Angel Corella

"Cuban Pete"

IN BALANCHINE'S CLASSROOM

Jack Cole

NRITYAGRAM


Merrill Ashley

THE GREAT DANCING WAR

Robin Cantrell
photo by Jacob Pritchard

TERPSICHORES CAPTIVES

Dancing Kathmandu

Denizen

WORKS IN PROGRESS
DFA fiscal sponsored dance films

Support these projects by sending money today on-line through PayPal directing funds to DFA's account: dancefilms@msn.com and writing the name of the project. Alternatively, you can write a check payable to Dance Films Association, earmarked for a specific project, and mail it to:
DFA, 48 West 21st Street, #907, NY, NY 10010.

Any amount is most welcomed and tax-deductible. Please see if your company has a matching gift program to double your gift. Thank you!

How you can help and be involved!
* Organize a screening of a work-in-progress...
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*CORELLA BALLET CASTILLA Y LEON
A documentary on the creation and development of Angel Corella's ballet company in Segovia, Spain, his native country, as directed and produced by Gerri L. Gagnon. See clip. Contact: Gerri Gagnon

*MR. MAMBO
A journey through the life of Latin dance legend, Pedro "Cuban Pete" Aguilar (1927-2009). A rhythmic pattern threads the story, fusing the dramatic scenes with intimate conversations, vintage footage, collected photos and reenactments. In many instances, the interviewees and Pete tell the story, the dramatic scenes take us into a time warp with rhythmic transitions keeping the viewer in step with Pete's life "en clave." Produced by Craddock Management, LLC. Contact: Barbara Craddock. See clip

*IN BALANCHINE'S CLASSROOM
This documentary film is a work in progress, undertaken and directed by Connie Hochman. It is based upon interviews with seventy Balanchine dancers whose careers span four decades, from the choreographer's Ballets Russes years to his last classes at New York City Ballet. Through the reminiscences of these hand-chosen dancers and with rare classroom footage, a kaleidoscopic portrait of Balanchine, the teacher, emerges along with the countless and profound ways he affected them both as artists and human beings. Contact Connie Hochman
See video

*JACK COLE: JAZZ (1911-1974)
A co-production of Annette Macdonald with the Culver City based company Timeline Films. In the late 30's, Jack Cole changed the face of dance in musical theatre. He is the genius behind the sultry presence of Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, and Betty Grable. Jerome Robbins (Vanity Fair, December 1984) wrote that "Jack Cole's contributions were so far-reaching that without him present day theatrical dancing would not be the same. He was outrageous, stunningly so. Everyone teaching jazz dance today teaches much of what Cole founded and codified." See clip Read more

*MOVE
Directed and produced by Melinda Songer and Kurt Soderling, this powerhouse of a documentary includes some of Hollywood and Broadway's most talented and successful dancers, performers and choreographers. Be a part of this incredible journey into the amazing world of commercial dance. Click here

*NRITYAGRAM: FOR THE LOVE OF DANCE
Nan Melville, USA, 2009, 26M
This painterly portrait of an idyllic dance village near Bangalore offers a taste of the Indian dance style, Odissi. Protima Bedi institutionalized classical Indian dance through the founding of Nrityagram; a “gurukul" where students could dance and live in close proximity with their master guru. The internationally renowned Nrityagram Dance Ensemble continues to expand on Protima’s legacy; lead dancer and choreographer, Surupa Sen and Odissi Gurukul Director, Bijayini Satpathy have expanded the language of the traditional Odissi dance through the incorporation of choreographic techniques adapted from world dance. The Ensemble continues to push the boundaries of Indian dance and to perform to worldwide acclaim. See clip Contact: Nan Melville

*NUTCRACKER NATION
A documentary by Evann Siebens being made in collaboration with Jennifer Fisher whose eponymous book was published by Yale University Press in 2003. The film will explore the history of The Nutcracker through archival and new footage, in addition to posing the theory that the ballet has became woven into the fabric of North American culture by becoming a Christmas ritual. As an example of its popularity, Kultur sells 8 video versions of this ballet. Contact

