Video Dance TV

MovementTalks "Dance & the American Sacred Cows: Meat & Money"

2013-06-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

The audacious provocateurs Zeffrey Throwell and Carrie Ahern mash up our typical dance expectations at MovementTalks THIS FRIDAY, June 14th at the 92nd Street Y.

Tickets here: http://goo.gl/tHOll

Edward Henkel's MovementTalks

92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center

1395 Lexington Avenue

Friday June 14th, 8pm

Updates on the Face of Dance - Inside Out Project

2013-04-26T05:21:00.001-07:00

The Face of Dance - Inside Out Project
(May 1st update)

We're thrilled with the response to the Face of Dance project! Thank you to everyone who has signed up and helped us spread the word!

As you read in our previous post, the Face of Dance is open to everyone who works in the dance field in one capacity or another. Because of people's busy schedules, we've set things up to help as many people as possible participate.

We can accommodate groups, so feel free to bring as many people as you like. We've added an additional times and have more options available. See below. There have also been some questions, which we'll answer here.

Inside Out New York in Times Square

As you can see, JR and his team are already making a large imprint on Times Square and other parts of the city with Inside Out New York. As usual, people flock to participate, and it's a wonderful sight to see.

The Inside Out Photo Booth Truck in Times Square

The Inside Out Project will have their photo booth truck set up at Times Square. Here's a photo of the truck (above), so you can spot it easily. The truck will either be parked on the corner of 47th/Broadway, or between 45th-47th Streets and Broadway, at Duffy Square, as seen above. Just look around the TKTS ticket booth area, and you should be able to spot the photo booth truck easily.

Learn How You can Participate in the Face of Dance Inside Out Project

Option #1 Photo Booth Truck in Times Square

Face of Dance group portraits

Guaranteed 5-10 minute wait to have your photo taken for the Face of Dance Inside Out Project.
Our group will gather next to the photo booth truck at these times, so you don't have to go to the end of the line.
You are allowed to bring groups of people to help us represent DANCE in New York City.
Dawn Paap is organizing our Face of Dance Group, so look for her when you arrive so she can collect everyone's name and email for follow up.
NEW DATES:

Sunday, May 5th, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Wednesday, May 8th, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Individual Portraits

Go to the photo booth truck in Times Square on you own, and we can schedule a time to pick up your portrait to include it in the Face of Dance Inside Out Project.
If you go on your own, you will need to go to the end of the line. Wait time can extend to 2-3 hours. Getting there when they open may reduce this wait time significantly.

See the full schedule below for the Inside Out Project photo booth truck

Thursday, May 2nd:
12:00-8:00 pm (Go on your own) for Individual Portraits

Friday, May 3rd:
CANCELLED (due to another event at Times Square)

Saturday, May 4th:
CANCELLED (due to another event at Times Square)

Sunday, May 5th:
12:00 - 4:00 pm FACE OF DANCE GROUP (5-10 min. wait during these times)
4:00 - 8:00 pm (Go on your own) for Individual Portraits

Monday, May 6th:
12:00 - 8:00 pm (Go on your own) for Individual Portraits

Tuesday, May 7th:
12:00 - 8:00 pm (Go on your own) for Individual Portraits

Wednesday, May 8th:

12:00 - 4:00 pm FACE OF DANCE GROUP (5-10 min. wait during these times)
4:00 - 8:00 pm (Go on your own) for Individual Portraits

Thursday, May 9th:
12:00 - 8:00 pm (Go on your own) for Individual Portraits

Friday, May 10th:
12:00 - 8:00 pm (Go on your own) for Individual Portraits

Feel free to register here for option #1

JR working it in Times Square

Option # 2 Have Your Portrait taken at the NYC Dance Parade and Festival

Have your portrait taken for the Face of Dance Inside Out Project on Saturday, May 18th, at the annual Dance Parade and Festival.
Find us at the parade line up area on 21st and Broadway before the parade begins (11 am - 1 pm)
Find us in Tompkins Square Park during the Dance Festival (3 pm - 7 pm).
Feel free to walk up to us and ask to have your portrait taken for the Face of Dance
Email us to sign up to have your portrait taken before the parade begins, or afterwards at the Dance Festival.
If you need help locating us in Tompkins Square Park, go the the information booth (they'll know where we're at)

Option # 3 Schedule a Studio Shoot with us

Email us at thefaceofdance@gmail.com to discuss this option.

Scheduling options:

Mondays, 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Wednesday, 7:30 - 9:30 pm
Thursdays, 7:30 - 9:30 pm

Feel free to register here for option #2 or #3

Answers to Questions

Should you send us photos?

No. We'll be taking all of the portraits for you, so we we're not seeking photos to be sent to us at this time. If that changes at all, we'll let you know. Besides, it's much more fun for you to come out and play!

What's the news on displaying the Face of Dance portraits?

We've had MANY offers to portray the portraits at different locations, which is fabulous! We couldn't be more exited! Because we'll be taking hundreds of portraits during these three events, we will need to organize all of the information and photos before we discuss placement options, as different venues can display them in different ways.

Does everyone need to register before hand?

No, but it would help us out if you did. If you're bringing a group, please email Dawn at thefaceofdance@gmail.com to let her know how many people to expect if you're bringing a group to the photo booth truck in Times Square. If you haven't had a chance to answer our brief questionnaire before you have your portrait taken, we'll email that to you later. Dawn will take down each person's name and email at the photo booth truck to follow up with participants as we move through the next phases of the project.

Need to know more about the Face of Dance Inside Out Project?

