Dance Films
And no, this post will not be about the sub-teen genre films like Save the Last Dance or Take the Lead.
In addition to people making films of their pets, gardens, and salvia trips, I’ve been noticing more people with backgrounds in dance making short dance films. With the availability of digital technology, so many artists who would be stranded within their respective disciplines are able to extend their art. And dance seems particularly suited to film, though it’s never really been explored effectively. Sure, there was Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, but the films themselves were only about showcasing their talent; the methodology of the dance never really affected the cinematography or, perhaps more importantly, the editing.
The dance films I’m seeing more often on Vimeo and other web hosting sites share more in common with Leni Riefenstahl (dancer turned filmmaker) and, more particularly, Maya Deren (aspiring dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker). Both women were fascinated by dance and this was reflected in their work, in their understanding of the human body, cinematography, and editing.
Here are some examples of some of the newer dance inspired filmmaking:
http://www.vimeo.com/4794745 http://www.vimeo.com/2042047
