Dance on Camera Festival 2016
Co-presented with Dance Films Association
The 44th edition of Dance on Camera Festival marks two landmark occasions: the 60th anniversary of the founding of Dance Films Association, which co-presents the popular festival with the Film Society of Lincoln Center; and the 20th anniversary of the partnership between the two arts organizations on this unique annual event.
This yearâs edition presents audiences with the worlds of ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance; modern and postmodern legends and discoveries; dances in gypsy enclaves as well as explorations into artistic expression and therapy; and stories from countries where female dance is taboo but nevertheless practiced. In addition to spotlighting the more traditional parameters of dance, the lineup also delves into the exciting world of trapeze, which lives by its own rules and conventions and is referred to by some as âballet of the air.â The overall emphasis this year, as ever, is on diversity, passion, and commitment.
The 44th edition of the Dance on Camera Festival celebrates the worlds of ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance; modern and postmodern legends and discoveries; dances in gypsy enclaves as well as explorations into artistic expression and therapy; stories from countries where female dance is taboo but nevertheless practiced; and a spotlight on the exciting world of trapeze.
Lineup
The Flight Fantastic
Opening Night ¡ Q&A and cocktail reception to follow open to all ticketholders
The Flying Gaonas were one of the greatest trapeze acts of all time, performing with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to gain worldwide recognition. Tom Mooreâs documentary is rich with interview and archival footage, in which ambition, dedication, trust, and family bonds are conveyed with warmth and humor. Screening with: Love Songs for Robots (Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski, 4m).Feelings Are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer
Closing Night ¡ Q&A and cocktail reception to follow open to all ticketholders
The protean postmodern choreographer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer, who at 80 years old continues to look at dance with an explorerâs heart, is the subject of Jack Walshâs revealing documentary. Screening with: Public Displays (Michael Kirsch, 4m).After the Curtain
World Premiere ¡ Q&A with Emelie Mahdavian
In Emelie Mahdavianâs After the Curtain, four female dancers face disfavor in the post-Soviet, predominantly Muslim nation of Tajikistan. The women weigh their love of art against the pressure to conform in this documentary that celebrates the dance and music culture of a country largely unknown in the West. Screening with: Plow Plant Reap (Marta Renzi, 13m).BajarĂ
New York Premiere ¡ Q&A with Eva Vila
Karime Amaya, the grandniece of legendary flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, arrives in Barcelona from Mexico in search of her roots. When her mother joins Karime to put on a show with some of the cityâs musical talent, they discover the spirit of BajarĂâthe word for Barcelona in CalĂł, the language of the gypsies.Ballerina: Program 1, “Body and Soul”
Followed by an onstage appearance by Natalia Makarova
In celebration of the great ballerina Natalia Makarovaâs 75th birthday, we present Program 1 of the long-unseen four-part BBC TV Ballerina doc series, in which Makarova acts as narrator and guide. Featuring rare footage of iconic dancers of their time and commentary by major choreographers.The Band Wagon
One of the greatest musicals of all time, Vincente Minnelliâs The Band Wagon features the stunning choreography of Michael Kidd, gorgeous performances by Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, and a witty script about showbiz shenanigans by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Bessie: A Portrait of Bessie Schonberg
Q&A with D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus
Bessie Schonberg danced with Martha Graham until a knee injury forced her to quit and turn to teaching, where her passion influenced many important dancers and choreographers. She narrates her own inspiring story in Bessie: A Portrait of Bessie Schonberg, which is intercut with personal and archival footage that includes her teaching at Juilliard, Dance Theater Workshop, and Jacobâs Pillow. Screening with: The GOLDs (Sue Healey, 34m).Dance Emergency
North American Premiere ¡ Q&A with Deirdre Mulrooney
A forgotten chapter of modern dance history is revealed in Deirdre Mulrooneyâs account of Erina Brady, an Irish-German dancer who brought German expressionist modern dance to a conservative, neutral Ireland shortly before World War II. Screening with: The Birch Grove (Gabrielle Lansner, 21m).The Dance Goodbye
World Premiere ¡ Q&A with Merrill Ashley, Ron Steinman, and Eileen Douglas
