Dance (other than Ballet)

The American Dance Guild presents the New Dance Group gala concert an historic retrospective of New Dance Group presentations, 1930's-1970's. 1994. 1 videocassette (160 min.). This Gala Concert was produced by the American Dance Guild in June 1993. The 18 recreated dances and excerpts celebrate and honor the achievements of the New Dance Group. Includes mini-interviews with the choreographers. VHS 2556

America the dancing ground. 199? 1 videocassette (28 min.). Shows the importance of dance in American culture from the native American dances and dances brought from Europe by the earliest settlers to the twentieth century innovations by Isadora Duncan, Ted Shawn, Ruth St. Dennis, Martha Graham and others. Excerpts from works by several dance companies show the variety of dance types that are part of American culture.  VHS 2289

An evening of dance and conversation with Martha Graham. 1984. 1 videocassette (85 min.). Performances of three of Graham's creations: Errand into the maze, Acts of light, Cave of the heart. VHS 507

Behind the scenes with David Parsons. Behind the scenes: Curriculum Materials Center. 1992. 1 videocassette (30 min.). A visit with choreographer David Parsons who shows how movement is transformed into pattern in dance. VHS 1929

Bill T. Jones dancing to the promised land. VIEW Video dance series: Dance series (View Video). 1994. 1 videocassette (60 min.). This video guides the viewer through rehearsals and performance of choreographer Bill T. Jones' most highly regarded work, Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/The Promised Land, as performed by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co. VHS 3015

Bill T. Jones Still/Here. The Moyers collection. 1997. 1 videocassette (56 min.). A look at dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones's highly acclaimed dance,"Still/Here." At workshops around the country, people facing life-threatening illnesses are asked to remember the highs and lows of their lives, and even imagine their own deaths. They then transform these feelings into expressive movement, which Jones incorporates into the dance "Still/Here." Jones demonstrates the movements of his life story -- his first encounter with white people, confusion over his sexuality, his partner Arnie Zane's untimely death from AIDS, and Jones's own HIV status. VHS 5565

Blue studio five segments. 1976. 1 videocassette (15 min.). "Blue Studio is a solo videodance for Merce Cunningham. Cunningham's choreography emphasizes the body's natural articulation, incorporating ordinary gestures and movements, while using abstract space to achieve a synthesis of dance and video in a performance that would be impossible to stage. The title is derived from the technique of "chromakeying," whereby imagery can be superimposed upon the blue area of a video image. Blue Studio extends video beyond its previous limits as a hybrid form, using the medium to create an entirely new dance space." Summary taken from Cunningham Dance Foundation website  [http://www.merce.org]. VHS 5974

Camera three presents a video event, part I ; Camera three presents : a video event, part II. 1999. 1 videocassette (60 min.). Two programs, recorded on one tape, contain important archival works of Merce Cunningham from the early 1960s and 1970s. Presents an experimental marriage of dance and video. Excerpts are included of: Winterbranch, Second Hand, Sounddance, TV Rerun, Changing steps, Landrover and Signals. Cunningham discusses his ideas and approach to dancing. He says they are not concerts but "events." His commentary links the various aspects of the performances. VHS 5973

Charles Weidman on his own. 1990. 1 videocassette (59 min.). Charles Weidman's career is traced from his early roots to his partnership with Doris Humphrey and the last 30 years on his own. Contains historic footage of Weidman (and Humphrey) in performance, speaking about his work, teaching about his work, and also teaching a class in kinetic pantomime. Has contemporary performance of Lunchtown plus excerpts from: On My Mother's Side, Flickers, Brahms Waltzes, and Christmas Oratorio. VHS 1029

Circles-cycles Kathak dance. 1989. 1 videocassette (ca. 28 min.). Illustrates the concept of the circular in Indian philosophy and religion as it is portrayed in Kathak, the classical dance form of North India.  VHS 732

Classical Indian dance.  Classical images. 1995. 1 videocassette (60 min.). Presents classical dances from India, demonstrating the range of this art form with its combination of mime, gesture, facial expression and body movement, all executed within a traditional framework rich in allegory. VHS 4591

Dance and human history. 1976. 1 videocassette (40 min.). Introduces the work of Alan Lomax and his colleagues in           developing choreometrics, a cross-cultural method of studying the relationship  of dance style to social structure. Shows how the group, including Forrestine   Paulay and Irmgard Bartenieff, analyzed dance films from all over the world and established a connection between patterns of movement and patterns of culture. VHS 257