*CHANNELLING MARTHA, a portrait of Richard Move
This documentary film by Talal Al-Muhanna brings to the fore the magic and mystery, humor and heart that lay behind New York-based performer Richard Move's uncanny and spectacular impersonation of the legendary modern dance choreographer Martha Graham (1894-1991). The film weaves performance footage from Move's popular and long-running Martha@ shows with archival images of Graham and interviews with critics and associated artists - including former Graham dancers and other luminaries of the stage and screen. An intimate portrait of a unique performer. Read more

*THE DANCE GOODBYE
Inspired by Merrill Ashley's departure from New York City Ballet as an acclaimed principal dancer, this documentary created by Ron Steinman and Eileen Douglas captures the poignancy of this life turning point. Today Merrill Ashley travels around the world teaching Ballanchine ballets to dance companies.”See clip. Visit their website. Contact Eileen Douglas

*THE GREAT DANCING WAR
First created as a short story about the adventures of two Great Dancing Armies by choreographer/director Gail Conrad, this war takes place when all global battle is conducted solely by dance.  In 2009, Conrad decided to make THE GREAT DANCING WAR into an all-choreographed nine-part series, both for the web and other media formats.   Each episode witnesses what happens - when art, warfare, and “the human factor” collide.  See clip; website. Contact Gail Conrad.

*RUDOLF NUREYEV, AND THEN COMES THE GLORY
Award-winning director, Russian born Yelena Demikovsky has completed 17 interviews and shot over 40 hours of film in the United States and Europe. Still in production, this documentary has an unusual angle involving Nureyev's wide influence in the dance, pop, and fashion worlds. Prior to starting the film, she produced two symposia on the ballet superstar Rudolf Nureyev, one in New York; the other in St. Petersburg, Russia. Contact Yelena Demikovksy

*TRANS-CONTINENTAL DANCE COLLABORATIVE
Robin Cantrell and Mira Cook, formerly with City Ballet of San Diego, are traveling around the world, sharing their expertise and creating segments of choreography collaboratively with dancers of all kinds. Robin Cantrell is currently touring with Battery Dance Company in South Korea, Laos, Taiwan, Mongolia and China.
The grand finale of the tour will be a performance in the First International Modern Dance Festival in Beijing, sponsored by the National Ballet of China and masterminded by the Beijing XLDT Dance Company. Additional sponsors of the Beijing engagement include the JW Marriott Hotel and the U.S. Embassy Beijing.
Contact: info@transcontinentaldance.org
http://transcontinentaldance.org

Recently completed!

*DENIZEN
Alla Kovgan, USA, 2009, 21'
Dance, performance art and workingman’s movements used to orchestrate an everyday ritual in time, space and soundscape of Armenia – one of the oldest civilizations in the world. “Denizen” is inspired by the film “Seasons” (1975) by Armenian filmmaker Artavazd Peleshian. Shot in Armenia, “Denizen” applies Peleshian’s editing ideas and formal approaches. A poetic homage to this masterful filmmaker and cinema theorist. Directed by Alla Kovgan and choreographed by Alissa Cardone and Ingrid Schatz. Supported in part by Lef New England. www.kinodance.org

MESSENGER DANCE
Belinda James, USA, 2006
A project of DIVI SHADENDE,("they are dancing" in the Tewa dialect), c horeographed and directed by Belinda James See http://divishadende.com/index.html


TERPSICHORES CAPTIVES II
Efim Reznkov, Russia, ( 2006, 52m
Recalling the series 7up, TERPSICHORE’S CAPTIVES I and II presents a fascinating opportunity to examine the balance of ego and art. Created by Efim Reznikov, the director of photography for the Russian film LITTLE VERA, and written by Leonid Gurevich, the first documentary focuses on the tempestuous relationship between the artistic director of Perm Ballet School, Ludmila Pavolvna Sakharova and a teenage ballet student Natasha Balakhnecheva. The Russians have a saying “Hatred is only a step away from love.” It is this complicated love-hate relationship to ballet that is explored in this provocative documentary.

*DANCING KATHMANDU
Sangita Shresthova, a Czech/Nepali dancer and scholar trained at London School of Economics, MIT, and UCLA, created a documentary on the ways in which dancers in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal negotiate tradition in an age of globalization. For information, contact Sangita Shresthova