Read our previous post
Email Dawn at thefaceofdance@gmail.com with questions.

Thanks again for your participation! Hope to see you at the photo booth truck or at the NYC Dance Parade!!

The Face of Dance - Inside Out Project

2013-04-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

Inside Out Project - Hong Kong, photographed by JR

Face of Dance - Inside Out Project

Help represent the NYC Dance Community

Participate in the Face of Dance - Inside Out Project, a portrait series that recognizes the importance of dance in New York City. We want to celebrate the influence that dance brings in its many forms, and the diversity of individuals within the field.

The mission of the Face of Dance photo project is to represent the strength of this community, from students and interns, to professionals in the field, and those who work to protect important institutions and schools, advance education, and the careers of artists.

As part of a global arts initiative hosted by the Inside Out Project, your portraits will be displayed to raise public awareness about our community. The Face of Dance - Inside Out Project is an opportunity for the dance community to represent their influence on society and share their voices on concerns.

Black and white photographs will be taken of each participant and blown up into large posters to display in NYC. Your photos and comments will also be uploaded to the Inside Out Project website.

Inside Out, an art project by JR

The Inside Out Project

The Inside Out Project was created by world renowned photographer and street artist, JR, who has gained worldwide recognition for his photo graffiti.

His work earned him the TED PRIZE in 2011. Starting with the streets of Paris as his canvas, JR's installations have taken him as far as Africa, North America, and the favelas of Brazil. His latest initiative, the Inside Out Project calls upon the public to take photos of themselves and causes they represent. Inside Out Projects are displayed around the world, and they are definitely not to be missed.

View JR's 2012 TED TALKS presentation:

Take a look at some Inside Out Projects:

Inside Out Project: Group Actions
New York Times: Slide Show

Participate in the Face of Dance - Inside Out Project

Fill out a brief questionnaire about yourself, and share some thoughts with us on dance.
After you've completed your questionnaire, we will confirm a date to photograph your portrait.
The Inside Out team will be photographing you in Times Square in New York City. April and May dates available.
Sign up for one of the dates below to have your portrait taken

Who can Participate?

Arts Administrators
Artistic Directors
Choreographers
Teachers
Dancers
Bloggers
Photographers
Film professionals
Students
etc.

Sign up for the Face of Dance HERE

Each participant will be updated on when photos and comments are uploaded to the Inside Out Project website, and our plans for exhibiting the posters of your portraits around New York City.

Save the Artist - Inside Out Project

Help us Stage an Action for the Dance Community

Donate spaces to showcase The Face of Dance portraits
Volunteer to paste posters
Help spread the word on the Face of Dance - Inside Out Project by inviting your coworkers and friends to participate.
Support our upcoming Crowd Sourcing campaign to help us raise funds to print the posters and pay for supplies.

Contact us at: thefaceofdance@gmail.com

"I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we'll turn the world...INSIDE OUT." - JR

The Art of Dance Therapy: Future Directions

2013-01-22T01:01:00.001-08:00

Join us this Friday, January 25th at the 92nd St Y
in New York City

MovementTalks Dance Lecture Series:
"The Art of Dance Therapy: Future Directions"

Presented by Edward Henkel

With guests:
Dr. Miriam Roskin Berger
Patricia Capello
Tina Erfer
Elissaveta Iordanova

Purchase Tickets here:

http://bit.ly/ZCgIHj

Dr. Miriam Roskin Berger, BC-DMT, LCAT

An early pioneer of dance therapy while she performed with the Jean Erdman Theatre of Dance, Dr. Berger teaches dance therapy at New York University, where she was the Director of the Program in Dance Education from 1993–2002. She is also currently the Director of the Dance Therapy Program at the Harkness Dance Center of the 92nd Street Y.

She has created dance therapy training programs in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Sweden, and has taught dance therapy and the Movement Psychodiagnostic Inventory in France, Germany, Greece, Korea, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, and Taiwan. She initiated the International Panel of the ADTA in 1995.

In 2009, Dr. Berger received the Charles Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters from Bard College, the ADTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, was inducted into the Dance Library of Israel Hall of Fame in 2005, and she was given the Marian Chace Award for fostering the international growth of dance therapy in 2002. Past President and charter member of the American Dance Therapy Association, Dr. Berger was Director of the Creative Arts Therapies Dept. at Bronx Psychiatric Center 1970–1990, and is a past Chair of the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies.

A former co-editor of the American Journal of Dance Therapy and editorial board member of the Journal of Dance Education, she now is on the board of Arts in Psychotherapy and the American Journal of Dance Therapy.

An early student of dance therapy pioneers Marian Chace, Irmgaard Bartenieff, and Rhoda Winter Russell, she studied non-verbal communication with Albert Scheflen, Martha Davis, Marion North, Judith Kestenberg and Warren Lamb. and studied dance with, among others, Alwin Nikolais and Martha Graham.

Upcoming MovementTalks in 2013:

April 2013 - Sustainable Arts: Policy, Practice, and Programming. With guests Lise Brenner, Paul Nagle, and Judy Hussie-Taylor

May 2013 - Dance and the American Sacred Cows / Meat and Money. With guests Zeffrey Throwell and Carrie Ahern

Help Dance Films GO VIRAL

2012-12-20T19:45:00.001-08:00

Help Video Dance TV make videos go viral. Share the dance short films we feature on your social media channels...
And share the LOVE! (thanks!)

