Bessie: A Portrait of Bessie Schonberg
Dance on Camera Festival 2016
February 12 - 16, 2016
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 Jacob’s Pillow. Screening with: The GOLDs (Sue Healey, 34m).
Bessie Schonberg danced with Martha Graham until a knee injury forced her to quit and turn to teaching. For the next 70 years, her passion for dance inspired and challenged many important dancers and choreographers, including Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins, Meredith Monk, Lucinda Childs, and Ronald K. Brown. The prestigious New York Dance and Performance Awards, informally known as the Bessie Awards, was named in her honor. Bessie narrates her own incredible story in Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary, which is intercut with personal and archival footage that includes her teaching choreography at Juilliard, Dance Theater Workshop, and Jacob’s Pillow.
Screening with:
The GOLDs
Sue Healey, Australia, 2015, DCP, 34m
The GOLDs (Growing Old Disgracefully) are a group of lively Australians, aged 60 to 90 years, who, after retiring from a range of careers, now live to dance. Despite their aging bodies, The GOLDs demonstrate what works for them: dancing together and exercising their desire to continue learning. U.S. Premiere
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