Ellen Bromberg
By Natalie Gotter and Erin McMahon
Dance is more than just a series of steps or movement across the floor. For many, its purpose lies in creating a mood or sensation that words can't always describe. To translate that indescribable experience onto a screen makes it accessible to a wider and broader audience than one might see in a traditional theatre setting. The screen creates a new dance; one that could not exist without the camera.
Screendance has been progressively becoming more popular in recent years as technology has developed to be adaptable for all levels of users. Using sharing sites such as Youtube, and Vimeo, you can share your creative work with the world with just one click of a button. Making dance so readily accessible allows a greater audience to experience it: an audience that might not seek out dance otherwise. Screendances are as varied as the person who creates it, but the discussion surrounding screendance is still in its infancy. How do we share our thoughts on screendance if we don't know how to talk about it? In order to heighten responsiveness for screendance, it's important to know what's really out there.
Screendance classes are offered around the world at different universities. From East to West you will see this art form flourish in different parts of the current landscape. Through numerous searches and help from expertise in this field, here is a compiled list of festivals, websites, and university programs that should be on your radar to deepen your understanding of this art form and explore new ways of creating. In addition to classes in screendance, a number of these programs offer additional tools for learning about screendance:
- Arizona State University has its School of Film, Dance and Theatre, offering interdisciplinary studies including an MFA in Dance, Interdisciplinary Media and Performance (filmdancetheatre.asu.edu)
- University of California Irvine hosts the UCI Dance Film Festival and offers a Dance and Technology emphasis, under John Crawford (dance.arts.uci.edu)
- Florida State University (dance.fsu.edu)
- University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance offers a screendance option with its Dance MFA (music.umich.edu)
- Mills College (mills.edu/dance)
- Ohio State University owns the Dance Film Archive, monitored by John Mueller (dance.osu.edu)
- University of Utah offers a certificate in screendance as well as hosts the biannual International University of Utah Screendance Festival, under Ellen Bromberg (dance.utah.edu)
- Virginia Commonwealth University hosts the Dance on Camera annual screening, curated by Martha Curtis (arts.vcu.edu/dance)
- Dance on Camera Festival - New York City (http://www.dancefilms.org/dance-on-camera/)
- Dance Camera West Festival - Los Angeles, CA (dancecamerawest.org)
- San Francisco Dance Film Festival (http://www.sfdancefilmfest.org/)
- Breaking Ground Festival - Tempe, AZ (http://www.conderdance.com/bg_main/index_bg.htm)
- On/Line Teen Dance Film Festival (https://vimeo.com/117853332; http://www.hamlin.org/page/2nd-Annual-OnLine-Teen-Dance-Film-Festival)
- Topanga Film Institute - Los Angeles, CA (topangafilminstitute.com)
- The International Journal of Screendance (http://screendancejournal.org/index#.ViFgW7RViko)
- Screendance Collective (vimeo.com/groups/screendancecollective)
There are copious amounts of information on screendance at your finger tips as well as for your viewing experience. There is so much to learn and create from the moving body that can only be experienced through a screen. Learn a little more about this form for yourself and take it into your creative process. You'd be surprised at what you can learn along the way!
Please leave a comment below if you have other resources and links.
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Related posts:
Ellen Bromberg: http://blog.lifeasamoderndancer.com/2013/11/artist-profile-48-ellen-bromberg-salt-lake-city-ut.html
Victoria Marks: http://blog.lifeasamoderndancer.com/2014/04/artist-profile-65-victoria-marks-los-angeles-ca.html
Lily Baldwin: http://blog.lifeasamoderndancer.com/2015/04/artist-profile-94-lily-baldwin-new-york-ny.html
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