentative negotiation between Sy and the world of American ballet and culture—from the serene countryside of Southeast Asia to the halls of New York’s School of American Ballet to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. The film follows Sy’s training and development as a dancer through footage that was shot originally to inform his parents of his progress in America, and it offers a remarkable behind-the-scenes look into the world of ballet. At its heart, Dancing Across Borders is an extraordinary story of growth, adaptation, and belonging as well as of the development of talent and the mastery of an art form.
Dancing Across Borders features a remarkable real-life cast of performers and others involved in the arts, including Olga Kostritzky, Jock Soto, Peter Boal, Philip Glass and more.
Director/Producer Anne Bass has a long history of involvement in the arts and Cambodia. She has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committees of the Fort Worth Ballet (where she founded the company’s ballet school), the New York City Ballet, the School of American Ballet, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. She is also on the board of the American Friends of the Paris Opera Ballet.
In Cambodia, Bass is Vice President of the Board of the Center for Khmer Studies. In 2006, working with the Center and with The Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library, Bass created the Khmer Dance Project which will film and document the dance of the Khmer people as it is practiced and remembered by Khmer dancers today. Bass is a graduate of Vassar College and is a former contributing editor of Vogue and House and Garden. In addition, she was a member of President Reagan’s Task Force on the Arts. Dancing Across Borders is her first film.
DANCING ACROSS BORDERS
88 minutes, color, 2009
Directed by Anne Bass
Producers Anne Bass, Catherine Tatge
Editors Girish Bhargava, Mark Sutton
Directors of Photography Bob Elfstrom, Anthony Forma, Tom Hurwitz
2010 National Playdates
New York -- Opens March 26, 2010
Los Angeles, CA -- Landmark Nuart -- Opens April 16
San Francisco, CA -- Landmark Lumiere -- Opens April 30
Berkeley, CA -- Landmark Shattuck -- Opens April 30
Philadelphia -- Landmark Ritz at Bourse -- Opens April/May
Seattle, WA -- Landmark Varsity -- Opens April/May
Washington DC -- Landmark E Street -- Opens April/May
Boston, MA -- Landmark Kendall -- Opens April/May
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More about the film: www.dancingacrossborders.net.
More about First Run Features: www.firstrunfeatures.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
FIRST RUN FEATURES to Release
dancing across borders
Feature Documentary by Anne Bass about a Young Man’s Journey
from Cambodia to the Ballet Stage in America
Coming to Theaters Nationwide in Spring 2010
First Run Features has acquired all North American rights to the new feature documentary Dancing Across Borders, which chronicles the intimate and triumphant story of Sokvannara Sar who was discovered in Cambodia and brought to the ballet stage in America. First Run will release the film beginning March 26 in New York, with other major cities to follow.
On a trip to Angkor Wat, Cambodia, in 2000, Anne Bass came across sixteen-year-old Sokvannara (Sy) Sar performing in a temple with a traditional Cambodian dance group. His amazing natural charm and grace as a dancer moved her immensely; even after returning to America the memory of Sy’s performance and remarkable abilities lingered.
A longtime patron of dance in the U.S., Bass decided to offer this young man the opportunity to leave his home and follow a dream that he could not yet have fully imagined. She asked the World Monuments Fund, who helped sponsor Sy’s dance troupe, to contact his teacher and parents to find out if Sy would like to visit New York where Anne could introduce Sy to the world of ballet and see if he had an interest in auditioning for the prestigious School of American Ballet (SAB).
Sy arrived in New York at sixteen without any classical ballet training and was initially turned down at SAB, and so after studying privately with legendary ballet teacher, Olga Kostritzky, the head of the boys program at SAB, Sy auditioned and was accepted to study at SAB. When Sy arrived at SAB most of his peers had already been training for at least six years. Sy studied at SAB for five years and when he finished his training there Peter Boal, a principal dancer with New York City Ballet and one of Sy’s instructors at SAB, became the artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) and invited Sy to join the PNB School’s Professional Division, where he eventually became an apprentice and joined the corps de ballet. Shortly after joining PNB Sy also entered and reached the semi finals of the International Ballet Competition at Varna, Bulgaria, the world’s oldest and most prestigious ballet competition.