Dance Projects Most Successful Category on Kickstarter

2012-11-07T15:57:00.002-08:00

Source: appsblogger.com via VideoDanceTV on Pinterest

Choreography for Audiences – Take One: Dance Film Review

2012-09-21T09:55:00.001-07:00

Choreography for Audiences – Take One: Dance Film Review

By Dawn Paap and Leslie Kilpatrick

On September 15, 2012 we joined a large group of participants at the Irondale Theatre to welcome our chance to participate in a live human game and choreographic/social experiment conceived and choreographed by Noemie Lafrance as part of Brooklyn’s inaugural BEAT Festival.

Although there have been debates about film versus live performance, Choreography for Audiences -Take One challenges these ideas by delivering a blend of each to offer a unique experience for audience attendees. How often do audiences have an opportunity to view a film’s creation on set or in real time? Or step in to participate? Thankfully, Sens Production invited in audiences to experience an interactive dance film and work with internationally renowned choreographer Noemie Lafrance.

As part of an audience (or participants) adorned in outfits of green, blue, black and tan, the check in line was a buzz of questions about what we had studied in preparation for the games that await us. Prior to shooting the film, each team separated to go over the instructions with Team Leaders regarding varied movement sequences, and discovered how to strategize to earn points.

Blurring the lines between audience and performer, participants were allowed to observe games being played and step in to be a part of the action. Behind the scenes vantage points offered a unique viewing experience for all involved…with chaos and unity happening simultaneously…while achieving a one of a kind visual artwork. With a dozen geometrical shapes and patterns created through human movement, chaos, and structure, Choreography for Audiences - Take One allowed audiences to witness a live event like no other.

While taking part as spectators, we each quickly realized the scientific dimensions of art we were viewing and experiencing. From mathematical patterns, to the social experimental element, to the complexity of the choreography to include crowd control and space, we witnessed LIVE art at another level.

The most challenging game seemed to be the ‘Fractal Box’ which relied on participants following a 2-4-6-8 unfolding pattern on grid lines to create geometric patterns known as fractals. With participants lining up to quickly move across the grid, while needing to count steps to create the fractal shape and finish each mathematical set before other teams, things got a bit messy at moments for each large group, but were quickly corrected through a team effort.

With each of the games, we witnessed participants colliding & instinctively adjusting around each other, testing Lafrance’s theories on Kinesthesia within the context of this social experiment. Kinesthesia is defined as an acute human sense that notifies the brain where the body is with reference to the matter around it. It is the ability dancers have to move in unison by perceiving their surrounding often assisting with musical cues. Kinesthesia is often referred to as a sixth sense because in 1557 Julius Caesar Scaliger originally described the position-movement sensation as a “sense of locomotion” and later called by Charles Bell “muscle sense”. However, today scientists instead classify Kinesthesia as a combination of external & internal sensations to and from the brain.

Learning theorists would also point out that having an opportunity to view the games in play allowed participants to gain awareness and be more able to maneuver their bodies to each game’s ending position with fewer errors once they rejoined the action. This is reflected in Noemie Lafrance’s Bodies as Media Huffington Post article which states: “By transmitting the content of the work to the audience, as if projecting a film onto the audience’s body, we also transform the audience’s body into the media. The audience’s body has the choreography stored in it, waiting for activation and playback.”

We noticed that the longer the games continued, the more relaxed each participant became with timing and execution, including being more in tuned with one another, allowing observers to witness this transformation in action. As individuals mastered each game, the excitement about scoring points for one’s team and participation intensified. At the end, no one seemed ready to leave, and the audience side was mostly empty.

Lafrance’s mission to create art that is mass produced within a social experimental structure is as brilliant as it is ambitious. Social experiments are important educational tools for all cultures, as seen by decades of literature among the collective social sciences. What can this documented experience lead us to discover about one’s ability to read another’s presence, participate in competition, and master game play? What will this dance film offer in terms of inspiring future research on dance?

Noemie Lafrance’s vision as a choreographer is unique in its regard to audience involvement in her works, and offers much to the shared experience of dance for everyone. With her interdisciplinary approach of combining art, science, and technology for Choreography for Audiences - Take One, she offers an innovative look into performance language and challenges how choreographers traditionally communicate with audiences.

Taking audience communication even one step further, Sens Production is sharing copies of the film with each participant, allowing individuals to share their creative experience with broader audiences through the ease of social media sharing platforms. We’d like to extend our appreciation to Noemie Lafrance and Sens Production for inviting us to partake in Choreography for Audiences - Take One. We look forward to seeing the director’s final edit of the dance film and sharing it with others.

In conclusion, we’d like to officially give this dance film a rating of “Two Thumbs up” from the Blue Team!

Dawn Paap, Director of Video Dance TV http://About.me/DawnPaap

Leslie Ann Kilpatrick, the Dancing Mathematician http://About.me/Leslie.Kilpatrick

Choreography for Audiences by Noémie Lafrance

2012-09-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

Choreography for Audiences - Take One

A Live Film Conceived and Choreographed

by Noémie Lafrance

The Irondale Theater

85 S Oxford St, Fort Green, Brooklyn

Sept 15, 2012 2 PM

Tickets www.sensproduction.org

Choreography for Audiences - Take One is entirely performed by a participating audience; a choreographic/social experiment that gathers teams of hundreds of people in a live human game. Participants will follow algorithmic instructions to generate evolving patterns and formations captured on film in a bird’s eye view.

Site-specific Choreographer and Director Noemie Lafrance uses urban landscapes as setting for performance allowing the audience to step inside the work and experience it as an active participant. In this new conceptual live film work there will be no dancers and there are no rehearsals planned. The audience is playing a game; a manifestation of the group expressed through movement exploring the poles of cooperation and competition inherent to our living together in society.