Dance at court. Dancing. 1993. 1 videocassette (57 min.). This program examines court dances in several different societies: England, Japan, Ghana, Java, France, and Russia. Imperial families nurtured court dance as an art form during peacetime. VHS 2294

Dance Black America. 1990. 1 videocassette (87 min.). Documents a four-day festival of dancers and dance companies held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. VHS 1030

Dance centerstage. Dancing. 1993. 1 videocassette (57 min.). This program examines classical theater dances in Russia and Japan. Ballet, based on 17th century court dances of Louis XIV, was developed in St. Petersburg; the Kirov Ballet serves as the modern example. The Kabuki emerged from the streets of Kyoto. VHS 2296

Dance for a chicken the Cajun Mardi Gras. 1993. 1 videocassette (57 min.). Presents footage of a traditional Cajun Mardi Gras celebration centered around chickens. VHS 3068

Dance Theatre of Harlem. 1989. 1 videocassette (120 min.). Features 4 full-length works: Fall River Legend, Agnes de Mille's  rendition of the Lizzie Borden ax-murders; Troy Game, Robert North's satire of machismo attitudes in sports; The Beloved, Lester Horton's vignette of violence and fanaticism between a minister and his wife; and John Henry, Arthur Mitchell's retelling of the legendary folk hero's story. Includes narration by company members and Artistic Director Arthur Mitchell.  VHS 1023

A dancer's world ; Night journey ; Appalachian spring. The Library of master performers: Dance series. 198-. 1 videocassette (93 min.). A compilation of three works dealing with Martha Graham, one of which is an introduction by Graham to her methodology, the other two being complete dance works produced by Nathan Kroll. A dancer's world demonstrates the beauty of expression through movement. Night journey is a re-telling of the Oedipus legend.  Appalachian spring is an American folk tale about a newly married couple on the frontier. VHS 544

Dancing in one world. Dancing. 1993. 1 videocassette (57 min.). This program was made with dancers from the Pacific Rim Area including the United States (Afro-Americans, American Indians, and Hawaiians), Polynesia, Australia, and Indonesia. These dancers also took part in the Los Angeles Festival. Includes archival film footage.  VHS 2298

Dancing outlaw. 1997? 1 videocassette (60 min.). Jesse ( Jesco) White from Boone County, West Virginia, is called "the last mountain dancer." In trouble with the law when he was young, he displays three distinct personalities: the dancer, Jesco the devil, and Elvis Presley. Without these talents, "he'd be locked away in a crazy house.". VHS 4901

Dancing. 1993. 8 videocassettes (ca. 464 min.). Probes the traditions of dance in communities around the world -- from the often misunderstood waltz to the eloquent gestures of an Asante court dancer in Ghana, and from the latest hip-hop in Morocco to a ballet class in Russia and a modern dance rehearsal in New York.  VHS 2291-2298

Denishawn the contributions of American dance pioneers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. 1988. 1 videocassette (40 min.). Chronicles the unique era of modern dance inspired by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. Archival footage and modern reconstruction of several Denishawn dances are used to document the lives and work of the Denishawn founders. VHS 4148

Dido & Aeneas. 1995. 1 videocassette (55 min.). A danced performance of the Baroque opera Dido and Aeneas.  Dido, the noble queen of Carthage, has fallen in love with the Trojan Prince Aeneas. While the court celebrates the imminent union of the two monarchs, the evil sorceress with her coven of witches plots their downfall. Romance leads to hearbreak and tragedy. VHS 4154

Donald McKayle conversations with contemporary masters of American modern dance. Speaking of dance. 1992. 1 videocassette (60 min.). Contains interviews, performance and teaching footage of Donald McKayle. VHS 2034

Embracing earth dances with nature. 1995. 1 videocassette (23 min.). A series of modern dance performances, under the direction of Anna Halprin, in which dancers interact with the shapes, rhythms, and textures of the environment in their natural settings. Dancers encourage the viewers to recognize nature as a source of internal inspiration and creativity and understand that "We dance with earth, and earth dances with us.". VHS 4718

