Program 9: Innovative Perspectives II

Living on the Threshold (Habiter Le Seuil)
Vincent Bruno, 2022, France, 29m
French with English subtitles
Marine Chesnais, choreographer and contemporary dancer, goes to Réunion Island to meet humpback whales. Danced improvisations born from these mesmerizing interactions in the big blue will be the fertile ground for her next creation. This movie is a choreographic and hypnotic journey taking us underwater, as we hold our breath, and following in the footsteps of this original project. By showing us the process of encountering a wild animal in its natural habitat, Living on the Threshold asks what is happening within us in a space where we cannot control anything—except our openness to what might happen.

Hans van Manen — Just Dance the Steps
North American Premiere
Willem Aerts, 2022, Netherlands, 53m
Dutch with English subtitles
Hans van Manen’s unstoppable energy is evident in all scenes. Whether he is rehearsing a piece with his dancers, having lunch with the Dutch National Ballet (he gives them ballets), or deciding after 40 years in the same place to move to a very spacious and luxurious apartment, his respectable age is far from getting in the way. Van Manen (born in Nieuwer-Amstel in 1932) is internationally recognized as one of the great masters of contemporary ballet. He has created more than 150 ballets. His works have an unmistakable style, characterized by great clarity of structure and refined simplicity.

Beginning in 1960, Van Manen worked alternately with the two most important dance companies in the Netherlands: for 10 years he was co-artistic director of the Nederlands Dans Theater and then he was resident choreographer of the Dutch National Ballet (1973–1987) and Nederlands Dans Theater (1988–2003). Since 2005, he has once again been associated with the Dutch National Ballet as a permanent choreographer.