Challenging the processes of filmmaking and performance production, this work merges the technological and physical worlds and puts the audience in the center of the action. Participants are directed to a website containing their team’s instructions for the event. Once on stage, they are invited to follow sets of prescribed rules and make aesthetic decisions based on their immediate experience, altogether creating a moving tableau of infinite possibilities. The aim is to reach a balance with the group, which generates a variety of large-scale visual patterns, interactions and encounters that form the choreography.

The rapid changes technology brings to our lives and its effects on how we relate to each other has carved a need for the rediscovery of, and reconnection to, the body and people in real time and space, which is what inspired this work.

Participate in Choreography for Audiences - Take One

as a Team Leader or as an Audience Member

Sign up to participate HERE

Noémie Lafrance is an internationally renowned site-specific choreographer and director, her work includes Descent (2001-03) winner of 2 Bessie awards, Noir (2004) as part of the Whitney Biennial, Agora & Agora II (2005-06), Melt (2003-2010) and The Rapture Series staging the architecture of Frank Gehry worldwide (2013-18). Lafrance’s short films include “Eyes nose mouth” “Rapture” and “Melt” which toured internationally to festivals including Cannes film festival. Lafrance has choreographed for opera, TV commercials and music videos including Feist’s Grammynominated music video “1234,” David Byrne’s world tour, Doug Aitkin Sleepwalkers and many others.

Sens Production is an award winning not-for-profit dance-production company that produces the work of site-specific choreographer Noémie Lafrance, performed live in public spaces and on film.

Choreography for Audiences - Take One is produced by Sens Production and presented in collaboration with the BEAT Festival and The Irondale Center. BEAT Festival (Brooklyn Emerging Artists in Theater, www.beatbrooklyn.com) is the first of its kind to spotlight the diverse and exciting community of Brooklyn-based performing artists. The Irondale Center is a beautiful and historic new performing arts space in the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District.

Choreography for Audiences-Take One was funded by DCA, NYSCA, Rockefeller MAP Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, and with donations from Build it Green, private sponsors and donors.

DANCE FILM SERIES: “Solo with New York”

2012-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

This week Video Dance TV celebrates artists love for New York City with the DANCE FILM SERIES: “Solo with New York”. Each videodance below reflects, embodies, and subverts the dynamic interaction between an individual’s movement style and her environment.

Enjoy the work of Nejla Yatkin as she explores different locations that are uniquely New York and which illustrate her love of the city.

Solo with New York: “View from my Balcony”

Solo with New York: “Central Park”

Solo with New York: “Times Square”

Solo with New York: “Wall Street Bull”

Solo with New York: “View from Long Island”

Tune in for the DANCE VIDEO OF THE DAY for more short films and videos which tell stories of New York City and various artists who celebrate their city through movement.

Catch the DANCE VIDEO OF THE DAY on YouTube

View additional daily videos on Twitter

Watch/Share DANCE FILMS on Pinterest

Choreographer Elizabeth Streb Surprises Audiences in London with 'One Extraordinary Day'

2012-08-06T04:12:00.001-07:00

STREB Action Heros

Choreographer Elizabeth Streb unleashed her daredevil dancers around the city of London in a one-off Olympics-inspired project with a day of surprise performances across London's iconic landmarks.

At rehearsals for her new Olympics-inspired project, One Extraordinary Day Streb explains why one day took a whole year to plan.

Whether it's asking dancers to bungee jump 40ft drops or dangling them off buildings, few people have pushed the human body to the limits like American choreographer Elizabeth Streb. Known for her extreme dance and book How to Become an Extreme Action Hero, she has previously staged events at New York's Lincoln Center and Grand Central Station.

For one day only, visionary New York choreographer Elizabeth Streb and her team of dancers staged a visually stunning feat in a series of performances for One Extraordinary Day around London's famous monuments - from the Millennium Bridge to Trafalgar Square to the awe inspiring finale on the London Eye.

In the video below, the dancers can be seen walking down City Hall, performing

'Sky Walk'

Commissioned by the mayor and the London 2012 festival, the event was billed as a 'performance of power, daring and beauty that will totally disarm those lucky enough to see it'.

A video by Crane.tv captures the action as it happened, and finds out from Streb how she plans to make Londoners feel differently about their city.

Check out Video Dance TV on Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube, to view more videos which celebrate the Olympic Games in London, including the DANCE FILM series 'Postcards From East London' by Artistic Director Jo Parks.

'PHENOMENON ONE' Dance Short Film

2012-08-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the DANCE SHORT FILM:

'PHENOMENON ONE' by Yaminah & Ahmadvand

View more DANCE SHORT FILMS featured as the VIDEO OF THE DAY in our SCREENING ROOMS

Find a selection of talented artists on these pages on our blog

Want your short film featured as the VIDEO OF THE DAY?

Message our YouTube channel and attach your video. http://www.youtube.com/VideoDanceTV

Post your videos in our Facebook Group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VideoDanceTV/

Follow @VideoDanceTV on Twitter, mention us in your tweets, and we'll mark your video as 'Favorite' and ReTweet your video links.

http://www.twitter.com/VideoDanceTV

Share Dance Short Films on Pinterest

2012-07-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

Pinterest is another great platform to share Dance Films

Video Dance TV will help 're-pin' your videos

Follow our Dance Film Board on Pinterest

Help us make more short films go viral through sharing

http://pinterest.com/videodancetv/dance-films/

Catch the NYC Premiere of 'The Hooping Life'

2012-07-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

The Hooping Life

The Hooping Life interweaves the stories of eight performers, activists, teachers, and healers as they take a mere kid’s toy, the hula hoop, and with pure grit and determination, reinvent “hooping” into a dance, a spiritual practice, and a fitness phenomenon.

