Sunday 24 May 2009

Not Until Now - A Film of Contact Improvisation by Brandon Gonzalez

The film documents two dancers as they strive and sometimes struggle to create intimate connection both physically and emotionally. Using the form contact improvisation as their focus. The music, instrumental and skillfully composed, along with serene images of nature, set the stage for the dance to unfold.
Gorgeous, amazing, sound in technique and absolutely beautiful and expressive of a variety of emotions. You can see the progression, you can see the "stuck" moments, and laughter, even occasionally trepidation. I really like it!

Saturday 23 May 2009

Fire Flower by Pierre Michel

Pierre Michel’s latest film , “Fire Flower,” is an abstract vision of sensuality with hints of alchemical mysticism. Like Pierre’s other films, this project derives its power from an intense focus on texture and color backed by a dramatic soundtrack.

Dido & Aeneas

A danced performance of the Baroque opera Dido and Aeneas. Dido, the noble queen of Carthage, has fallen in love with the Trojan Prince Aeneas. While the court celebrates the imminent union of the two monarchs, the evil sorceress with her coven of witches plots their downfall. Romance leads to hearbreak and tragedy.

Screen Dance: A New Visual Language - Dance Camera West Film Festival: "10 Exhalations"

"10 Exhalations," a romance evolves in the cramped quarters of a tiny apartment living room. In each scene of movement, the couple's exhalation of breath is animated as an icy stream of air that alternately connects and repels them. All three of these films seem to demonstrate that dance, and the physical contact it promises, is an antidote to the sterile anonymity of modern urban life, love, and work.

Diana Vishneva: Beaty in Motion

“Beauty in Motion” featured the International ballet star in a program of three new ballets created for her by choreographers Alexei Ratmansky, Moses Pendleton and Dwight Rhoden. Ms. Vishneva was joined on stage by the American modern dancer Desmond Richardson and members of the Kirov Opera, Ballet and Orchestra.

The show is meant to celebrate Diana Vishneva, the Russian ballerina who is currently a principal with American Ballet Theater as well as the Kirov Ballet, or Mariinsky Theater, in St. Petersburg. The middle piece, by Moses Pendleton, the modern, not ballet, choreographer who founded theatrical dance companies, Pilobolus and MOMIX, is the one that most celebrates Vishneva, because it allows her to have the stage entirely to herself. It's hard to say that she works tremendously well with others, but Pendleton gave her some brilliant props to work with — particularly a large mirror upon which she lay in various positions, she and her reflection together evoking a series of imaginative shapes, and a beaded headdress which she wore and spun around repeatedly in, making interesting forms with the material — and the result seemed to be the crowd-pleaser of the night.

Monday 18 May 2009

Dance Madrid: Nacho Duato’s Compania Nacional de Danza

This renowned contemporary dance company, based in Madrid, has been lead by Nacho Duato for the past 18 years. With a rich repertory of lush and languid choreography and precise technique, the company is a treasure not only of Spain, but also of the dance world.

Nacho Duato once said in an interview that the focus of his work is “the body expressing the emotion of the music; my dances are inspired by human relationships of everyday life.” In another interview Duato, artistic director of Compañía Nacional de Danza, said, “when people come to see us at the theater, they should see themselves reflected on the stage.”

Duato’s company, the Compañía Nacional de Danza is recognized as one of Europe’s finest contemporary ballet companies. Founded in 1979 by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, the then Ballet Nacional de Espana Clasico built its company from a wide range of dancers with a variety of training and style specialties. The artistic directors that came before Duato laid a foundation of Spanish and classical work: Victor Ullate, a Spanish dancer who also performed with Bejart’s Ballet of the Twentieth Century; Maria de Avila, who brought to the company classical work from George Balanchine and Antony Tudor; and the great Russian prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, who brought works from her classical Russian roots.

Polina Simenova dancing in "Demo (Letzter Tag)"

Polina Simenova is a classical ballet dancer and Principal with the Berlin Staatsoper Ballet. She is regarded as a Prima Ballerina and is the one of the youngest dancers to achieve this particular kind of recognition. Appearing in Herbert Grönemeyer's music video "Demo (Letzter Tag)", which was later uploaded to YouTube, brought her into the public eye both in the dance community and to the general public.

Saturday 9 May 2009

Wade Robson-Burning Room-Ben Susak & Pam Chu

Before Wade Robson set this piece on Josh and Katee for "So You Think You Can Dance", he created the original version on his beautiful dancers from his Cirque Du Soleil (Chris Angel BELIEVE Show). After he decided to make a short film with two of his dancers that really connected with the piece - Ben Susak and Pam Chu. This was Josh and Katee's inspirational guide. I hope you will like it :)

Saturday 2 May 2009

Signs - A short film about communication

It's a sweet short film created by Publicis Mojo and @RadicalMedia about communication and finding love when you least expect it. This wonderful short film that aims to capture the essence of communication at various levels.Highly visual and well emoted, it keeps the regular human talk out with a beautiful composition playing in the background, which creates the moods and temperaments and also sets the pace of the video in a brilliant manner.

Being sensible person I always get impressed when a short film can touch me without many words. This video highlights how easy it is to feel lonely and disconnected, even surrounded by people and excitement. It also offers a simple message: you can connect at any time.

Friday 1 May 2009

La Luna Incantata - Alessandra Ferri

“La luna incantata” (The enchanted Moon) with Alessandra Ferri, winning musical dance film at the International Festival of Cannes for Television Programmes in 1992. Choreography - Fabrizio Monteverde, performance - Ballet of Toscana, music - Wim Mertens "Struggle for pleasure". Well, what can I say about it? Awesome, amazing, great? Hmmmm... No, this is much more. I'd better express my impression in another way:

Dance is music made visible.

Dance is the world’s most famous metaphor.

Dance is silent poetry.

Dance is the mother of all arts.

Dance is the hidden language of the soul.

Dancers are the athletes of God.

Nothing is more revealing than dancing.

Dancing is dreaming with your feet.

Dance to express, not to impress