Merrill Ashley is remembered as one of New York City Balletâs reigning ballerinas and as a leading interpreter of Balanchine roles. In 1997, she retired from the company after sustaining numerous injuries. The Dance Goodbye documents Ashley coping with her loss and planning her next steps, and features a treasure trove of photos and performance footage that vividly bring a brilliant career to life. Screening with: David (Loughlan Prior, 13m).Dance with Them
U.S. Premiere ¡ Q&A with BÊatriz Mediavilla
In a remote corner of rural Quebec, choreographer Lynn Vaillancourt has been teaching dance, singing, and important life lessons to young people for the past 45 years. A black-and-white charmer, Dance with Them is full of humor and dramatic incidents involving children and teenagers on their way to young adulthood.Disportrait
U.S. Premiere ¡ Q&A with Alejandro Alvarez and Ulrik Wivel
Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato is fired after two decades of creative achievement with Madridâs Compania Nacional de Danza. After accepting an offer to lead the Mikhailovsky Ballet in St. Petersburg, he sets out to modernize the Russian company, in this revelatory documentary about an artist in transition. Screening with TACTUM: Elements of Dance (Krzysztof Stasiak, 28m).Enter the Faun
Q&A with Tamar Rogoff, dancer Gregg Mozgala, and executive producer VĂŠronique Bernard
The unlikely collaboration between a veteran choreographer and a young actor with cerebral palsy delivers proof that everyone is capable of miraculous transformation as the two train for an opening-night performance. Screening with: Martiality, Not Fighting (Marianne M. Kim & Cheng-Chieh Yu, 10m).Horizons
New York Premiere
In Eileen Hoferâs film, three remarkable Cuban women demonstrate their enduring love for ballet. Their stories are interwoven to create a portrait of a country proud of its ballet heritage and of the dancers who keep it going despite the hardships they endure. Screening with: Cubano Bas (Kathy Rose, 3m).Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Q&A with Matthew Diamond, Bennett Rink, and Andrew Wilk
You donât just see an Ailey performance, you feel it. And now you can experience the astounding Ailey dancers in an even deeper way as they make their big-screen debut, with a program of four audience favorites.The Men Who Danced: The Story of Ted Shawnâs Men Dancers and the Birth of Jacobâs Pillow 1933-1940
Moderated discussion with Norton Owen and Ron Honsa
Ron Honsaâs documentary is a profile of modern-dance pioneer Ted Shawn and the Denishawn Dancers, the first all-male dance troupe in the United States. Screening with: Lar Lubovitch at Jacobâs Pillow (Lawrence Ott, 24m).Our Last Tango
U.S. Premiere
Soul-searching interviews and sizzling dance numbers create an unforgettable odyssey into the lives and passions of perhaps the most famous couple in tango history, MarĂa Nieves Rego and Juan Carlos Copes.Rare Birds
New York Premiere
T.M. Rivesâs Rare Birds follows Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman during the creation and completion of his new Swan Lake production for the Norwegian National Ballet. Screening with: Bird (Dunja Jocic & Marinus Groothof, 17m).They Are We
Q&A with Emma Christopher
Music, dance, and interviews reunite the men and women living in Cuba with their Sierra Leone kin in Emma Christopherâs They Are Weâan overdue celebration of this shared history. Screening with: Je suis un Cheval (Esther Baker-Tarpaga, 12m).Shorts Program I
The short form continues to gain ground as the ideal platform for exploring the relationship between dance and film. This yearâs Short Film programs are currently stretching the boundaries of the art form. The selection includes the concrete and the abstract and reveals that filmmakers and choreographers are partnering in exciting new ways.
Shorts Program II: Experimental
From to the microscopic to the cosmic, these short films take viewers on journeys that explore reality and fantasy in equal measure. Featuring collaborations with neuroscientists and innovations in 3-D motion-capture technology, this selection includes the concrete and the abstract and reveals that filmmakers and choreographers are partnering in exciting new ways.
Special Program
Dance and Education in New York City Public Schools: PS DANCE!
Featuring PS DANCE!, a documentary about dance education in public schools created by award-winning dance filmmaker Nel Shelby, dance ambassador Jody Gottfried Arnhold, and dance education consultant Joan Finkelstein. Preceded by a screening featuring the finalists from Capturing Motion NYC, Dance Films Associationâs workshop and film competition program for high-school students throughout the five boroughs.
Free Events
Experiencing the World, One Dance at a Time! World Premiere of Bare Feet in NYC with Mickela Mallozzi
Q&A with Mickela Mallozzi & Lina Plioplyte
Join EmmyÂŽ Awardâwinning travel host Mickela Mallozzi for the exclusive season premiere of Bare Feet in NYC with Mickela Mallozzi. She kicks off her New York series in one of the cityâs oldest neighborhoods: Chinatown.Dance Films Builds an Archive: DFA Member Meet Up!
