We are moving stories

“The moment I first encountered artist Lara Schnitger’s sculptural packs I saw them in motion - their stories resonating through dancers’ bodies, not sitting in gallery silence. Lara was spurred to create the sculptures in response to witnessing the current migrant crisis first hand on a recent trip to Europe. Constructed with fabric culled from the lining of vintage suitcases and slim wooden sticks, the packs evoke both physical and emotional rootlessness. We wanted to find an organic intersection of sculpture and dance, body and spirit to explore those themes.”

“When We Dance harnesses the power of cinema to elevate the personal, often heartbreaking, stories from the war. Regardless of where you are from, we can all relate to and sympathize with the victims of this brutal war.”

“The stories in it are fascinating, moving and inspiring. The film follows the dancer-teachers to India, where they work with girls rescued from sex trafficking and gender violence; to Romania, with Roma (gypsy) kids from one of Europe’s worst slums; to South Korea, with young North Koreans who risked their lives to escape; and to Iraq, where they work with a gifted young Muslim dancer, fighting to survive. It sounds like it could be grim, but it’s fun to watch, even though there are moments that bring tears to peoples’ eyes.

There’s also a ticking clock. The kids have just one week to create dances to perform, often in big theaters with costumes and lights.”

“By having our film reach a wider audience, we’re hoping to show the world that refugees are people too while sparking dialogue about what needs to change regarding the refugee situation around the world.”

“This is a film featuring young dancers but the core values are those that transcend age, era, and the immediate story. We communicate through movement, but we do much more than entertain. JYP is focused on moving our audiences, inspiring thought, emotion, and conversation through tap dance and film.”

“If I Ruled the World is our third film and celebrates some of the various environments in our immediate area, and the beauty of being present. We are a diverse group hailing from many places, and with different stories, but with common love for tap dance and goal for continued growth.”

“Have you ever seen people dance at the edge of a mountain cliff or tumble gracefully in the water of a river? This film is exciting, beautiful, emotional, and moving. It’s unique because it is 30 minutes long and tells a narrative story, yet has no dialogue and is abstract enough to give you the freedom to take away what you want from it.”

“As a choreographer I do a lot of live, site-specific work in alternative locations like airports, bus terminals, parks, corporate plazas and more. I also work a lot in film and television. And as a director one of the things I love exploring is the intersection of dance and film. In my site work I’m always preoccupied with using scale – bringing the highest points of the building to the viewer’s eye at the pedestrian level, and the viewers eye to the highest points of the building and beyond.”

“Birds in the Earth was born out of my interest in making a film about my people, the Sámi people, who are the indigenous people of Scandinavia and Russia. I was interested in combining the strict and disciplined art form of ballet with the wild arctic nature to show the contradiction between Sámi people and the state of Finland, concerning the ownership of the land and sovereignty of Sámi people.”

“ I discovered that there is a body memory, something stored in ancestry and genetic inheritance that is activated by movement. It was a revealing experience. Information from our remote and recent ancestors is imprinted in our cells, and accompanies us at all times. It’s activated by the rhythm and movement in our bodies.”

“Bella Lewitzky was a talented, strong, out-spoken individual, who dedicated her creative life to protect the rights of every American.”

“I am an hiv positive, Black, queer, choreographer, dancer, and performance artist. I wanted to make “Unstoppable Feat: The Dances of Ed Mock” because I was unaware of the work of Ed Mock- Black, queer, San Francisco based, dancer, choreographer, and performance artist. His work spanned from the late 60s to his death of AIDS in 1986. I wanted to make a sort of eulogy for an ancestor who I never knew existed.”

“it’s unique - a single drone take choreographed with dancers telling a story. Plus, Refractor Piano music is wonderful and new. The Refractor Piano was created by Peter Manning Robinson and myself.”

“Fans of The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Rolling Stones, will enjoy the folk-psychedelia that Andy McCarthy and Grant Glidden’s melodies carry. Anne Marsen’s performance and choreography, which the animation is based off, delivers a contagious feeling that never fails to lift me up. Her dance videos show that time and time again.”

