The documentary Maguy Marin: Time to Act offers remarkable footage of live performances, as well as first person interviews with a choreographer whose work is daring, moving and continues to defy convention. The opening night prerecorded conversation with David Mambouch and Maguy Marin is moderated by the festival co-curator, Liz Wolff.

Taking an 8-minute duet situated in various locations, and repeated four times, choreographer Claire Marshall investigates how the sense of ‘story’ shifts with the consideration of location, cinematic elements, and editing. The duet explores a discordant couple stuck in a rut, looping manipulative behaviour as four stories eventually shift to become one story. Screening with Natalia Andreadis’s World Premiere How Can I Forget. The prerecorded conversation with Claire Marshall, Kevin Holloway, Richard Causer, and Lucy Hood is moderated by Alicia Graf Mack.

Now in its 14th year this spectacular holiday show has won the hearts of audiences young and old and created a romping holiday tradition in Seattle. Join us, as we draw back the velvet curtain and follow the show’s creators and producers, Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann, in addition to the show’s artisans, performers and musicians, and take an irresistible journey into how this magical show is brought to the stage, snow and all. Screening with Pablo Destito and Agustina Videla’s Being, a North American Premiere.

Dancing Darkness explores the distinctively personal and profoundly collaborative creative process through the conjuring of Peggy Baker’s latest and most ambitious work. The prerecorded conversation with V. Tony Hauser, Ellen Tomie, and Peggy Baker is moderated by Wendy Perron.

92-year old Stuart Hodes leads a group of seniors in a dance, inciting a sense of community and hope. This film explores how we can age with joy and reveals the capacity of the older person to experience unrestrained joy and unwavering determination through dance and art. 

This is a captivating profile of a colorful, flamboyant performance artist who worked on West End and Broadway and directed Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust among other intriguing projects.

DFA Global is pleased to present three short films for this international program: KIELI BI filmed in Kazakhstan, Welcome To A Bright White Limbo filmed in Ireland, and A Monologue in the Intermission filmed in Bulgaria bring together the very different stories of three women and their contrasting experiences dancing. The prerecorded conversation with Cara Holmes and Oona Doherty is moderated by Alastair Macaulay.

Featuring films: How to Sink a Paper Boat by David Bolger, Stages by Angela Rosales Challis, JoAnn by Meredith Slifkin and Emily Yue, Men by Hanna Brotherus, Cornered (Detainee’s Lament) by Peter Sparling, and Bend by Susan Misner. The prerecorded conversation with Bend’s Susan Misner, Troy Ogilvie, and Jeffery Duffy is moderated by Gabri Christa.

The story of Jazz Dance is a complex one and goes to the very heart of humanity. It is a story of triumph over adversity, oppression and privilege, as well as a celebration, because ultimately, what all people have in common is rhythm and a basic human need to get down.

This special release features the winners from the online #mydancefilm opportunity, held by DFA in June 2020: These dance films are 2 minutes and under. The original theme assigned was “Isolation”. In addition to the #mydancefilm selected films, guest panelist Jacob Jonas’ film PARKED will be shown at the end of the screening. A prerecorded conversation with the selected filmmakers, Francisco Graciano and Jacob Jonas will follow the screening.

This free program features three films “From the Dance Films Association Archives” and the two Dance Films Association 2019 Production Grant Honorees. The films are listed here in running order. Part I runs 27m and the short films are: Bittersweet by David Rousseve; Modern Daydreams: Deere John by Mitchell Rose; Wake Up Call by Pooh Kaye. Part II runs 11m and these DFA Honorees are: Monster News Feed by Cara Hagan and Clear Creek by Ellen Smith Ahern.