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Dance and NFB Films (Ages 12-14)

8 films
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Dance, in all its various forms, has long been a subject of NFB films. Using the camera in various ways, these works explore the possibilities of film to the fullest, offering us interpretations of this most precious art form. Pour visionner cette sélection en français, cliquez ici.

Up next: Peggy Baker: Four Phrases
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Dance and NFB Films (Ages 12-14)

Dance, in all its various forms, has long been a subject of NFB films. Using the camera in various ways, these works explore the possibilities of film to the fullest, offering us interpretations of this most precious art form.

Pour visionner cette sélection en français, cliquez ici.

Playlist

  • Pas de deux
    Pas de deux
    This content is not available for free viewing in your location.
    Norman McLaren 1968 13 min

    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.

  • Peggy Baker: Four Phrases
    Peggy Baker: Four Phrases
    Howie Shia 2009 5 min

    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.

  • Flamenco at 5:15
    Flamenco at 5:15
    Cynthia Scott 1983 29 min

    This short film is an impressionistic record of a flamenco dance class given to senior students of the National Ballet School of Canada by two great teachers from Spain, Susana and Antonio Robledo. The film shows the beautiful young North American dancers—inspired by the flamenco rhythms and mesmerized by Susana's extraordinary energy—joyously merging with an ancient gypsy culture.

  • Lock
    Lock
    Louise Archambault 2010 5 min

    Choreographer Edouard Lock believes that movement embodies our interests and desires. In this short documentary, we see the celebrated founder of La La La Human Steps working with dancers in his studio space. The film uses unusual camera angles and slow-motion cinematography to capture the artistry of Lock’s signature high-energy, high-impact style.

  • Source
    Source
    Pepita Ferrari 2011 6 min

    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.

  • Ballet Adagio
    Ballet Adagio
    Norman McLaren 1972 9 min

    This short film by Norman McLaren is a slow-motion study of the pas de deux adagio, one of the most exacting dances of classical ballet. A ballet originally choreographed by the Russian ballet master Asaf Messerer is performed for this film by the internationally known Canadian pair David and Anna Marie Holmes, to the music of Albinoni's Adagio.

  • ORA
    ORA
    Philippe Baylaucq 2011 15 min

    ORA is a stunning meeting between the artistic worlds of choreographer José Navas and filmmaker Philippe Baylaucq. It is the first film to use 3D thermal imaging, producing visuals like none that have ever been seen before: the luminous variations of body heat seen on skin, bodies emitting a multitude of colours, a space filled with movement that transforms itself.

    Warning: Although this film was shot in 3D, the streaming and downloadable versions are available in 2D only.

  • Narcissus
    Narcissus
    Norman McLaren 1983 21 min

    In this short film by Norman McLaren, dancers enact the Greek tragedy of Narcissus, the beautiful youth whose excessive self-love condemned him to a trapped existence. Skillfully merging film, dance and music, the film is a compendium of the techniques McLaren acquired over a lifetime of experimentation.