European Tanztheater. 1997. 1 videocassette (62 min.). European dance theater comes alive through the works and voices of its creators and fascinating narrative about its originators. Archival footage and beautifully filmed and edited excerpts of current repertory demonstrate the forms and power of this genre. VHS 5149

Five dances by Martha Graham. 1995. 1 videocassette (85 min.). A performance of five dances by Martha Graham and her dance troupe which exemplify diverse aspects of Graham's unique style of modern dance. VHS 4307

Fractions I a video dance. 1990? 1 videocassette (33 min.). "In Fractions I, as many as four video monitors share the screen space with the dancers. Projected on the monitors are both images of dancers absent from the dance space and close-ups of dancers who are present in that space. This division of the frame into parts or "fractions," allowed filmmaker Atlas to group more dancers into the frame, while still achieving greater depth and fluidity of movement by alternating between the monitors and the studio space." Summary taken from Cunningham Dance Foundation website [http://www.merce.org].  VHS 5975

Free to dance. Dance in America. 2000. 3 videocassettes (171 min.). The history of African American dance; emphasizes the role that African-American choreographers and dancers have played in the development of modern dance as an American form of art. Featuring the African American Dance Ensemble and other Black dance groups. VHS 6839

Garth Fagan's Griot New York. Dance in America. 1995. 1 videocassette (85 min.). Following brief interviews with Garth Fagan and Wynton Marsalis, the program includes a complete performance of Griot New York.  The concept of a griot, a West African storyteller who keeps the cultural heritage of a people alive, is used to depict the non-European culture of New York City, and particularly the African and Caribbean backgrounds of some of its residents. VHS 3238

Given to dance India's Odissi tradition. 1986. 1 videocassette (57 min.). An account of the thousand-year tradition of Hindu temple dancing at the Temple of Joggernaut and elsewhere in eastern India and of the women who perform the dances. Concentrates on the Odissi tradition of dancing. VHS 1072

Hanya, portrait of a dance pioneer. 1988. 1 videocassette (60 min.). Using archival footage from the 30's and 40's, and interviews with many of her students, this film traces the career of Hanya Holm, dancer-choreographer, from the 20's through the Broadway stage. VHS 510

He makes me feel like dancin'. 1987. 1 videocassette  (51 min.). Jacques d'Amboise, principal dancer of the New York City Ballet, teaches children dance during school hours in fourteen schools in the metropolitan area. Tells the story of the children's experiences, from auditions, through the teaching process, culminating in an event at Madison Square Garden in which 1,000 children participate and celebrities perform with them. VHS 1073

Il Ballarino the art of Renaissance dance. 1990. 1 videocassette (33 min.). Authentic Renaissance court dances and the gestures and step vocabulary associated with them are demonstrated and described by noted dance historian and musicologist Julia Sutton from dance manuals of the 16th century Italian masters Fabritio Caroso and Cesare Negri. VHS 1310

Introduction to Baroque dance dance types. 1999. 2 videocassettes (67 min.). Acclaimed Baroque dancer Paige Whitley-Bauguess demonstrates and performs Baroque dance techniques.  Includes: demonstrations of step sequences from Raoul-Auger Feuillet's 1700 publication "Choregraphie " and step sequences from specific choreographies preserved in 18th century dance notation; descriptions of the dances found in music and dance writings from the period; discussions and examples showing music and dance rhythm relationships; performances in costume of complete social and theatrical dances reconstructed from 18th century dance notation to illustrate each dance type. VHS 5960

Isadora Duncan dance technique and repertory . 1995. 1 videocassette (58 min.). Includes excerpts from choreography by Isadora Duncan, as performed by Julia Levien in the company of Anna Duncan and Irma Duncan, and staged by Andrea Mantell-Seidel. Includes a History of the Duncan dance schools. VHS 3159

José Greco in performance. Voice of Firestone classic performances. 1990. 1 videocassette (26 min.). VHS 1367

Kombina Dance Company, Jerusalem. 1919. 1 videocassette (ca. 39 min.). VHS 6660

Limón's legacy ; Nik. 198? 1 videocassette (60 min.). Limón's legacy:  the José Limón Dance Company presents excerpts from its varied repertoire as a tribute to José Limón.  Beginning with Doris Humphrey, and carried on by José Limón and Ruth Currier, the choreography attempts to incorporate everyday movement into dance to illustrate man's condition. Nik: Alwin Nikolais discusses his incorporation of both motion and visual art, particularly sculpture, into his choreography. He also uses light and shadow to create visual illusions. The Nikolais Dance Theatre performs excerpts from his works and is also shown in rehearsal. VHS 2290

Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. 1995-1996. 4 videocassettes (255? min.). Shehechianu is based on a Jewish prayer of reconciliation.  (The third part was recently completed and the entire work had its world premiere in June, 1997.)  It and the other works performed by this intergenerational dance company explore events in human history and interpersonal relations, focussing on how victims deal with psychological and physical mistreatment. VHS 4317

Lord of the dance. 1997. 1 videocassette (ca. 90 min.). "Michael Flatley takes to the stage in a stunning Celtic dance spectacular which re-tells Irish folk legend in a dazzling and updated style.". VHS 4445

Lord of the dance. Dancing. 1993. 1 videocassette (58 min.). "What cultural beliefs have shaped the great traditions of sacred and secular dance?"  This program explores the views of various religions toward the human body and thus toward religion and it examines dances of Christian sects in Seville, Spain, and the Yoruba religion in Nigeria. VHS 2292

Lucas Hoving conversations with contemporary masters of American modern dance. Speaking of dance. 1992. 1 videocassette (55 min.). Contains interviews, performance and teaching footage of Lucas Hoving. VHS 2031

The Men who danced. 1985. 1 videocassette (30 min.). Presents the story of the first all-male dance company in the U.S., Ted Shawn's Male Dancers and the founding of the summer dance school, Jacob's Pillow. Includes historic footage of the company performing in the 1930's. Features interviews with surviving male dancers, including Barton Mumaw, at the 50th reunion of the company in 1983, with a taped over-voice of Shawn himself. VHS 1022

Moor's pavane. 1965. 1 videocassette (22 min.). The basic story of the Moor, Othello, presented in dance form through many variations, shows the destructive power of jealousy. The choreography features the Renaissance style of dance to coordinate with the story, music and costumes. VHS 2536

Opening doors dancing with disabilities. 1996. 1 videocassette (34 min.). This video tells the story of Buen Viaje Dancers, a performing dance troupe composed of dancers with disabilities. Artistic directors Billbob Brown and Joanie Carlisle describe their vision and demonstrate with excerpts from rehearsals and a performance of "Opening Doors.". VHS 4512,4513

The Paul Taylor dance company. Nonesuch dance collection: Dance in America. 1998. 1 videocassette (ca. 58 min.). Presentation of the dances Runes and Esplanade as performed by the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Paul Taylor briefly talks about his dance group and what he looks for in his dancers. VHS 6348

Paul Taylor's Speaking in tongues. Elektra Nonesuch Dance Collection. 1991. 1 videocassette (54 min.). VHS 2287

Pilobolus Dance Theatre. Nonesuch dance collection: Dance in America. 1998. 1 videocassette (58 min.). Documentary on the formation of Pilobolus and performances by the company. VHS 6349

The pleasures of the dance. Jarvis Conservatory master series. 1998. 1 videocassette (29 min.). World premiere of a dance/theater work set in 18th-century Paris, depicting Madame Montaigue as she writes to her sister about a gathering in a salon, a lesson with a dancing master, Italian actors at a fair, and a benefit for dancers at the Opéra. VHS 5150

Positive motion. 1991. 1 videocassette (37 min.). Documents the work of the HIV/AIDS dance group in San Francisco, led by pioneering dancer, Anna Halprin.  The video spans the first seven months of the group's emotionally-charged workshops, culminating in the performance of a work titled "Carry me home."  It is about creativity and community as healing -- showing how dance can change the dancer, whose body becomes a storyteller conveying a new-found expression of health. VHS 4717

The Power of dance. Dancing. 1993. 1 videocassette (57 min.). Examines the work of ballet legend Jacques D'Amboise at his N.Y. National Dance Institute where children from diverse backgrounds find joy and discipline in dancing together. Includes interviews with Russian dancer Irek Mukhamedov, Indian gurus, American song-and-dance men, including Broadway star Gregg Burge and other dancers who describe their love for dancing. VHS 2291

Retracing steps American dance since postmodernism. 1988. 1 videocassette (88 min.). Explores avant-garde dance in the 1980's through interviews with young choreographers and dance excerpts. VHS 470