“Ritual balances dance, poetry, and music in new ways. The audience member can take something different from each genre as well as sit back an experience them all together. The film, as described in the text, reflects on the Black and Jewish heritage of the poet. The Passover holiday is very much about freedom from oppression. The film showcases the tenacity and fight needed to keep up traditions in the face of difficult circumstances.”

“I had been thinking about making a film with my father and my mentor, both of whom are at a mature age. They inspired me to think about the ageing process in general and what that means to us. Somewhere along the line the story developed of a man losing his wife, connecting also to a lifelong interest I have with the Greek myth of Orpheus.”

“There was never a script. Martyn brought the concept for us to share as collaborators. We were following his lead: his choreography, his feelings and his dialogue. The intention is for the film to have a very ‘present’ feel. We created a treatment with visual references we felt were relevant to the themes, but we wanted to work in the moment.”

“This is a story about love, passion to win and about the happiness we all deserve to achieve in our lives, no matter whether we are champions or not. We want to make people ask themselves the question of what really matters in life. It is great to be a champion in something, but not everyone could achieve this. On the other hand all of us deserve love and happiness even if they never become number one.”

“People seem to be effected in a plethora of ways — from complete disconnection, “what the fuck was that” and “you must not like babies” (which couldn’t be farther from the truth!) — to people saying “I know exactly what you mean” and “I’ve never been able to put that feeling into words” and “thank you for daring to go there.”

“This is a film that says so much and yet it has only one sentence spoken in the entire film. It challenges your thoughts and visual space while traversing many emotions and feelings. It is a film that stands apart from others in storytelling, a unique approach which shares a story of two lovers forbidden to be with one another because of circumstance and survival. You should watch this film to be entertained and provoked as you experience dance as a narrative cinematic sensory explosion.”

“I initially became fascinated learning the true stories about Russian ballet dancers who defected from the Soviet Union in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I grew up dancing, but didn’t realize that some of my favorite ballet stars like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, and Natalia Makarova had defected from the Soviet Union. I began somewhat obsessively researching their stories and poring over archival dance footage and interviews at the Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Before long, that research inspired this fictional story.”

“I made Exposed Nerves because I wanted to use my platform as a filmmaker to explore mental illness and to start a dialogue about it. I believe a lot of the stigma that surrounds mental illness stems from people being afraid to talk about it so I wanted to make a film that opened up that dialogue. ”

“The short is an entertaining, feel-good movie with some mischief. Hopefully it’ll inspire you to get out there and do something you’ve secretly always wanted to do. Maybe you’ve held back because you think someone in your life won’t necessarily approve. Or maybe it’s beyond the parameters of the roles people are used to seeing you in, and that makes you nervous. The movie is about taking a chance.”

“If you love beautiful production design, a story with heart, a sprinkling of zany music, a thread of eerie magic, and a bit of joyful dance, you’ll love this film.”

“Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Amy: We made the film to share our love of pole dancing and the feminine with the world. We wanted to challenge the limited and damaging way female beauty and sexuality is presented in the media, and show people that ALL women are sexy and powerful, no matter what size, shape, age, or background.

Melanie: To send an empowering message of body freedom and intersectional feminist unity.”

“I was fascinated... asking myself “Who ARE these men behind the make-up and tutus? Who are their families? What are their dreams? How did they discover and embrace their unique identities? What is the story of this drag ballet company? What is their human journey that will help audiences connect with them and appreciate their fascinating lives and narrative?”

“AN INTIMATE DANCE: JOURNEYS THROUGH MOVEMENT AND TOUCH is a feature-length documentary following the lives of three people on and off the dance floor. Albert, a skeptical beginner, is drawn to the embodied presence and connection of a dance form called contact improvisation. Eugene, an all-star athlete, stretches his physical and social limitations from his wheelchair. Rythea, a professionally trained dancer, is catapulted into a journey of self-discovery and healing.”

“The world today often makes it impossible for most of us to find grounding in our bodies and physical reality -we often have to either work our bodies to exhaustion or get completely disconnected through all the technology that surrounds us. Watching these actors move with such immense focus in silence and listening to Alexis’ thoughts always reminds me of the power of being physically present in the here and now, and seeing where we can go from there.”

“It is uplifting, joyous and is sure to put a smile on your face. It might also challenge you to think about your own perceptions of age.”