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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Grupo Corpo - Brazilian Dance Theatre Review

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(More customer reviews)From classical to modern, the dancing and choreography here is pure virtuosity. The dancers are technically superb and in perfect physical condition. The Brazilian influence is only very slight and what is very obvious is a solid classical ballet foundation, both in the dancing and the choreography. There is one piece with pairs of men and women, combining elements of ballet, modern, and ballroom, displaping amazing virtuosity. There is also a very complete documentary included.

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Martha Graham Dance on Film: The Criterion Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)This DVD was absolutely outstanding for me (unfamiliar with modern dance) and exceeded my wife's expectations (very knowledgeable and familiar with modern dance). The reasons for this very positive impression were: Martha herself narrates and explains the whole DVD, the film producer also provides insights into Martha's life and personality, and original dancers performing the original productions.
Very enjoyable either as an expert or as a beginner.

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Kaguyahime - The Moon Princess / Nederlands Dans Theater (Jiri Kylian) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is by far one of the most impressive piece of work by NDT choregraphed by Jiri Kylian. They made supreme work on combining all area : dance, music, staging, lighting. The performance seems to have been recorded a little while ago (not very recent), which I can guess from less colorful recording, however, due to such style of recording, it can make you to see more of the dance. The dancers on this one are the best ones from NDT, and highly recommend this work. Really happy to own this work.

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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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Last Dance Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a behind the scenes look at the creative process and collaberation behind the "where the wild things are bk''s illustrator (Maurice Sendek) and the Pilobolus dance theaters intrepreation of their 'LAST DANCE' piece.
What you get is footage of alot of rehearsals, and creative studiochoreographic ideas, as well as footage of the effort behind cstmng & stage backdrop.
WHAT IS MISSING is the final completed performance of the LAST DANCE piece, they show a few brief seconds of performance highlights, but not any of the performance from start to finish. I FEEL VERY DECEIVED & MISLEAD by the packaging on the DVD, YOU DO NOT GET 'LAST DANCE' as a filmed choreogrphic piece, you only see the work that goes into creating the entire mis en scene and choreogrphy. THIS DVD IS NOT WORTH THE FULL PRICE, BE WARNED, you are not receiving what the title and packaging leads you to beleive you will see.

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Powerhouse creative forces unite, and sparks fly, in Mirra Bank's award-winning LAST DANCE.Bank follows the dazzling Pilobolus Dance Theater and legendary author-illustrator, Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) as they collaborate on the dance-theater work that honors a haunting holocaust legacy.LAST DANCE weaves rehearsal footage, probing interviews, chilling Nazi propaganda footage and breathtaking performance into a thrilling insight into the creative process.The film holds nothing back as philosophies clash, confrontations abound, and artistic disaster threatens at every turn.But in the end we are rewarded as Pilobolus dancers -- pure bolts of force and grace -- give life to a stark and stunning dancework.

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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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