In celebration of Dance Films Associationâs 60th anniversary, join us for the release of the preliminary results of our recent item-level inventory and stories from the organizationâs vault.
Lincoln Center Presents: Great American Dance
Join lead creatives and partners for an in-depth conversation on a transmedia approach to presenting dance in order to "bring incomparable performances representing a diverse range of American dance to audiences everywhere.â
Luigi: Hollywood, Broadway, and Beyond
Celebrate one of jazz techniqueâs great innovators, Eugene Louis âLuigiâ Faccuito, with a discussion with Francis Roach, who has taught Luigiâs technique for over 20 years.
Meet the Artist: Pat Birch
Honored by Dance Films Association with the 2016 Dance in Focus award, the two-time Emmy Awardâwinning and five-time Tony-nominated choreographer Pat Birch, perhaps best known as the mastermind behind the hand jive in the film Grease, joins Dance on Camera Festival for Meet the Artist to share insight into her sensational career as one of the most celebrated choreographers for the screen.
Teaching Screendance: Creating a Practice-Based Pedagogy
This open forum focuses on ways in which the practice of screendanceâin the context of a theoretical and historical frameworkâcan lead to a pedagogy for teaching the dance genre made for the camera.
Work-In-Progress Screening
Member pre-sale begins 1/7; on sale 1/12.
Please make sure to log into your account to receive access. Donât have an account? Sign up for one today. DFA members, remember to use the access code emailed to you to purchase tickets during the member pre-sale period.
See more and save with our discount package!
3+ Film Package â Minimum of 3 films required. Tickets just $8 Members / $9 Students & Seniors / $11 General Public
All Access Pass â See everything in the series for just $125!
For any additional questions or concerns, please email [email protected].
Note: Member complimentary tickets cannot be used for this series.Â
Dance on Camera Festival 2022
Dance Films Association and Film at Lincoln Center presents the 50th edition of the Dance on Camera Festival, running February 11-14, 2022. Read More
Dance on Camera Festival 2021
The 49th Dance on Camera Festival marks a long-awaited return to in-person programming and will be presented partly in the Walter Reade Theater at Film at Lincoln Center. The longest-running dance film festival in the world is offering access to virtual programming simultaneously with in-person programming this year. Read More
Dance on Camera Festival 2020
Dance Films Association and Film at Lincoln Center present the 48th edition of the Dance on Camera Festival, running July 17-20, 2020. With a program that travels the globe from Ireland to Argentina to Kazakhstan, the festival will be presented digitally for the first time and provide unprecedented access to the longest-running dance film festival in the world. Read More
Dance on Camera Festival 2019
Featuring 11 programs over four days, including films from 17 countries, Dance on Camera Festival celebrates its 47th edition with a selection of films that explore dance from a variety of perspectives. Read More
Dance on Camera Festival 2018
The venerable and vibrant Dance on Camera Festival celebrates its 46th editionâfor the first time in the summerâwith a wide-ranging selection of 16 programs over five days. Read More
Dance on Camera Festival 2017
Dance on Camera Festival remains the longest-running dance film festival in the world, providing a platform for choreographic storytelling and creative expression, and intimate access to innovative media artists and their cinematic works. Each February, the Festival presents feature-length documentary and narrative films, inventive short films, filmmaker panels and special events, cutting edge media and art installations, as well as engaging community and student programs. Read More
Dance on Camera Festival 2016
The 44th edition of the Dance on Camera Festival celebrates the worlds of ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance; modern and postmodern legends and discoveries; dances in gypsy enclaves as well as explorations into artistic expression and therapy; stories from countries where female dance is taboo but nevertheless practiced; and a spotlight on the exciting world of trapeze. Read More
Dance on Camera 2015
Now in its 43rd year, Dance on Camera honors ballet and contemporary dance personalities through documentaries and narrative films, while also demonstrating danceâs capacity to change lives and contribute to well-being. Read More
Dance on Camera 2014
In its 42nd year, Dance on Camera is as diverse as ever, but many of the films in this yearâs lineup reflect danceâs new perspective: a trend toward unusual collaborations (dance and skating, dance and horses, dance and circus) and a recognition that dance thrives best in the bosom of a creative community. Read More