Let the Dancing Begin

By JBFC Marketing Volunteer Dotty Battel

October has arrived, and at the JBFC that means it’s time for Dance on Film (Oct. 18–26), our annual celebration of what Jacques D’Ambroise calls “the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy.”  This year’s program runs the gamut from traditional tango to modern dance to a joyful presentation of swing. Here are a few highlights for your viewing pleasure:

Opening Night with Reception!
Rare Birds, Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 7:45
An intimate look at creativity! This documentary follows acclaimed Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman during his development of an entirely bold new take on Swan Lake, which he names A Swan Lake. “I am constantly trying to surprise the audience,” says Ekman, “we show them the impossible and that’s inspiring.” And indeed, you will be amazed as you watch an army of artists and workers construct sets, costumes, and even a 6000-liter lake on which the intrepid dancers rehearse, sliding and splashing. To get a sense of the wit and playfulness Ekman brings to his work, you must watch this clip of his sensational performance at the Bolshoi depicting the evolution of A Swan Lake:

Excerpts from the completed ballet, performed by the Norwegian National Ballet company at the Oslo Opera House, will follow the screening navigate to this web-site. Afterward, please join us upstairs for a reception.

And if you want to see the entire production of A Swan Lake (and who wouldn’t?), we will be showing it on Friday, Oct. 21 at 7:30.

Enter the Faun
Sunday, Oct. 23, 4:00 & Wednesday, Oct. 26, 6:45*
“This is a deeply intimate and compelling story about the intersection of medicine and art, but it’s, also, at its core, a wonderfully unlikely buddy-movie.” (Claire Danes) In a nutshell, this is the remarkable tale of the unlikely collaboration between veteran choreographer Tamar Rogoff and Gregg Mozgala, a young actor with cerebral palsy. She creates a dance piece for him and so begins a year-long joyous, obsessive journey towards opening night that challenges the boundaries of medicine and art. Here’s an interesting clip from a recent TV interview of Rogoff and Mozgala discussing that journey.
*Oct. 26, 6:45  Q&A: Gregg Mozgala, Peter Pucci, Kitty Lunn, Kathleen Fitzgerald.

Tickets for the full series are on sale now!

This series is made possible through the generosity of an anonymous donor.