Shorts Program I: Narrative

This selection of short dance films features narrative films from the U.S., the U.K., China, Japan, Finland, and Canada.

Boomerang
Martha Gregory, Noah Fowler, Kenny Polyak, USA, 2015, 1m
World Premiere
A male duet takes the physical to an emotional high. 

Cold Storage
Thomas Freundlich, Finland, 2016, 9m
On a desolate arctic shore, a lonely ice fisherman discovers his prehistoric counterpart frozen in the sea ice and thaws out his newfound brother. With droll humor, Freundlich pays homage to the slapstick and melancholy of classic movies.

Color of Reality
Jon Boogz, USA, 2016, 6m
Alexa Meade is a visual storyteller who paints directly on the human body, creating a two-dimensional effect. Here she collaborates with movement artists Jon Boogz and Lil Buck to produce an animated narrative that speaks to our country’s frustrations with the violence that haunts American society today.

Dead Draw
Charli Brissey, USA, 2016, 2m
Two dandies flirt over a game of chess.

How You Look at It
Wendy Seyb, USA, 2015, 9m
How You Look At It is a silent dance comedy starring Emmy-winner Peter Scolari (Girls), inspired by the Carl Jung quote “It all depends on how we look at things, and not how they are themselves.” With a little help from his environment and the theme songs running through his head, our hero fulfills his quest to be with his newfound love . . . or at least, say hello to her.

Molat & Molat
Katharine Duhamel, USA, 2016, 6m
This is the story of Pascal Molat dancing, as told by Matisse Molat, age five.

Move On
Yasuaki Fujinami, Japan, 2016, 4m
A man in a subway car is impelled to break free of his demons.

The First Date
Mary John Frank, USA, 2016, 6m
Natalie and David experience attraction, doubt, and disagreement and make excellent partners in crime.

The Song of GuQin—Rain & Summer
Alex (Zhen Wu), China, 2016, 4m
An interactive dance performance featuring a girl growing up confused and a boy who plays ball with an imaginary partner.

Wake
Katherine MacNaughton, Canada, 2016, 6m
A rebuke to technology and the isolation it can create.

What Goes Up . . .
Hollye Bynum, USA, 2015, 3m
A time-lapse of two individuals experiencing the journey of a full romantic relationship from finish to start.

YOU
Graham Clayton-Chance, UK, 2015, 6m
The verbal and physical slapstick of this dance monologue suggests dark truths behind love, sex, and relationships. Taken from the archive of the late Nigel Charnock, this is the first in a series of new films that honor his classic performances.