About the Event

Meet the Performers

Buy Tickets HERE

Invite your friends on Facebook

Footage filmed by the hoopers themselves was included in The Hooping Life, giving a raw authenticity to their personal stories of transformation. This picture is vibrant, edgy, and truly resonates on a multi-cultural level while giving an eye-opening look at an infectious and beautiful new cultural movement.

The Hooping Life chronicles the birth of subculture that forms a supportive community, while these individual stories of transformation offer a unique platform for conversations about important community issues:

Self-Discovery: Anah/Hoopalicious is directionless in Hollywood, and struggling to find her purpose.

Entrepreneurship: Overweight and introverted, Christabel pursues liberation, weight loss, and a career as a successful entrepreneur in San Francisco.

Mental Health: Baxter overcomes suicidal depression by hooping blindfolded and defines a new form of spirituality.

Gangs/Violence: Tisha and her student Jeffrey create an after school safe haven of hooping for kids in the gang-laden neighborhood of South Central LA.

LGBT Issues/Bullying: Bullied as a teenager for being gay, Karis takes on issues of gender and sexual identity with gender-bending hoop performances worldwide.

Rape Crisis: Sass reclaims her body and life after a brutal home invasion and rape in South Africa.

Entertainment: Stefan and his NYC dance troupe surprise the urban rat race and landscape with play in unexpected places.

Check out the trailer below

The Hoop Movement

Our Mission

2012-06-25T12:21:00.001-07:00

Video Dance TV's mission is to help dance short films go viral.

Feel free to share your videos or favorite Dance Short Films with us.

Send us a message at our YouTube channel w/ your video attached

http://www.YouTube.com/VideoDanceTV

Other ways to share your dance videos:

Post videos in our Facebook group, or mention

@VideoDanceTV in your tweets so we can help to promote your videos.

Cheers!

NYC Dance Parade and Festival

2012-05-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

Join us in NYC for the 6th Annual Dance Parade on Saturday on May 19th from 1-3pm

Dance Parade represents all cultures and styles of dance in its annual parade and festival each May.

We encourage artistry not only in dance performances but also in the vehicles. Floats, DJ's, dance groups, flash mobs, students, professional dancers, and Grand Marshal's bring the parade to life! Dance Police joyously keep the crowds dancing along.

Enjoy performances following the parade at the Dance Festival in Tompkin's Square Park and participate in dance classes and groups devoted to public participation for all ages.

Meet our 2012 Grand Marshal's:

Elisa Monte

Bill Shannon

Ashley Tuttle

Jonathan Peters

Purchase tickets to watch the parade from the

Grand Stands located at Astor Place

Watch dance organizations announced by our MC as they dance their way to Tompkins Square Park for the Dance Festival. Purchase tickets HERE

Bring your camera--and later submit your photos to our annual PHOTO CONTEST.

Join us in Tompkins Square Park after the Parade

for the Dance Festival from 3-7pm

Meet the DANCERS performing at this year's event

Individual Dancers can still Register to participate

First Position film opens May 4th

2012-05-02T23:08:00.000-07:00

Catch the Dance Film FIRST POSITION

A Film by Bess Kargman

The film will be opening on May 4^th at the following cinemas:

IFC Center - New York, NY

Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center - New York, NY

For the young dancers at the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the world's most prestigious ballet competitions, lifelong dreams are at stake. With hundreds competing for a handful of elite scholarships and contracts, practice and discipline are paramount, and nothing short of perfection is expected.

Bess Kargman's award-winning documentary, FIRST POSITION, follows six young dancers as they prepare for a chance to enter the world of professional ballet, struggling through bloodied feet, near exhaustion and debilitating injuries all while navigating the drama of adolescence. A showcase of awe-inspiring talent, tenacity and passion, FIRST POSITION paints a thrilling and moving portrait of the most gifted young ballet stars of tomorrow.

View the Film Trailer Below

Director Bess Kargman

My entire childhood I danced. I always had this huge love of ballet, despite my early “retirement” at the age of 14. Fourteen years later, when I took a break from journalism and set out to direct my first feature film, I decided to make a movie that I always wished had existed. And then I got lucky: One day I was walking in lower Manhattan and saw a pack of ballet dancers waiting to get into the final round of the Youth America Grand Prix competition, held annually each spring. It was sold out so I snuck in and sat in the back. On stage walked an 11-year-old girl (“bitty baby ballerina,” I called her), whose 2-minute performance had such artistry, grace, and strength that I stood up, walked out of the theater and said, “This Is My Movie.” What unfolded next was a thrilling (and sometimes exhausting) year of fundraising and shooting, and then nearly a year of editing. I knew I wanted to show how diverse the ballet world is in terms of socio-economic status, race, and geography. Additionally, I wanted to shatter stereotypes (not all skinny ballerinas are anorexic, not all male ballet dancers are gay, not all stage mothers are psycho, and so on). I also wanted to show that a competition that awards scholarships to elite ballet schools can pave the way to making it as a dancer, but that the steep climb to get there is daunting, as ballet training is extremely expensive and injuries often ruin careers. Most importantly, I wanted to show that the level of devotion (and amount of training) required to succeed as a dancer is no different from any other professional sport.

