SOME RANDOM CRITICAL THOUGHTS ON RECENT DANCEFILMS

Choreography: Charles - Cre-Ange Danse Contemporaine



Clarity of intention, intensity, claustrophobia, a sense of expectancy and real choreographic breadth of movement are not easy elements to synthesize satisfactorily in a frame as tight as the film maker has chosen here.

Four well-thought through creative decisions, are the absence of any camera movement, the speed with which the action moves in and out of the viewfinder, the dancer's focus on the window about which we as viewers become persuaded to be increasingly interested and the quality of the backlight.

To make so few and such simple mise-en-scene resources so resonantly "about" something important, takes some skill and homework, which is abundantly evident in this piece.

A great choice of vista within a frame when the window finally opens and a soundtrack that adds to the sense of angst of our human moth, without being obtrusive makes this a very satisfying experience. Oh, and by the way, I think it is about dying - any other theories?

Windows sponsored by WD40


THE RAIN - CHOREO/DIRECTOR - PONTUS LIDBERG - SWEDEN - 28 MINS



Pontus Lidberg's beautiful, haunting feature length Dancefilm from Sweden.
Jury special mention at the Gothenburg Film Festival 2007. UK premiere - Dec 2nd, 2007, BEST FILM - The London International Dancefilm Festival, Riverside Studios, London.
ROSE D'OR NOMINEE 2008.
Lidberg is currently raising funds for his next piece, Labyrinth Within which promises to be even more powerful.

Contact him at his site if you can contribute.
http://www.lidberg.se/therain



TWINS BERNARD - by the "TWINS" BERNARD.



OK I have to admit a predilection for well-trained dancing and although not an absolutely essential element of "dancefilm" per-se, in circumstances such as this, an absence of really strong fine movement would have made this another exercise in cinematic futility.

As a personal choice of metaphor, I explored the notion that this piece is about personality fragmentation. Certainly if one was looking for a cinematic technique to personify this notion, the opening running manege in time -lapse and the lightning dissolve in the final shot were brilliant choices. Timing is always key, particularly in non-verbal art where you can't use linguistic smoke and mirrors to hide a weak idea.

We get displaced from one place to entirely another without the film maker changing either the protagonists in the frame, a time shift or change of location. Quite a feat. Great momentum in the tiny choreographic body-language shifts gives us a clear idea of exactly what their relationship is likely to be and the resulting choices in spacing between the two characters then delivers on an anticipated internal narrative. The developing of the nature of this relationship in which we are automatically interested and cleverly persuaded to stay with, is neatly complimented by subtle variations of repeat choreographic patterns. In this case a deliberate choice I think, rather than because the choreographic ideas have run out and there's time and space to fill which is what can happen all too often.

Sepia choice for the colour temperature and and the shape of the space all contribute layers of meaning, an appropriate dance space and unobtrusive environmental design. Nice work.


THE TOUR - VIDEODANCE 2004 - ATHENS COLLECTIVE



Wit, inventiveness, animation, pastiche, camera angles, and a clear narrative idea with finally, hurrah!, a beginning, middle and what passes for some kind of resolution in the end.

The environment in which the film was made has been intelligently and inventively plumbed for opportunities to add meaning, creative depth and amusement for the viewer.
Poor Theatre techniques, popular, accessible and well composed images and a facility for investing the everyday with a greater meaning in a quick and dirty way, thereby colaterally adding value to both, denotes both intellect and an interest in sources outside cliches.

MATS EK - SMOKE with NIKLAS EK & SYLVIE GUILLEM


I am still trying to come to terms with a narrative and choreographic thread which is so limpid, lyrical, languidly intense and yet spare of all vanity or body fetishism. All of which contribute, in association with one of Arvo Part's most minimal yet searing of compositions, to creating a fine example of where a distinctive cinematic vision, choreographic focus and appropriate musicality, come together in an uniquely satisfying synthesis.

Always intrigues me that as far as audiences go, there is a virtually unanimous vote of approval for dancefilm in which superb choreographic design and technical brilliance of execution feature heavily.

While audience approval is neither the alpha nor omega, it can offer instructive pointers as to how far the intention and the making of the vehicle for the message have effectively penetrated the sub-conscious