MOVEMENT AND MEANING: AN INTRODUCTION TO DANCE FOR THE CAMERA
Ages 16-29
Fall 2017, Towson University
In this experimental movement and videography workshop, students fellows will be introduced to the art of dance for the camera, in which dance and video are both integral to a work. Through a variety of movement exercises, fellows will explore personal movement and gesture, and also “movement conversations” with others, and they’ll experiment with how these exchanges translate into moving images. The movement and gesture may refer to a fellow’s personal history, including events and relationships, or may spontaneously respond to an in-the-moment movement of another fellow. Choreographer Wayne MacGregor calls this “physical thinking,” a collaborative process that builds “on the power of fast intuitions” (more on MacGregor). Fellows will work on both sides of the camera—in front as movers and behind as director-videographers—developing stylized stories told without words. As videographers, fellows will be “visually thinking,” as well, exploring how framing and camera movement can inform the actions being recorded. They’ll work in teams and edit their own footage, with montage adding another dimension to the choreography of the works. In addition to "physical thinking," they'll learn the basics of formal composition, camera operation, and the editing program Adobe Premiere. Their films will be shown at a public screening and on the program website. The workshop will be invaluable to actors and directors, as well as to dancers. No prior dance training required. Limited to 8 student fellows.
Susan Mann is Professor in the Towson University Department of Dance. She has performed leads in classical ballets and modern dances, and choreographed works for professional companies. With her husband John Mann, she created the dances for the camera, Do You Like That?, Breathe in…Breathe Out, and It Goes Without Saying, which was named Best Experimental Film in the California International Short Film Festival.
John Mann is a documentary filmmaker and Senior Lecturer in the Film and Media Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University. Works include the documentaries Shelter: Conversations with Homeless Men, Nicodemus, and Locust Point; the dance for the camera shorts Breathe In…Breathe Out and It Goes Without Saying; and the recent autobiographical short "if...then...”
Christina Dunnington is a junior studying Dance Performance and Choreography, along with Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing, at Towson University. She hopes to pursue a career as a professional contemporary ballet dancer.
Daniel Matsumoto is a sophomore film and media studies major at Johns Hopkins University. In addition to working on short film projects, he’s an employee at the Digital Media Center, where he teaches patrons about digital filmmaking and photography.
Amelia Voos is an aspiring filmmaker from Baltimore. She is currently a senior at Johns Hopkins University majoring in film and media studies.
