Dance on Camera in New York

This January will mark the 42nd anniversary of the Dance on Camera Film Festival produced by Dance Films Association and the Lincoln Centre Film Society in New York. This film festival is considered the ‘mother of dance film festivals,’ and began in 1971 as a way of bringing together the arts of dance and film. Since 1996, the Lincoln Centre Film Society has co-presented the festival providing a number of prestigious venues including the Walter Reade Theatre.

This year, the festival’s lineup includes a number of Canadian filmmakers and dancers in four short films. Lost in Motion II by Ben Shirinian brings the audience into the world of the performer – it features National Ballet of Canada principle dancer Heather Ogden performing choreography by fellow National Ballet dancer (and her husband) Guillaume Coté. Other Canadian films being shown are Tap Tap Tap by Kenneth Sherman, Drawing Blank by Stefan Verna and Ondek by Louis-Martin Charest.

This year’s festival will also be presenting a number of world premieres including Greg Vander Veer’s Miss Hill: Makin Dance Matter, Kate Geis’ Paul Taylor: Creative Domain and Jedediah Wheeler’s Story/Time 3D. Wheeler’s film will be presented alongside a panel discussion about the kinship between 3D cinema and dance and how they work together.  As well as these world premieres, the festival is presenting a number of United States and New York premieres including All This Can Happen, a film by veteran UK director David Hinton, who has taught many workshops in Canada, including at Moving Pictures and the CanAsian Dance Festival.

Also this year the festival is presenting films aimed at broadening the relationship of dance and film by including new elements and art forms. This includes a special program highlighting Ice Theatre of New York and Joanna Mendl Shaw’s Equus Project that brings together dancers and horses.

The Dance On Camera festival will run from January 31 to February 4, 2014. Tickets go on sale to Lincoln Centre Film Society and Dance Films Association members on December 10 and to the general public on December 17.