Post by Sanjana Kumar and Trinity Olgaldez, Chicago Dancemakers Forum Interns

Given the Covid-19 pandemic, virtually every dance artist has had to familiarize themselves with the elusive “dance film.” Or maybe you consider it dance for camera? Videodance? As NYC-based dance and film aficionado Brighid Greene claims, “Agreeing on a name for the would-be genre is a thorny enough process.” Like its polyonymous nature, dance film (as we’re referring to it here) can take on many different forms, whether it be a screened Broadway musical, an entry in one of the many festivals of dance film, an Instagram reel, or a home video. While the vastness of this style of presentation may seem daunting, the genre’s flexibility is what makes it so easily and universally accessible; anyone can make a dance film anywhere with a minimal amount of resources. 

It’s this versatility in virtual presentation that made dance film the go-to for many dance artists and companies during the 2020 lockdown and through the pandemic. With in-person events reemerging, dance film is no longer the sole option for dancemakers to present their work, yet the two-year focus on dance film/video experimentation continues to have a lasting effect on dance communities. We interviewed three Chicago Dancemakers-affiliated artists to understand their experiences with dance film and video through the pandemic and what they believe is the future for the medium.

Still from “Visita a Nuestros Muertos” by Silvita Diaz Brown, directed by Alexandra Yasinovsky

While many dancemakers had been creating dance film even prior to 2020, the pandemic allowed many others to discover and explore this style of media. One such artist is 2021 Digital Dance Grantee Silvita Diaz Brown. With live in-person dancing no longer an option, Diaz, like many others, turned to dance film to continue her practice. When referencing her beginnings with screendance, Silvita claimed, “I started making some improv dance videos on my phone and posted some online. It made me feel connected to the dance community and others in a time of isolation.”

This sense of community amidst isolation was not unique to Diaz, as many others turned to videodance as a way to practice with others and share their personal experiences through dance. Yet dance film also had a profound impact on her own practice. “I regained my joy in dancing that had blurred through time and let my body guide me as it wanted to move…. I can say that [dance film] deepened my practice.” During isolation and through 2021, Diaz worked to create Visita a Nuestros Muertos, a film that helped her honor and connect with her deceased mother with the hope of helping others in need to do the same. Though she will still return to live dance, Diaz has plans to continue dance film: “I am definitely interested in continuing working with dance video and film in my future work and making a blend of live dance and video dance.”

Phil Wood, a Finalist for the 2022 Lab Artists Program, known by the stage name Phree, is another artist who found his love for dance film through the pandemic. He shared during our interview, “The pandemic gave me a lot of personal time to discover my love for dance film, I didn’t have much interest in it before, but having much more time to myself, that is what I gravitated towards.” Similarly to Diaz, Phree remarked on the impact dance film and the lockdown had on his creative style. He stated, “I think I have learned to always make my artwork fun. My dance on camera work has developed to be a lot more focused on enjoyment and less on the camera.” According to Phree, this emphasis on enjoyment has improved his ability to translate emotions through camera and enhanced the consistency of his practice. Phree continues to make a variety of both creatively edited and casual dance videos through his Instagram, where it has actually become his primary medium of output. 

Along with those who started experimenting with screendance in 2020, many dance film artists existed long before the pandemic. These dance filmmakers, one being 2016 Lab Artist and 2021 10X10 Crossbody Collaborations Artist Catherine Sullivan, still had to similarly adjust their own practices to the lockdown and pandemic. During our exchange with Sullivan about her experience with dance film through the pandemic, she highlighted the 10X10 Crossbody Collaboration. This program, a 2021 collaboration between Chicago Dancemakers Forum and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, paired 10 previous Chicago Dancemakers awardees with ten Hubbard Street dancers in order to foster collaborative art making and experimentation during the pandemic.

Screenshot from “Stems” by Catherine Sullivan and Jacqueline Burnett

Describing their project, Sullivan elaborated, “my partner Jacqueline Burnett was tasked with executing movement, videography, and camera operation in a shared but geographically distant playing space. It was a new and unique ecosystem for both of us where videography was reactive to movement, an extension of it, as if the selfie were expanding with cinematic intent.” Sullivan’s remarks highlight how the spatial changes of the pandemic challenged dance filmmakers to push the boundaries and comforts of their own work. She concluded that “there was a liberating efficiency to [the project] being just the two of us composing moving pictures with very simple tools.”  

Overall, the artists we spoke to felt that the future of dance film is bright. Phree highlighted that there are many new possibilities for dance film given the new inspirations and experiences people have had the past two years. “Everyone has had a unique experience through this troubling time. We can often use art to reflect our life, so with such a large life shift for most people, this could also bring new opportunities for expression.” Sullivan highlighted that the pandemic has introduced a new style to dance filmmakers as well. She expressed, “I think overall there’s a new set of affordances or possibilities that come from working remotely with a scaled down camera and lighting setups where the dancer can hold the camera.” Silvita also indicated her desire for more dance-film-specific grants, highlighting the help that the Chicago Dancemakers Forum Digital Dance Grant provided her. 

When asked about their recommended resources/advice for dance filmmakers, Phree pointed to Chicago Dancemakers Forum and Chicago Artist Coalition, finding Facebook groups for new connections, and the importance of continually staying in touch with and collaborating with other artists. Other resources include Dance Films Association which published a fantastic timeline of dance film and a list of dance film festivals. Artists can also taking time to consider alternative distribution opportunities, archiving all of that new digital content, and processing all of this new learning. Sullivan emphasized the importance of watching the works of other dance filmmakers, stating, “ I think that because so many dance companies had to share what they were doing and stream performances it allowed everyone to see more and learn from it.”

Header Image: Screenshot from “I Am T̶h̶e̶ L̶o̶s̶e̶r̶” by Phree, Courtesy of the Artist. Full video available here.