A History of Dance on Screen

Filmmaker Reiner E. Moritz's aptly-titled documentary traces the history of dance in cinema from the beginnings up through the present, starting with clips from two very different representations of Stravinsky's 1913 ballet masterpiece Le Sacre du Printemps—a modern version and an attempted reconstruction of the original staging. But the focus here is not simply on the classical, as Moritz quickly moves on to the Lumière brothers' 1896 footage of Loie Fuller doing her famous Serpentine Dance. And throughout, Moritz alternates between ballet and more popular forms, featuring clips of Anna Pavlova and Isadora Duncan, Rudolf Nureyev and Fred Astaire. Analysis is offered here by a variety of commentators, most notably two Brits who represent very different styles—Clement Crisp, the dean of English dance criticism, who delivers definitive judgments in an almost comically oracular tone, and Bob Lockyer, a mild-mannered BBC director who has specialized in dance films. Additional observations come from dancer-teachers such as The BalletBoyz (Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt), who note how the qualities prized in dancers have changed over time, and choreographers including Matthew Bourne, who emphasizes the need for close collaboration between choreographers and film directors. A History of Dance on Screen serves up an eclectic mix, and while the clips might have been longer, the tantalizing glimpses presented of numerous works and performers might well encourage viewers to follow up on watching the films themselves. Recommended. (F. Swietek)