What unfolds in Dancing Across Borders is a tentative negotiation between Sy and the world of American ballet and culture—from the serene countryside of Southeast Asia to the halls of New York’s School of American Ballet to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. The film follows Sy’s training and development as a dancer through footage that was shot originally to inform his parents of his progress in America, and it offers a remarkable behind-the-scenes look into the world of ballet. At its heart, Dancing Across Borders is an extraordinary story of growth, adaptation, and belonging as well as of the development of talent and the mastery of an art form.
Dancing Across Borders features a remarkable real-life cast of performers and others involved in the arts, including Olga Kostritzky, Jock Soto, Peter Boal, Philip Glass and more.
Director/Producer Anne Bass has a long history of involvement in the arts and Cambodia. She has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committees of the Fort Worth Ballet (where she founded the company’s ballet school), the New York City Ballet, the School of American Ballet, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. She is also on the board of the American Friends of the Paris Opera Ballet.
In Cambodia, Bass is Vice President of the Board of the Center for Khmer Studies. In 2006, working with the Center and with The Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library, Bass created the Khmer Dance Project which will film and document the dance of the Khmer people as it is practiced and remembered by Khmer dancers today. Bass is a graduate of Vassar College and is a former contributing editor of Vogue and House and Garden. In addition, she was a member of President Reagan’s Task Force on the Arts. Dancing Across Borders is her first film.
DANCING ACROSS BORDERS
88 minutes, color, 2009
Directed by Anne Bass
Producers Anne Bass, Catherine Tatge
Editors Girish Bhargava, Mark Sutton
Directors of Photography Bob Elfstrom, Anthony Forma, Tom Hurwitz
2010 National Playdates
New York -- Opens March 26, 2010
Los Angeles, CA -- Landmark Nuart -- Opens April 16
San Francisco, CA -- Landmark Lumiere -- Opens April 30
Berkeley, CA -- Landmark Shattuck -- Opens April 30
Philadelphia -- Landmark Ritz at Bourse -- Opens April/May
Seattle, WA -- Landmark Varsity -- Opens April/May
Washington DC -- Landmark E Street -- Opens April/May
Boston, MA -- Landmark Kendall -- Opens April/May
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More about the film: www.dancingacrossborders.net.
More about First Run Features: www.firstrunfeatures.com
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(Documentary) LA DANSE: Le ballet de l'Opéra de Paris
LA DANSE:
Le ballet de l'Opéra de Paris
Directed by Frederick Wiseman
[(2009)docu/France-US/ZipporahFilms] - (2 hrs 38 min)
Synopsis: The film follows the production of seven ballets by the Paris Opera Ballet. In La Danse, director Frederick Wiseman allows us to observe multiple corners of the Paris Opera Ballet, from rehearsal studios to costume rooms to administrative offices. We get extensive access to choreographers as they work with dancers in both classical and modern styles. You needn't be a dance aficionado to marvel at the beauty and athleticism on display. Wiseman doesn't ignore the reality that all this art costs money. He observes a marketing team as they strategize on how to give American benefactors something extra for their $25,000 contributions. For such a generous gift, they get to sit in on a rehearsal. Tagging along with Wiseman, our access is priceless.
"Title" & Choreographer
"Genus" by Wayne McGregor
"Le Songe de Medée (Medea's Song)" by Angelin Preljocaj
"La Maison de Bernarda (House of Bernarda Alba)" by Mats Ek
"Paquita" by Pierre Lacotte
"Casse Noisette (The Nutcracker)" by Rudolf Nureyev
"Orphée and Eurydice" by Pina Bausch
"Romeo and Juliette" by Sasha Waltz
French website-http://www.sddistribution.fr/fiche.php?id=31
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NOW PLAYING in select theaters!!!
MARCH 12, 2010
Railroad Square Cinema (Waterville,ME)
Sundance Cinemas 608 (Madison,WI)
HELD OVER
TBA
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