Dancing Through the Lens

This week, Clare spoke with Ben Estabrook: director, cinematographer, SFDFF technical director and educator. We discussed his initial interest in dance film, his teaching philosophy and advice he has for filmmakers working with dancers. We also learn how a chance encounter at a Halloween party lead to the formation of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival.

benestabrook.com

Just So (Amy Seiwert/Ben Estabrook)
http://www.benestabrook.com/#/justso/

La La La Human Sex (Éduard Lock)
https://www.numeridanse.tv/en/dance-videotheque/la-la-la-human-sex-duo-ndeg1

The Time it Takes (Simon Fildes/Katrina McPherson)
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thetimeittakes


@ben.estabrook
@sfdancefilmfest

Emma Lanier/Cauveri Suresh & Spirit Labour (Janine Antoni)
Presented by Box Blur, Catharine Clark Gallery & SFDFF
August 21, 2021
Catharine Clark Gallery
Ticket Information: https://cclarkgallery.com/exhibitions/boxblur-sfdff-screening-and-dance-performance-lanier-august-21

This week on Dancing Through the Lens, Coral spoke with RAWdance co-artistic directors (and former SFDFF CoLaboratory participants) Wendy Rein, Ryan T. Smith and Katerina Wong. The episode discusses the challenges of operating a bi-coastal company, creating feedback platforms for dance film and what elements of creating during the pandemic dance companies will carry forward.

Since You Went
Battle

rawdance.org

@_rawdance
@ryantsmith7
@katerinawong

@sfdancefilmfest

Yerba Buena Gardens Choreofest
July 31st, 1-2:30 PM
August 14th, 1-2:30 PM
Free and Open to the Public

This week, Clare had the opportunity to speak with Lydia Clinton, a freelance dance artist who has performed with many groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Capacitor, PUSH Dance Company and Zaccho Dance Theater. Over the past year, she has become a social media sensation by presenting videos through Instagram and Tiktok that are simultaneously entertaining and technically astonishing. This conversation touched on topics such as performing for screens, the step-by-step process behind her internet videos, and the paradoxical anonymity of a million views.

Hamilton Class Promo
Triplets
VooDoo
Table

Behind the Scenes

Social Media

Lydia Clinton
Instagram: @itsjust_lydia
TikTok: @itsjust_lydia
Twitter: @itsjust_lydia1

@sfdancefilmfest

Yerba Buena Gardens Choreofest
July 10th, 1-2:30 PM
July 31st, 1-2:30 PM
August 14th, 1-2:30 PM
Free and Open to the Public

Music composed by Daria Novo (@darianovomusic)

This week on Dancing Through the Lens,  Coral spoke with Robert Moses, founder of Robert Moses' KIN (RMK). The company uses movement as the medium through which race, class, culture and gender are used to voice the existence of our greater potential and unfulfilled possibilities. The episode discusses the many ongoing projects RMK has been involved with over the past year and how the company as a whole has adjusted both creatively and administratively to the challenges presented over the past year.

Robert Moses was a participant of SFDFF's Co-Laboratory program in 2014. The film AM/FM was created in collaboration with director Morgan Wise and screened at various film festivals including the prestigious Dance Camera West.

Films
AM/FM- SFDFF CoLaboratory Film
Directed by Morgan Wise
Choreographed by Robert Moses


Events
The Vital Heart of SF
Robert Moses KIN
Rehearsals on Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays, 10AM - 1PM
IN-PROCESS PERFORMANCES on Saturdays at 11:15AM or 12:15PM

Dances For Doing Live Performance And Screening
June 26 – June 27, 2021
Catharine Clark Gallery

Social Media
@sfdancefilmfest
@robertmoseskin

Music composed by Daria Novo (@darianovomusic)

This week, Clare spoke to Roberto Vega Ortiz and Theresa Knudsen, co-founders of ballet 22. The company, founded in 2020, exists to push the boundaries of what is possible in ballet by focusing on producing works ranging from classical to contemporary ballet that break gender-normative traditions and are guided by values of inclusivity of body type, gender identity, and race. Roberto and Theresa touches on many topics, including how the factors presented by the pandemic allowed the company to emerge, adapting dance for the camera, and their vision for the future of their still-nascent company

Ballet 22 presents their program Tōtum between June 18-20 at the Great Start Theater in San Francisco. The program will include excerpts from beloved classic ballets, Le Corsaire, Giselle, Carmen, and Paquita as well as contemporary ballets by Nicholas Rose and Myles Thatcher. Ticket information can be found here (https://www.greatstartheater.org/shows/totum/show-totum.html)

https://www.ballet22.com/
https://sfdancefilmfest.org/

@sfdancefilmfest
@ballet22_
@robertanthony3
@teese1021

This week on Dancing Through the Lens, Coral spoke with Greta Schoenberg, the founder and director of programming at the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. Greta discussed a variety of topics including her early exploration of dance film (cats are involved), the power of collaboration and the elements of the Bay Area's dance film community that inspire her the most. 

Films
The Nightingale (dir. Greta Schoenberg)- Trailer

Events
Bay Area Dance on Film: A Drive In
Thursday, June 3, 2021, 9PM
Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, tickets available here

Social Media
@sfdancefilmfest

Music composed by Daria Novo (@darianovomusic)

On the inaugural episode of Dancing Through the Lens, Clare spoke with Robin Dekkers, the founder and artistic director of Post:Ballet. 

Robin participated in SFDFF's Co-Laboratory program in 2017 and has produced several dance films over the past year, including a viral interpretation of The Nutcracker’s Waltz of the Snowflakes staged in an Oakland parking lot adorned with a view of the city of San Francisco. We had an illuminating conversation about his interest in interdisciplinary collaborations and how he believes that the events of last year began to pave the way for greater accessibility and inclusion in ballet.

https://www.postballet.org/
https://www.berkeleyballet.org/

Films Discussed
Amelia-La La La Human Steps (dir. Édouard Lock)
Coming Home (SFDFF Co-Lab Film)
Surface Down
Waltz of the Snowflakes
Swan Lake

Events
San Francisco Dance Film Festival's Spring Fling
May 14th-23rd
Online, tickets available here

Social Media
@sfdancefilmfest..
@postballet
@robert_dekkers_

Music composed by Daria Novo (@darianovomusic)

Dancing Through the Lens is a new bimonthly podcast from the San Francisco Dance Film Festival that features guests from the festival's dance and filmmaking communities and offers a platform for artists in the dance world to share their interests and insights and discuss how they use film to create work and connect with audiences.

The first episode of Season 1 premieres on Friday, May 14th