Deirdre Towers
A young man recently showed me his work and explained that he sculpts with light when he shoots dance. He played with the entire image as one might play an instrument - an accordion. He was the master of the image in a hypnotic way. He danced with light and color with a wonderful sense of metamorphosis.
My fascination with dance video is not how or why the video was made, but with the end result. I leave the work of analyzing whether the video captured all of the choreography to the preservationists, or the captains of a dance company. My question is whether it commands my attention, draws me in, gives me insights into the dance of the mind, the dance of the mind's eye.
Dance has been merged with film from its inception, but the art of dance video and film could be entering a new phase now. The resistance to cropping the image of a dancer has lessened. The acceptance of the body as an expressive tool has widened. Non-linear thinking has been embraced to the point that technology can give us new maps to the labyrinth of the mind.
Over the last twenty-five years, numerous collaborators have explored new terrain and presented their findings. Certain basics of filming dance have been clarified, and basic dos and don'ts have emerged. Enough dancers and choreographers, both for the camera and for public performance, have brought dance out of the confines of the stage to the world so the lure of a divine location has lost its novelty. We expect more of a relationship between the dancer and her environment now, and more of the choreographer's ability to build each scene with a sense of continuity and montage. The old rule of theatre - "suspension of disbelief" may not hold in film, where as a willingness to take that "leap in faith" does. That trust in the dance video audience is growing. More than ever before, zany, grand stuff is appearing. Dance video makers are learning how to partner their audience. They're leading them in a new fangled waltz yet to be named.
Hollywood long ago discovered the power of the face. But dance video makers are still groping for the equivalent of a great face. The most expressive zone of a dancer moves, depending on the artist. Not every artist knows which part of their body is really "star quality" - or which part of their technique makes them shine. However, choreographers, whether they think conceptually, sculpturally, or dynamically, do know their signature style. For a dance to come alive on screen, the director and choreographer has to know the metaphorical "face" of the dancer and to zoom into the "heart" of the dance. Then the inherent sensuality of the dance is communicated; we can't help but connect, as we sit primed for an intimate experience.
Ideally the makers of dance videos only pose as Hollywood's rebel. A strong point of view, a clear structure, terrific cinematography, and a clear center if not a climax should still shape a dance video. When the gist of great dance and great film share equal power, then a market will follow. People in their twenties are discovering silent films. Madison Avenue with its abundant use of slow motion is unknowingly preparing audiences for dance films. Ice dancing, the new darling of the sports world, has also become a great ambassador for dance film. Independent films have battled for their turf, helping specialty genres such as dance video. The media world, innundated as it is with zillions of fiction and documentaries, still needs dance videos, something magical, mysterious, beautiful, something completely apart from the usual blunt realism and formulaic action stories. From abstract painterly works to narrative gems to whimsical cartoons, the potential of dance videos is vast.
