Screendance Gestalten

Suggest some ideas for a dance film set in a stone quarry A industrial and futuristic dance piece, showcasing the power and grace of the dancers against the rough terrain of the quarry. A dramatic and intense performance, inspired by the physically demanding work that takes place in a quarry, and exploring themes of labor and strength. A modern dance interpretation of Greek mythology, with the quarry serving as a backdrop for a tale of gods and mortals. A group performance that takes advantage of the unique architecture of the quarry, using the space and angles to create a visually stunning dance experience. An experimental piece that incorporates aerial dance, harnessing the height and scale of the quarry walls to create a sense of vertigo and excitement. A contemporary dance performance that explores themes of nature, man and the impact of humanity on the earth, with the quarry serving as a symbol for destruction and renewal. A dance film that tells the story of a community of worker...

  moment(1999) - Katrina McPherson Structure: All un-stabilized handheld, 1-2 second cuts, small paths. Long blur-in to ECU's, constant camera rotation, 1/2 shots, late music with simple rhythm, room sweeps, classic architecture, room wide, full-length stills, then motion, bird's-eye, touching emphasis, longer cuts. Ellen Bromberg, from an introduction to Making Video Dance (2019)  by Katrina McPherson: "...Katrina's camera was bringing the viewer into the space of the dance, rather than objectifying the dance and the dancers... in her work one feels the body behind the camera and not only its gaze." This was a radical departure from the goals of traditional dance documentation, but in line with well-developed motion picture techniques.  Ultra-short cuts were popularized by MTV music videos in the 1980's to create intense the stimulation and disorientation of a rock concert.  Hand-held cameras and steadicams are used to give the viewer the sensation of being i...

Flight of the soul - Hyonok Kim A beautiful performance by a mature dancer and choreographer using slo-mo, high-angle, ECU , and rotation.  A synthesis of dance and cinema technology, a set of techniques that can be re-used. Ode On A Korean Urn -   Hyonok Kim Hyonok Kim: A Personal Approach to Dance Films So beautiful: a deep cultural context and physical setting, powerful traditional objects, spectacular cinematography, directed and edited as well as any major motion picture. PASSAGES - Hyonok Kim More exuberance from Hyonok Kim: bold dance on fairly common architecture, subtle superimpositions, fearless water dancing, trademark silks and cherry blossoms in the wind.  Beautiful cinematography, no apologies to Hollywood.  Another theater for dance... Pine Tree - Hyonok Kim The woods as theater, lots of 3/4 shots - the storytellers frame, exciting, unsteady handheld.  Within the reach of students and pro-ams, not demanding months of work. PAINTED - Duncan McDowa...

"in the void" by Alicia Ross A clear example of the contemporary concepts of screendance as done in a studio: good technique, good lighting and camera work, restrained F/X, partial body frames, deemphasized footwork, 3/4 shot for narrative.  You can do a lot with this foundation.  It does not demand a lot of resources beyond a good dancer, good light, a modest camera, and a simple concept. "The Cube" - Marina Merkucheva The current ideas executed in a lovely outdoor setting with a skilled, photogenic dancer, pro costume, hair, and makeup, an interesting metaphoric prop, an excellent camera and operator, and the rare use of bokeh, a cinema technique that seems to be deprecated in screendance.  It makes it look like a movie to me.  The quality of all elements is consistent with the meaningful narrative. "Camminatore Screendance" - Angela Rosales Challis A sophisticated student production by a well-coordinated and talented team: technique, sets, costumes, mus...

 I felt that a good place to start my exploration of screendance would be with the work of Maya Deren. This video essay by Laura Ivins is very succinct: I resonated with Deren's emphasis on Amateurism: not to be bound by profit motive, use modest production resources, and not emulating theater.  Funding and time to create are perennial issues. The concept of Amateurism reminded me of French New-Wave cinema: From Wikipedia - French New Wave : "These critics rejected the Tradition de qualité ("Tradition of Quality") of mainstream French cinema,[3] which emphasized craft over innovation and old works over experimentation... It argues that "cinema was in the process of becoming a new means of expression on the same level as painting and the novel ... a form in which and by which an artist can express his thoughts, however abstract they may be, or translate his obsessions exactly as he does in the contemporary essay or novel" Can the same be said of the developm...