I’m thrilled to finally have that opportunity and grateful to the talented people (both behind and in front of the camera) who gave it their all to see FIRST POSITION turn into the movie I always wished had existed.

A scene from FIRST POSITION

Q&A with Bess Kargman

What do you want audiences to learn from FIRST POSITION?

I think there is a lot of misconception about the ballet world, so I made sure to select subjects that I knew would be able to challenge certain stereotypes. I wanted to show that not all ballet dancers are rich, not all are white, not all male ballet dancers are gay, not all female ballet dancers are anorexic, and not all stage moms are psycho…etc.

Also, few people realize the toll that ballet takes on the body (or that the pain threshold of professional dancers is close to superhuman). I knew that if I could thoroughly document the worlds these dancers inhabit, and the challenges they face on a daily basis, I would be able to craft an extremely unique documentary.

A behind the scenes look at FIRST POSITION

What prompted the idea for your film and how did it evolve?

My entire childhood I danced. I always had this huge love of ballet (even after quitting to play ice hockey). There are two things that compelled me to direct and produce FIRST POSITION.

I believed that my ballet background was enough of an asset to help me overcome some of the mistakes that I feared making as a first-time director. Secondly, growing up this was a film I wished had existed (or to put it more selfishly, I was tired of waiting for someone else to make the movie).

There were a slew of veteran filmmakers who (in an effort to provide well-intentioned advice) told me I was biting off more than I could chew. They reminded me how few documentaries are released theatrically each year, and how much work is required to distill hundreds of hours of footage into a 90-minute feature. These are things I never forgot along the way, but I forced myself to pretend otherwise. Maintaining such an outlook helped me stay focused (and optimistic) during the two years it took to shoot and edit the film.

Jules Jarvis Fogarty in FIRST POSITION

Elaborate a bit on your approach to making the film.

The two most important things that I learned as a student at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism are that a story is only as good as its characters, and that access is everything. These principles hold true no matter what format the story is told (whether it be print, radio or on film).

I knew I would have to convince the competition to grant me exclusive access, and so I put together a detailed proposal that outlined my desire to create an honest portrayal of what it means to have a dream at such a young age, and the sacrifice required to make it as a dancer. I also knew that for some youths (especially in this economic climate), winning a scholarship can mean the difference between making it as a dancer or relinquishing a dream.

Lastly, I feared that if I solely relied on outcome (who wins) I would be risking the entire project on factors I had no control over. So I selected subjects whose personal stories were so compelling that even if everyone tanked, the audience would still leave the theater feeling moved and inspired by a group of extraordinary dancers who, at such a young age, have devoted their lives to ballet.

ABOUT THE CAST

Miko Fogarty

Miko Fogarty was born in London, England in 1997 and trains with Viktor Kabaniaev in the Professional Program at the Westlake School for Performing Arts in San Francisco, USA. She currently lives in Orinda, California near San Francisco with her brother Jules, her mother Satoko, and her father Mat. During the filming, she was training at the Diablo Apprentice Program. From as long as she can remember, she has always aspired to become a professional ballerina. In the summers of 2008, 2009 and 2010, Miko trained at the Royal Ballet School’s International Summer Program in London and was selected to dance solos in the final performances and received the Commendation Award each year. In 2009 and 2011, Miko won the Gold Medal at the World Ballet Competition in Florida. In 2010, she won the Bronze Medal at the New York Finals of the Youth America Grand Prix. In 2011, Miko was invited to perform on the “YAGP’s 2011 Ballet Grand Prix Tour” and danced with accomplished artists: Jose Manuel Carreno, Igor Kolb, Elisa Carrillo Cabrera, Mikhail Kaniskin, Oksana Skorik, Drew Jacoby and Rubinald Pronk. Miko was featured in the ballet documentary "First Position", which won multiple prizes at film festivals. “First Position” will be in movie theaters internationally in the Spring of 2012. Since 2009 (age 12), she has been doing online school to give her more time to dedicate to ballet. This allows her to dance 4 to 5 hours a day and also travel for competitions and tours. Miko was listed as one of “The Most Influential People of 2011” in the Dance Spirit Magazine.

Jules Fogarty

Jules Fogarty was born in London, UK in March 1999. His father is English and his mother Japanese. When Jules was 5 months old, he moved to California and started ballet when he was 4 years old. It was a lot of fun when he was a little kid as it was good to be with his friends, acting, and jumping around.

When Jules was 9, he did his first YAGP and won first place in the regional and the bronze medal in the New York finals. The following year he did YAGP again (as shown in First Position) but did not win. Some day he hopes to be an entrepreneur like his father.

Joan Sebastian Zamora

Strong and serious, Joan Sebastian, 16, has left his mountainside village near Cali, Colombia for a brighter future in America. His mother, who describes herself as a former frustrated ballerina, is his greatest source of encouragement. Every time he calls home he is reminded of the sacrifices his family has made on his behalf, and their high expectations of him to help support them in the future. Joan Sebastian's dream is to dance for the Royal Ballet in London, England, where his inspiration, the Cuban star Carlos Acosta, dances. If he wins a Youth America Grand Prix scholarship to train at the Royal Ballet School, he is one step closer to achieving this dream.

