Frameform

In today’s Pas de Cast, we’re launching a new episode series where, rather than a specific location or film, we will be exploring how specific genres of dance intersect with cinema and technology. Ballet originated as a combination of choreographic display and social dance, and we have seen this evolve as our capacities to both choreograph and be social expand.

Like a Ballet you may see In the theatre, We’re splitting today’s show into acts. In act one, we’ll talk about a range of examples of ballet on screen, from mainstream to experimental.  In act two, will focus on how ballet has been and continues to be used as a tool beyond pure entertainment.

Highlighted in this Episode:

Pas de Deux (1968)

Dir. Norman McLaren

Prod. National Film Board of Canada @onf_nfb

Laurencia (2013)

Dir. Ben Estabrook

POST BALLET - Waltz of the Snowflakes - on the naval base

Chor. Robin Dekkers (they/them)

Featuring Post:ballet and Berkeley Ballet Theater studio company

Jess and Morgs collaborations with The Scottish Ballet

@jessandmorgs

Hong Kong Ballet

@hongkongballet

LA Dance Project & Benjamin Millepied
@ladanceproject 

 

Features mentioned in this episode:

The Red Shoes (1948)

An American In Paris (1951)

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Children of Theatre Street (1977)

Center Stage (2000)

Mao’s Last Dancer (2009)

The White Crow (2009)
Black Swan (2010)

Other Shorts mentioned in this episode:

The Stop

The Bailey’s Nutcracker (2013)

Lil Buck with Icons of Modern Art (2016)

BONUS READING:

Russia:

How Russia uses ballet as propaganda

Soviet Broadcasts of Swan Lake are basically  a political trope

Ballet, propaganda and politics in the Cold War

How Ballet Became a Political Football Between East and West

Cuba:

Defectors land on their feet

The Cuban National Ballet: Sixty-six years of glory

Cuban National Ballet Company Thrives Thanks to Fidel Castro

China:

From propaganda ballets to dance for the people

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ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Meet the Frameform team in person and see dance on the big screen at the 6th annual Capitol Dance & Cinema Festival in Washington, DC Oct 8 2022. 

Schedule and details: www.capitoldcfestival.com
Social: @capitoldcfestival

Watch “The Reality of a Dream” co-presented by Dancinema and Goh Ballet this November 1-December 31 on demand at www.dancinema.co/watch

Check out the International Screendance Calendar to browse a variety of opportunities including festivals, workshops, and residencies.  This resource is updated regularly and is always open to contributors!

 

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Got a question or suggestion? Email us at [email protected]

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This week, Frameform welcomes Lórand Janos, a multi-hyphenate artist and the founding artistic director of Choreoscope: Barcelona Dance Film Festival. Lórand’s is passionate about the world of dance film and is not afraid to ruffle feathers and break molds when it comes to Choreoscope’s programming, which includes scenes from television and alternative media as well as screendance. 

The tenth edition of Choreoscope takes place between October 18-24. 

https://www.choreoscope.com/

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ALSO MENTIONED

Peacemaker Opening Title Sequence

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia-Mac’s Dance Scene

InShadow

Andreas Hannes

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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Instagram

Ok, you caught us again in another music video episode. We just can’t get enough of the power of dance and music uniting together in the world of visual entertainment. But in the years of the early 2000s, there was a flavor of music videos that were incredibly different from years past and future. One of those outside the box artists leading the way of wildly explosive yet iconically memorable music video hits is no other than Missy Elliott– the OG. How can you forget “Lose Control,” and its bizarre digital visual effects? Missy’s head being pasted onto dancers crunking the desert floor, Ciara’s epic dance moves while re-defining the lindy hop, and Fat Man Scoop alone with his hyped up vocals that leaves you screaming ‘LET’S GO.’

The joy of Missy Elliott and the short-lived strange era of the early 2000s was such a memorable time for MTV and VH1 premiering the latest music videos, highlighting the best of the best. Missy Eliott takes the spotlight by bringing back the classics– whether they be old or new. Her take on a visual journey is to be totally beyond the planet we’re living on.

Lose Control - Missy Elliott (feat. CIARA and Fat Man Scoop)

Dir by Dave Meyers

2005

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ALSO MENTIONED

Episode S1 EP09

A Conversation with: Steven Butler

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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Instagram

Grab your boots and your toque - we’re going on another location scouting adventure and this time our destinations are snowy! Highlighting a few selections, we discuss possible themes, trends, and significance of cold places in their many manifestations. We reflect how snowy locations symbolize hibernation, silence, cycles of life, and how each of the selected works express ideas of no place, any place, snowy places, and beyond.

