Stars of the ballet world take to the screen with daring new contemporary work.
See how stars of the ballet and contemporary dance worlds translate their talents to the screen in these nine international shorts, many of them made during the pandemic lockdown of theaters. Featuring local and international luminaries including Maria Kochetkova, Babatunji Johnson, and Daniil Simkin, these films push dance in bold new directions.
Lying Together
Lying Together is a collaboration between Hong Kong Ballet and Corey Baker Dance. This colorful romp makes use of the city of Hong Kong as an ever intriguing and vital landscape.
Elsewhere
Elsewhere is a meditation in movement on the surreal and its proximity to the mundane.
Evidence of it All
Choreographer Drew Jacoby (Nederlands Dans Theater, Royal Ballet of Flanders) directs her first short film for SFDanceworks.
Jacoby commissioned Pulitzer-winning librettist Royce Vavrek to create a story and text based on the concept of the seven cardinal sins through the lens of a woman in solitude, mulling over her memories. Drawing inspiration from iconic artists Maya Deren and Peter Lindbergh, Jacoby's graphic movement style and aesthetic give the dance film an eerie, absurd, and sometimes surreal sensuality. With narration by Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Rosamund Pike and sound design by the brilliant composer Mikael Karlsson (Alicia Keys and Lykke Li collaborator), dancer Meredith Webster takes the viewer on an intimate and riveting journey through her troubled mind, shedding light on the perpetual inner carnal struggle.
Pointe A2B
Pointe A2B is a short dance film produced by Ballet22, and aims to push the boundaries of conventional classical ballet by featuring a male-male pas de deux en pointe.
The conversation around gender and gender expression is slowly evolving towards greater inclusion, both in the ballet world and in the greater cultural context. Shot entirely in one take and navigating through a vast museum-esque space, Pointe A2B celebrates the beauty of classical ballet through an unconventional lens.
2020
The video project 2020 is an attempt to understand and feel what is happening in 2020 through the art forms of dance and video.
The film is the result of a collaboration between prima ballerina Diana Vishneva, choreographer Pavel Glukhov and director Katya Telegina.
Diorama
Dance film starring the renowned Maria Kochetkova and Daniil Simkin.
When the pandemic started, dance partners Maria Kochetkova and Daniil Simkin found themselves in different countries and unable to dance together. The question was how to dance together while apart. Inspired by silent movies, Diorama unfolds as a bizarre chase after oneself while contending with the distance that exists between artist and audience; artist and muse; artist and life.
Diorama was filmed in both the vast dunes of Skagen, Denmark and inside the empty Deutsche Oper in Berlin with two separate film crews. The film is also a collaboration with Kronos Quartet who were confined and unable to perform just like Maria and Daniil. The two pieces of music that are performed by Kronos Quartet in the film were created for their 50 for the Future — a project in which Kronos Quartet commissioned 50 composers to create works that would be made available online for musicians to download and play for free.
St. Annie
Dancer Babatunji Johnson and filmmaker Max Savage combine forces along with One Found Sound's live performance of Ivan Trevino's original composition.
The piece was all improvised and filmed at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco.
Between the Lines
Between The Lines reveals a woman in isolation as she navigates her internal barriers while searching for an exit.
Dive
Dance film with the world's most famous shade of blue.
Scottish Ballet's Choreographer in Residence Sophie Laplane partners with James Bonas (The Crucible) and film director Oscar Sansom to create Dive, a short film inspired by French artist Yves Klein and what has become the world's most famous shade of blue. Laplane's quintessentially quirky choreography comes to life when paired with striking visuals in this teal-toned treat.