Aran Bell

Aran Bell, who is eleven years old in the film, began his training at age four in Bremerton, Washington with Michiko Black and continued training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Originally from Washington, his family relocated to a US Navy base in Naples, Italy after his father, a military doctor, returned from a tour of duty in Kuwait. In 2009, Aran began studying with Denys Ganio in Rome, Italy. He has also attended the Royal Ballet School, and American Ballet Theatre summer programs. Aran was the winner of the Hope Award at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, he was also the Grand Prix winner of the Milan International Ballet Competition. He was awarded the Junior Grand Prix at the 2011 YAGP Finals, and the gold medal at the Rieti (Italy) International ballet competition. Aran has performed in numerous galas in Italy, France, Germany, England, Austria, Poland, Romania, and several U.S. cities. Today, Aran is home schooled in order to spend 2 hours a day commuting to his dance school in Rome, where he trains for five hours a day. Aran’s hobbies include skateboarding, snowboarding, playing with action figures and collecting toy guns.

Michaela DePrince

A war orphan from Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince was adopted by a large American family in New Jersey when she was four years old. At that time her only exposure to ballet was from a crushed and smudged magazine photo that she found clinging to the gates of the orphanage. Michaela begged her new American mother for dance lessons, and soon she was studying ballet, modern, tap dancing and jazz at Dalia Hay’s Dance Academy in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She also studied ballet for seven years at The Rock School for Dance Education, where she continued her interest in modern, jazz and tap dancing. While at The Rock School, Michaela won both the Hope Award and the Junior Grand Prix at the Philadelphia Regional Youth American Grand Prix. From age eleven to thirteen, Michaela studied ballet in Northern Vermont, from Vanina Wilson, a French dance trained in the Paris Opera Ballet, Alain Albertson Murphy, a former principal dancer in the San Francisco Ballet and Alex Nagiba, a former soloist of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. During that period of her childhood, Michaela also had the good fortune to study with two legends of the ballet world, Monsieur Daniel Seillier in Montreal and Mr. Arthur Mitchell at the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Summer Intensive. She first attended the American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive in New York City when she was thirteen. Michaela was named a National Training Scholar at the end of that summer. She was a participant in the 2010 International Ballet Competition in Jackson, but it was through the Youth American Grand Prix, where she was an annual finalist for five years, that Michaela was first awarded a scholarship to The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of the American Ballet Theatre. Last year she felt honored to be awarded The Beverly G. Smith Scholarship. This year Michaela is doubly honored to receive this scholarship again.

ABOUT THE CREW

Bess Kargman (Director/Producer/Editor)

Bess has crafted timely, socially and politically relevant stories for numerous media outlets including National Public Radio, The Washington Post and a variety of online publications. She holds degrees from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and Amherst College. Long before entering the world of film and radio, Bess trained at Boston Ballet School (until she was recruited to play varsity ice hockey). FIRST POSITION is her first film, and premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival (where it took People’s Choice runner-up for best documentary). When she’s not living out of a suitcase, Kargman divides her time between New York and Los Angeles.

Nick Higgins (Director of Photography/Associate Producer)

Nick has shot documentaries for such award-winning directors as Lucy Walker, Morgan Spurlock and Stuart Sender. Currently he is shooting new projects for National Geographic and PBS. Nick has spent most of his life living everywhere except his Scottish birthplace; most notably Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Brazil and now Los Angeles. Along the way he picked up Portuguese, earned a Masters in Cinematography from AFI and became a father.

Rose Caiola (Executive Producer)

With a love of ballet since childhood, Rose Caiola is now the Founder and Executive Artistic Director of the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center (MMAC) and the Manhattan Youth Ballet. Caiola is also a Broadway producer and the co-author and producer of the new musical Freckleface Strawberry. Caiola’s goal throughout all her projects has been to provide equal educational, cultural and artistic opportunities for inner city youth. She is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is a member of The Broadway League of Theatres and Producers, and the Screen Actors Guild.

Chris Hajian (Composer)

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Chris’ formal musical training started at the “Famed” High School of the Performing Arts, and continued at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied classical composition. He has created scores for a wide range of narrative films, indies and documentaries, including “The Take” (2007), “Nursery University” (2008) and “Unraveled” (2011), which had its US premiere at the LA Film Festival and will have its TV broadcast premiere on Showtime.

Kate Amend (Editor)

Kate’s editing work includes two Academy Award-winning documentaries: The Long Way Home and Into The Arms of Strangers (for which she won an American Cinema Editor's Eddie award). Her many other credits include Thin (HBO) and The World According To Sesame Street (both of which premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival). She is an advisor at the Sundance Institute Documentary Edit and Story Lab and is a faculty member of the Cinema Department at USC.

Jennilyn Merten (Associate Producer)

Before working on First Position, Jennilyn co-directed the documentary Sons of Perdition, which premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and was bought by Oprah Winfrey for her Documentary Film Club. A partner in Left Turn Films, she has also directed, produced, and edited numerous commercial projects for corporate clients.

Seeking Dancers for Short Films

2012-04-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

Work with a team of filmmakers to create a dance film series

Open to Dancers and Choreographers

in New York City

Filming on Location

Send BIO, photos, or video links to

dawn.videodancetv@gmail.com

Celebrate International Dance Day with Dance Parade New York

2012-04-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

Dance Parade’s International Dance Day Gala

Sunday, April 29^th 7-11pm

Dixon Place

161A Chrystie Street, NYC 10002

In 1982 the United Nations, through UNESCO’s CID (Conseil International de la Danse) set out to promote and raise awareness of dance by marking each April 29th as International Dance Day. This observance unites millions of people around the world toward the advancement of this expressive art form. Beginning in 2008, Dance Parade, Inc. has joined this worldwide chorus by linking in the nation’s only parade and festival dedicated solely to the recognition, celebration and promotion of the diversity of dance in all its forms as an inclusive and unifying human cultural and artistic expression.

