Paulette

Opus One

In Opus One, Hao Jingban employs a dual-channel video to connect two historical moments through music. As a young Chinese couple in bustling 21st-century Beijing browse TikTok for swing dances, they find themselves caught up in the craze that swept through the African American community in Harlem in the 1930s and gave rise to the Lindy Hop, a development of the Charleston. Their process of studying the dancers’ movements while exploring the icons, legends and dance halls of the era takes them far beyond the simple aim of learning to dance, and they end up forging a dialogue between two different moments in history united by a shared need for bodily expression and popular creation and an avid passion for music.

Tights Worship: Inside the Practices of The Rita

The film traces Sam McKinlay’s early days as a punk skateboarder through his academic development as a conceptual artist into a highly esteemed noise practitioner whose work bridges the gap between the gallery world and the sleaze of exploitation film imagery. It documents the physical processes of his work and the distillation of visuals into sound, most notably addressing the appeal of abstraction—from the cheap effects of old monster movie makeup to the ‘masks’ created by the heavy cosmetic makeup of 1920s flapper culture and actresses like Pamela Stanford in Jess Franco’s Lorna the Exorcist (The Rita has albums or EPs named after several eurotrash actresses, including The Nylons of Laura Antonelli (2009) and Monica Swinn/Pamela Stanford (2016)).

Spotlight On Australian Ballet

This film reveals the roots of ballet in Australia and the story of the overseas dancers who brought their art to Australia. This encouraged the rise of local dancers who proved themselves adept in the classic ballets of Russia, France and Great Britain. It traces the birth of Australian choreography, decor and mounting with Australian dancers shown performing an Australian musical composition with Australian themes. Influential figures such as Edouard Borovansky, Tchinarova and Margot Stevenson are featured as well as the Borovansky Ballet, the Ballet Guild and the Bodenwieser Modern Expressive Ballet.

Danse !

In 2012, 400 non-professional dancers from France took part in the parade of the dance biennial of Lyon.

The Performance

Hussein learnt to breakdance from a soldier in Iraq as a kid, then chased his American Dream to NYC. Now a choreographer, he mistakes a shot at success for a breakthrough and loses everything, but will do whatever it takes to keep dreaming.

Danse Serpentine (In a Lion's Cage)

Madame Ondine performs a serpentine dance surrounded by big cats.

A Chair Fit for an Angel

For two hundred years, the Shakers have been America's most successful utopian society. While seeking harmony, order and perfection in every aspect of their lives, they built minimalistic furniture and buildings that influenced modern design. The Shakers wrote songs of exquisite beauty and danced to the point of ecstasy during their religious meetings. Inspired by this music and dance, choreographer Tero Saarinen created Borrowed Light, a dance piece about communal life and individual sacrifice. Shot in Finland and the United States, featuring interviews and excerpts from Borrowed Light, this documentary explore the cultural legacy of this religious group devoted to creating heaven on earth.

Life in Progress

This is Ballet: Dancing Anne of Green Gables

Facing financial challenges and constant risks of injury, an innovative ballet company strives to bring the iconic Canadian story of Anne of Green Gables to new diverse audiences.

Dancing the Nutcracker: Inside the Royal Ballet

This Christmas, step into the magical world of The Nutcracker. For the first time in many years, the Royal Ballet has given full access behind the scenes for a landmark 90-minute documentary as they prepare for this season's yuletide production.

Becoming Giulia

Giulia Tonelli, principal dancer at the Zurich Opera House, returns from maternity leave. She has to fight to find her place and a new balance, between the competitive and extremely demanding world of an elite ballet company and her new family life.

Moto Contínuo

An immersive look at São Paulo Dance Company

From knee to heart

Documentary about the dancer Sol Picó. From the dancer under the spotlight to her reality behind the scenes, the documentary approaches Sol Pico’s daily life at a crucial moment in her career after winning the National Dance Award. Also it goes across Sol Picó’s artistic career, from the beginning of her performance, to the street theatre and, finally, her artistic consolidation and the creation of her own company. Her work is characterized by showing a strong and brave woman but who is not afraid of showing her weaknesses without taboos. The project also brings the artist’s more personal side closer: the difficulties of growing up as a dancer, the difficulties of creation and how to face her career after turning 50.

Ballet Boys

Ballet Boys takes you through disappointments, victories, forging of friendship, first loves, doubt, faith, growing apart from each other, finding your own way and own ambitions, all mixed with the beautiful expression of ballet.

Carmencita

The first woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the first woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States. In the film, Carmencita is recorded going through a routine she had been performing at Koster & Bial's in New York since February 1890.

Martha Clarke Light & Dark: A Dancer’s Journal

This documentary follows Martha Clarke's creative process for a year as she finds her own voice as a choreographer following her departure from Pilobolus Dance Theater.