Pilobolus Dance Theatre's Dance in America: Monkshood's Farewell, Ocellus, Ciona, & Untitled (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have yet to see Pilobolus live, but I know from their video alone that they are one of my favorite dance companies. Supple, flowing bodies doing things you never knew were possible... tricks on the eye.... gorgeous soundscapes... interviews with the dancers themselves... if you like modern dance which is stunningly original yet crowd-pleasing, rich in athleticism AND thought-provoking, never pretentious, and just weird and wild, buy this video.

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Dance Theatre of Harlem (1989) Review

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(More customer reviews)Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded by Arthur Mitchell AND George Balanchine, is a first rate ballet company and this dvd offers a nice, varied sample of their large body of work, only a small portion of which is available on video(please see my review for "Fall River Legend" for more information on DTH). "Troy Game" and "The Beloved" are exquisitely choreographed modern dance pieces and "John Henry" is a light hearted folk piece choreographed by Arthur Mitchell and the input of the dancers themselves(this bit of information comes from what cast members have told me). The DTH dancers are all clasically trained(in those days by Arthur Mitchell and George Balanchine himself) and this is quite evident in their dancing. This production was done in Denmark and is absolutely first rate in quality, from set design to music.

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The Dance Theatre of Harlem, America's first outstanding classical ballet company of black dancers, started out as a ghetto experiment which quickly reached world-class level. It was created by Arthur Mitchell, a School of American Ballet student who had broken through ballet's color barrier by becoming the first black dancer to join an internationally renowned company, the New York City Ballet. In this special studio production, the Dance Theatre of Harlem performs a selection of its most popular works: choreographer Robert North's "Troy Game," Lester Horton's "The Beloved" and Arthur Mitchell's "John Henry." The pieces are introduced by Arthur Mitchell and Robert North.

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Dv8: Physical Theater (Sub) (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hands down one of the finest of all dance/film collections--for me its only competition is THE COST OF LIVING by the same group.
Powerful, sexy, intellectually stimulating, these imaginative works are stunningly filmed, using a dazzling array of camera techniques.
MONOCHROME MEN feels choreographed for the camera--a study of a serial killer who preys on gay victims, it also explores the on-again, off-again angst of bar hopping and casual sex, mixed up with fears and panics of male bonding. The creepy lighting and camera moves are a revelation, and the dancers and movement some of the best you'll find on film.
STRANGE FISH introduces color, and an atmosphere that echoes neo-realism.
The couplings, comings and goings of a group of young people is book ended by a bombed out building and a singing female Christ figure. The mixture of humor and longing, angst and poetry is unprecedented. The always brilliant imagery is complimented by dancers who can actually act.
ENTER ACHILLES is less successful as a film, but it hardly matters, as it so vividly describes a certain macho mindset--the frightening exhibitions of supressed rage, homoerotic panic, preening and posturing so familiar in films like THE FIGHT CLUB, THE WRESTLER or most exploding car movies. The entrance of a gay outsider into this hermetically sealed bar scene is both disarming and hilarious. He brings some magic to the good old boys, and they face their inner demons. Dance as thrilling entertainment. As good as it gets.


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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Beyond the Steps (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Judith Jamison, Rennie Harris and Robert Battle are awesome choreographers in the moving ballet "Love Stories" past, present,and future. "Visually Spectacular"! and the Alvin Ailey dancers are nothing short of extraordinary, they are the best, see them in various interviews, then watch them rehearse and deliver a tour de force performance! This documentary is shot in New York and Russia, and gives you a litte history on Alvin Ailey and his legacy as well as the classy Judith Jamison and what she has done to continue that legacy. Whether you are a fan of modern dance or not, I dare you to catch the Alvin Ailey Dance Company live on tour and /or order your copy of "Beyond the Steps" today....you will really be glad you did!

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