Each year Dance Parade hosts a FUN-raiser on International Dance Day that both raises the awareness of dance in general, and the necessary funds for the annual Parade down Broadway in May, and its culminating Festival at Tompkins Square Park. Dixon Place will host this year’s event on Sunday, April 29, 2012, from 7PM to 11PM.

Guests to this event will enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment that reflects the diversity of age, ethnicity and genre to be found among dancers in NYC. The featured events highlight dance groups who have registered for the upcoming parade and allows event guests a preview of what is to come – a “taste of Dance Parade!” On April 29, these will include dancers from 8 to nearly 80, representing troupes who dance in forms originating on 5 different continents and various islands.Join us in celebrating this momentous occasion.

Click HERE for Tickets

Get Ready for Dance Parade on May 19th! Read more information HERE

Seeking 2012 Dance Reels

2012-03-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

Tune into Video Dance TV's YouTube Channel

to view a Playlist of Choreography Reels

Check out Lauren Adam's reel

Want your reel added to the Playlist?

Message Video Dance TV's YouTube Channel with 'CHOREOGRAPHY REEL' listed in the subject line. In the message, attach the video you'd like to list in the playlist on our Channel.

Video Dance TV News

2012-03-09T06:03:00.002-08:00

Check out the 2011 and 2012 SCREENING ROOMS by Video Dance TV.

Enjoy an excellent selection of Short Films

made by talented artists from around the globe

http://www.VideoDanceTV.blogspot.com

Join us for the Dance Film Presentation for Edward Henkel's MovementTalks Program at the 92nd Street Y

2011-12-29T00:59:00.000-08:00

Purchase Tickets online or at the door.

www.92Y.org

3D DANCE FILM - PINA

2011-12-29T00:48:00.000-08:00

3D DANCE FILM - PINA

Filmmaker Wim Wenders captures dancers in motion

as a tribute to choreographer Pina Bausch.

Now Playing in NYC

PINA is a feature-length dance film in 3D with the ensemble of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, featuring the unique and inspiring art of the great German dancer and choreographer, who died in the summer of 2009.

Wim Wenders takes the audience on a sensual, visually stunning journey of discovery into a new dimension: straight onto the stage with the legendary Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch ensemble, he follows the dancers out of the theatre into the city and the surrounding areas of Wuppertal - the place, which for 35 years was the home and centre for Pina Bausch's creativity.

The film includes excerpts from the four productions of "Café Müller", "Le Sacre du printemps", "Vollmond" and "Kontakthof", archive footage of Pina Bausch at work, innovatively inserted in the 3D world of the film as a third element, with many imaginative, short solo performances by the dancers of the ensemble.

To achieve this, Wim Wenders used Pina Bausch's own method of "questioning" with which the choreographer developed her new productions. She posed questions and her dancers answered not in words, but with improvised dance and body language.

Enjoy the DANCE VIDEO: "Director Wim Wenders on his film Pina."

Enjoy Excerpts from the 3D Film PINA

View another Video Tribute to Pina Bausch

Join us for the NYC Dance Parade in 2012

2011-12-29T00:44:00.000-08:00

Celebrate the 6th Annual

Dance Parade in NYC

May 19, 2012

Stay tuned for details on contests for this year's parade and DanceFest celebration.

www.DanceParade.org

11 Dance Films

2011-12-29T00:29:00.000-08:00

Video Dance TV celebrated 11-11-11 as Dance Film Day

11 DANCE FILMS

1- Our Salute to the beauty of diversity in dance. http://vimeo.com/30616878

2- Our Salute to Choreographers - http://vimeo.com/5592721

3- Our Salute to Video Artists- http://vimeo.com/21756417

4- Our Salute to Contemporary & Hip Hop dancers - http://vimeo.com/29013082

5- Our Salute to Dance in Animation - http://vimeo.com/7930043

6- Our Salute to Traceurs & Parkour Movement Style- http://vimeo.com/24561491

7- Our Salute to Ballet Dancers - http://vimeo.com/9140023

8- Our Salute to Aerial Dancers - http://vimeo.com/30812647

9- Our Salute to Tango Dancers - http://vimeo.com/9669289

10- Our Salute to Break Dancers - http://vimeo.com/30619461

11- Our Salute to Feature Length Dance Films and music videos - http://vimeo.com/26391981

Hungry for more DANCE FILMS?

View over 1100 Favorite DANCE FILMS on

http://www.Youtube.com/VideoDance/TV

11.11.11 DANCE FILM DAY

2011-11-02T03:54:00.001-07:00

11.11.11

Best day to share your

#DANCE FILMS on Twitter!

Tweet your dance video link to @VideoDanceTV

- Or -

Post your DANCE FILM in

Video Dance TV's Facebook Group

Join Video Dance TV's Group and post your DANCE FILM on our page.

(GOAL - 11 dance films shared by 11:11am AND 11:11pm)

One video link per person

Please choose either Twitter or Facebook, not both.

Ask your friends to participate and celebrate

Dance For The Camera with us.

Who's game?

11 Dance Films will be chosen to be posted on Video Dance TV's blog.

The most popular FILM will be featured as the DANCE VIDEO OF THE DAY

on Video Dance TV's YouTube Channel

Increase your odds by asking friends to follow Video Dance TV on Twitter or Facebook, and have them mention Video Dance TV or share comments on your video.