Friday, April 10, 2009, 8:00 pm, $6-
Motion Pictures Founder/Director Greta Schoenberg and Co-Director Ben Estabrook have assembled a collection of new work by local and international artists. Dances For Camera will feature a program of short experimental dance films including a rare screening of Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidbergs award-winning The Rain, for which Mr. Lidberg was recently honored for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Film at the Choreography Media Honors in Los Angeles.. (www.lidberg.se/therain)
The cameras relationship to dance has traditionally been that of passive, stationary observer, creating simple archives of live stage work that are rarely seen again. Motion Pictures seeks work where this relationship is more collaborative, the dance created specifically for and with the camera, often uniting artists of different disciplines. Through the eye of the camera, choreographers extract dancers from traditional venues and bring them into unexpected settings where they can fully interact with their surroundings. As the laws of physics seem no longer relevant, as gravity is defied, or as movements are manipulated, dance is transformed, the choreographic process often continuing in the editing room. What emerges are contemporary, creative pieces that showcase dance in a portable medium, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere. Although nothing can or should replace live dance, it is the hope that these experiments with technology will help generate broader interest in the artform, bringing dance into the 21st century and new audiences into the theater.
Motion Pictures is a San Franciscobased collective of independent artists exploring dance on camera. Relatively recent developments in technology supporting digital video have opened exciting new avenues for smaller companies and independent choreographers to develop and promote their work. Motion Pictures was established to support these artists by facilitating exchange within this emerging community while creating opportunities for broader exposure through collaborative screening events.
www.motionpictures-sf.com