Highlighted in this episode:

Direction(s) (2015)

Dir. Ena Granulo 

@enakurtagicgranulo @ohnoproduction

The between all things (2020)

Dir. Neels Castillon

@nowness @neels.castillon

 

Glace crevasse et derive (2013)
A film by Chantal Caron & Albert Girard

@spiraquebec

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Meet the Frameform team in person and see dance on the big screen at the 6th annual Capitol Dance & Cinema Festival in Washington, DC Oct 8 2022. 

Schedule and details: www.capitoldcfestival.com
Social: @capitoldcfestival

Check out the International Screendance Calendar to browse a variety of opportunities including festivals, workshops, and residencies.  This resource is updated regularly and is always open to contributors!

 

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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Instagram

The lights have risen and it’s time for a pause. Get a stretch in and walk over to the lobby. Meeting new people at film festival intermissions is always fun– you get to learn who they are, why they came to the event, and what films interest them. Basically, we’re here bringing an intermission to you! You’ve heard our views on a variety of dance films, but haven’t really talked about why we may be so critical or how we got involved with screendance in the first place. Grab your snacks for this one before the lights flicker to get back to your seats.

Frameform will be taking a brief pause from posting and will return Sept 14th 2022! Now’s the time to go back and catch up on any episodes that you may have missed.

This episode of Frameform was inspired by the…

A Century in Cinema Podcast

Hosted by Arthur Veenema and Andrew Slaughter

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rogue Dancer: Must B Sed Edition (Aug 2022)

Aug 26 – Sept 11, 2022

Online

There are some who believe that messages spoken through the arts are the only way to change the world. Dancers, choreographers & filmmakers, through sound, images & movement, tap into communication that is beyond words… hoping for pause, absorption and thought. And in that space, there is the potential for betterment and beauty in oneself and for the world. 

and then… sometimes there are words too.

This month, join Rogue Dancer in celebrating works with a message, DANCE Filmmakers with something to say.

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There are so many festivals accepting dance film submissions right now! Please take the time to visit the International Screendance Calendar to scroll through upcoming events and festivals happening all over the world. This resource is updated regularly and are always open to contributors!

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Do you have an event you’d like to share on the show? 

Submit your event announcement here!

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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In today’s episode, Jen Ray discusses the documentary “How She Moves” with its co-directors, Anya Raza and Aisha Linnea. All of us Frameformers had the opportunity to see this film at Dancinema’s 2021 Capitol Dance & Cinema Festival at Eaton Workshop in DC and we knew right away we wanted to share more about this important project on the podcast with the creators.

About “How She Moves”: On the eve of Pakistan’s 70th independence anniversary, we follow the spirited 90 year old guru Indu Mitha, as she prepares for her students’ final performance before she retires. 

“How She Moves” pulls back the curtain on her life as one of Pakistan’s few classical dance teachers. We observe her give a feminist and secular spin on classical dance, and see the transformative impact it has on her students. How She Moves, has toured 18 film festivals globally, and won 3 awards and 2 nominations.

@howshemovesthedoc @aishalinneaofficial @anyarazaofficial

Website: https://howshemovesthedoc.com

Trailer: https://youtu.be/QLxRqdkoXWw

Directors’ Statement:

When we first heard Mrs Indu Mitha was having her final performance, we knew this was a rare moment in our history that had to be captured. At the tender age of 90, Indu’s contribution to preserving ancient classical dance despite a backdrop of growing intolerance and conservatism in Pakistan, is a legacy to be celebrated. As two women filmmakers, it was a privilege to go behind the scenes into the unseen world of dance.

In a conservative tight-knit society such as Pakistan, dance is a misunderstood subject, and women expressing themselves publicly is uncommon. Indu’s journey as one of the few classical dance teachers in the country, challenges stereotypes about Pakistani women that abound both within the country and overseas. How She Moves reflects on the universality of storytelling through dance, and how it can be used to unite communities.

We now unfortunately live in a time when women’s views, lives, and bodies are a battleground in the so-called clash of civilizations. In a time when vitriol dominates and divides communities all over the world, How She Moves challenges these narratives by telling a universal story of hope and resilience.

Please note this film is not an ethnographic representation, nor meant to exemplify Mrs Mitha’s classical dance style, her innovative subcontinental music or themes, or the performance of her students.

If you want to learn more about Indu Mitha and her dance, you can reach out to her daughter, who is also a dancer, Tehreema Mitha. @tehreema_mitha/

Also mentioned in this episode:

TEDTalk by Amy Cuddy: “Your body language may shape who you are”

https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are

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ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Want to submit your documentary for a theatrical and/or online screening? Want to see dance on the big screen and connect with other Dancinephiles?

