« L’une des métaphores fondamentales de la danse est la transformation, tout simplement », explique Peggy Baker alors que son image se fond dans une rafale de dessins aux contours flous et de giclées d’encre. Conçu à la suite d’un entretien particulier avec la renommée danseuse et chorégraphe canadienne, Peggy Baker en quatre phrases mêle astucieusement animation et documentaire, recourant à diverses techniques pour rendre hommage à l’œuvre que nous lègue Peggy Baker.
Built around an intimate interview with the acclaimed Canadian dancer and choreographer, Peggy Baker Four Phrases is an artful animation and documentary hybrid that travels through a variety of techniques to celebrate Baker's work and legacy. This film was produced for the 2009 Governor General's Performing Arts Award.
Éblouissante démonstration de la technique de l'adagio du pas de deux. Ce court métrage expérimental tourné au ralenti souligne la maîtrise des danseurs, la précision de leurs gestes, l'équilibre de chaque pirouette, arabesque ou jeté. Document de travail unique pour les élèves des cours de danse classique, ce film révélera aux autres spectateurs une dimension inconnue du ballet. L'Adagio d'Albinoni forme la trame sonore sur laquelle évoluent David et Anna Marie Holmes, danseurs canadiens de réputation internationale.
This short documentary is a portrait of Sylvie Mazerolle, a young woman for whom dance is as vital and fundamental as breathing. Tracking her process, the film also takes a look at dance in her home province of New Brunswick. In French with English subtitles.
This documentary was made as part of the Tremplin program, with the collaboration of Radio-Canada.
In this short film, Margie Gillis becomes the very embodiment of modern dance - she steps into the light, lifts her arms and unleashes her extraordinary mane into the air.
Four decades into a remarkable career, Gillis is a beacon of compassion and creativity. Watch as high-speed cameras capture the delicate and savage joy of Canada's own Isadora Duncan.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2011 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
This short film presents a stunning display of a stop-motion animation as it vividly depicts the majesty of the hoop dance, a tradition symbolizing the unity of all nations.
Film d'animation illustrant l'écrasement de l'homme moderne par le rouleau compresseur de la performance. Entre figuration et abstraction, Drux Flux s'inspire de L'homme unidimensionnel du philosophe Herbert Marcuse. Le cinéaste déconstruit les paysages industriels et met en cause la suprématie de la technique au dépend de l'humanité.
The NFB's 24th Oscar®-nominated film.
This short film by Norman McLaren is a cinematic study of the choreography of ballet. A bare, black set with the back-lit figures of dancers Margaret Mercier and Vincent Warren create a dream-like, hypnotic effect. This award-winning film comes complete with the visual effects one expects from this master filmmaker.
"Always remember to play," says Leslee Silverman, the visionary force behind the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, to 10-year-old William. The little boy stands at centre stage, rehearsing an exciting new role - that of Leslee Silverman.
Silverman observes with her customary wisdom and good humour. Drawing from Winnipeg's rich cultural tradition, she engages young people in the adventure of theatre, fired by the conviction that art belongs to everyone.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2011 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
This feature-length film tells the story of the passion between Marie de l’Incarnation, a mid-seventeenth-century nun and God, her "divine spouse." Fusing documentary and acting by Marie Tifo, whom we follow as she rehearses for this demanding role, the film paints an astonishing portrait of this mystic who abandoned her son and left France to build a convent in Canada, where she became the first female writer in New France.
Combining the music of Chopin with digital animation, this short film artfully defines pianist Janina Fialkowska’s imprint in the world of classical music and beyond. Particles of light choreograph themselves to reveal otherworldly beauty, channelling the pianist’s explosive performance.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2012 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
This short film explores the passions of acclaimed musician and songwriter Sarah McLachlan, using her own words and drawings to guide us through her rich creative world, the founding of the groundbreaking Lilith Fair, and her philanthropic work at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.
Produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2015 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
Ages 12 to 17
Arts Education - Dance
History and Citizenship Education - Culture and Currents of Thought (1500-present)
Media Education - Film Animation
Baker describes dance as transformation. Who/what do you think it transforms, and why? Discuss dance as a way to connect to the “vivid experiences of your physical body” in everyday life; students provide further examples. Discuss Baker’s idea that inhabiting a place is less significant than inhabiting one’s physical self. How does the use of animation influence the film? Can the students identify the Four Phrases (from the film’s title)?