Save the date for the 6th annual Capitol Dance & Cinema Festival in Washington, DC Oct 7-9 2022

Submit at www.dancinema.co/submit

Follow @capitoldcfestival @cascadiadcfestival

Check out the International Screendance Calendar to browse a variety of opportunities including festivals, workshops, and residencies.  This resource is updated regularly and is always open to contributors!

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Do you have an event you’d like to share on the show? 

Submit your event announcement here!

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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Instagram

Something’s coming, something good…. it’s our West Side Story deep dive! Every season we like to pick at least one feature film to dedicate an entire episode to. This week, we’re discussing the 2021 remake of West Side Story.  We cover some comparisons and context, what we did and didn’t enjoy, and some key takeaways from our viewing experiences.

Did we all love it? Do we all recommend it? Do any of us prefer the original 1961 release? 

Find out on this week’s episode of Frameform.

Mentioned in this episode:

West Side Story (2021)
Dir. Steven Spielberg

Chor. Justin Peck

West Side Story (1961)
Dir. Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins

Chor. Jerome Robbins

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ANNOUNCEMENT:

Check out the International Screendance Calendar to browse a variety of opportunities including festivals, workshops, and residencies.  This resource is updated regularly and is always open to contributors!

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Do you have an event you’d like to share on the show? 

Submit your event announcement here!

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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Instagram

Get ready to fly! This week, the Frameform team discusses the uses and mis-uses of drone cinematography in dance. They discuss the aesthetics of the drone camera as well as how its associations with military and surveillance affect the way the onscreen image is read. They reflect on the drone’s potential as a dance partner and what differentiates flight as embodiment and flight as spectacle on film.

Clare also provides a small primer for listeners interested in working with drones on their next project (READ: know your fly spaces!!)

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FILMS

Targeted Advertising Dir. Mitchell Rose

Ohio, USA

@mitchellrosefilm

The Shadow Drone Project Dir. Charles Linehan

London, UK

https://www.charleslinehan.co.uk

Lying Together Dir. Corey Baker

New Zealand/Hong Kong

@coreybakerdance

Wanting Dir. Robin Gee

Virginia/North Carolina, USA

@rmgee

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LINKS

Women Who Drone

FAA regulated airspace map

FAA information on drone piloting

Aesthetics of Drone Warfare

How Much do DJI’s Security Vulnerabilities Actually Matter by Sally French

Drone Company DJI obscured ties to Chinese state funding, documents show by Cate Cadell

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Do you have an event you’d like to share on the show? 

Submit your event announcement here!

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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It’s 2022 and it’s time to get with the program people. 

PUT YOUR WORK ONLINE. 

Do it in a fashion that makes sense to you. Whether that be hosting your own website portfolio or starting a YouTube channel focusing on the creative process. Overall, sharing *content* online is essentially necessary in this digital age. Representing one-third of the Frameform team (Hannah here), I find that the internet is the one of the best outlets to share and explore dance film as it already embodies a niche community spanning across the globe. As the next generation navigates its ways through short-form scrollable content, the digital hemisphere is a natural homebase to display a gallery of visually stimulating homemade works. It’s time to normalize dance film online by tagging films in a way that makes it easier to find. Post your  experimental shorts, narrative driven ballets, and all the bingeable storytelling that will make people want to hit that replay button. We’re one short host this week, but Hannah and Clare jump in, reflecting and  looking forward to what’s to come on the forecast of the screendance metaverse.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

There are so many festivals accepting dance film submissions right now! Please take the time to visit the International Screendance Calendar to scroll through upcoming events and festivals happening all over the world. This resource is updated regularly and are always open to contributors!

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Do you have an event you’d like to share on the show? 

Submit your event announcement here!

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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Instagram

Over the last two years, screendance artists have been living, meeting, watching and practicing online. If you are in the screendance online sphere, you probably noticed the impeccably curated and presented Duet with Camera. Duet with Camera is dedicated towards sustaining the growing area of interdisciplinary practice, experimentation and collaboration in dance and cinema, with a focus in cultivating a pioneering space  for  Screendance learning, teaching, creating and researching in India.

The instigator of Duet with Camera, Sumedha Bhattacharya is an accomplished artist whose own online space is a treasure trove of reflections and analysis of screendance from both micro and macro lenses. This conversation touches on a wide array of topics, including the vulnerability/power of those wielding/performing for the camera and applying screendance pedagogy to a variety of settings.

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LINKS

https://www.sumedhabhattacharyya.com

https://www.duetwithcamera.com/

https://opju.academia.edu/sumedhab

https://bidf.co.uk/sumedha-bhattacharyya/

https://filmfreeway.com/choreomundusdancefilmfestival

https://www.mocapstreamer.live/artists-in-residence

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Do you have an event you’d like to share on the show? 

Submit your event announcement here!

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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Instagram