Robert Schumann's "Davidsbündlertänze" . 1981. 1 videocassette (43 min.). Drawing from episodes in Schumann's own life, Balanchine creates a masterful work in which four couples perform a variety of impressionistic dances. Schumann originally wrote the work to present his philosophy in a musical dispute. VHS 484

Robert Schumann's "Davidsbündlertänze" . The Balanchine library: Nonesuch dance collection. 1995? 1 videocassette (43 min.). Drawing from episodes in Schumann's own life, Balanchine creates a masterful work in which four couples perform a variety of impressionistic dances. Schumann originally wrote the work to present his philosophy in a musical dispute. VHS 2775

Seraphic dialog. 1978. 1 videocassette (27 min.). Presents Martha Graham and her company in a dance interpretation of Joan of Arc. Features Martha Graham as Joan of Arc at the moment of her exaltation when she looks back at phases of her legend as a maiden, warrior, and martyr. VHS 1639

Set and reset, version 1. 1985. 1 videocassette (22 min.). Videocassette of a television performance of a modern dance choreographed by Trisha Brown. VHS 4250

Sex and social dance. Dancing. 1993. 1 videocassette (57 min.). This program examines the male and female roles in dancing in three different societies: USA, Morocco, and Cook Islands of Polynesia. Includes archival film footage. VHS 2293

"Shalom" in action on and off stage with the "Shalom" Tel-Aviv Dance Company. 1990. 1 videocassette (53 min.). The Shalom Dance Company seeks to preserve Israel's myriad of cultures through costume, music and dance. Film shows the dancers in rehearsal, backstage and on location in some of Israel's most scenic spots as it performs a variety of dances from traditional to modern. VHS 6395

Tango, baile nuestro Tango, our dance. 1994. 1 videorecording (70 min.). Documents the history and the unique role of the tango. Shows the beauty of the dance and how it has changed over the years. VHS 3386

Temperaments in motion. 1994-1995. 1 videocassette (ca. 61 min.). This presentation combines still, motion, and chopped motion film with light and color to create an artistic impression of the dance.  Godfrey silas uses geometric shapes (lines, rectangles and circles) to create frames for the dance pictures and movements. VHS 3500

That's dancing. 1985. 1 videocassette (105 min.). In the great tradition of That's Entertainment a dance-happy, star-filled musical treat that celebrates the art of dance in all its forms. VHS 2954

To dance. 1988. 1 videocassette (29 min.). Documentary about five young men who pursue their dreams and degrees in the dance program at the University of South Florida. VHS 968

Trisha Brown Company. 3 videocassettes (133 min.). VHS 4250-4251

Two dances. 1999. 1 videocassette (43 min.). Ritmo jondo: Uses swirling movement and exciting leaps to portray masculine and feminine roles in a traditional culture. Day on earth: Uses a spare dance form to portray the human experience: love, birth, loss, companionship, death and continuation and the meaning and solace of work. VHS 6320

Two takes on tap choreographers Brenda Bufalino and Lynn Dally. 1993. 1 videocassette (60 min.). Dally and Bufalino discuss their careers in tap, sharing their histories and sources of inspiration, their approaches to choreography and the creative process, and their visions for the future of tap. Includes performance footage of them and also Eddie Brown, Honi Coles, the American Tap Dance Orchestra and the Jazz Tap Ensemble. VHS 5162

When the fire dances between the two poles Mary Wigman, 1886-1973. 1983. 1 videocassette (43 min.). Details important stages in the work of modern dance pioneer Mary Wigman. Archival film footage shows Mary Wigman as she discusses her life and work (in German, with voice-over translation); as she performs some of the dances she created; and as she directs other dancers in the performance of her work. Narration taken from her writings summarizes her theories of dance and the art of choreography. VHS 472

With my red fires ; New dance two masterpieces of modern choreography by Doris Humphrey. 1989. 1 videocassette (65 min.). With My Red Fires (1936) and New Dance (1935) are parts of a trilogy with the general theme of human relationships.They are performed here by a company assembled to honor Doris Humphrey. VHS 780

The wrecker's ball three dances by Paul Taylor. 1996. 1 videocassette (56 min.). Three modern dance works respectively set to pop songs of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. This telecast presents them in a single setting that evolves from a dance hall to a movie theater to a hippies' pad. Choreographer Paul Taylor makes a cameo appearance at the opening of the program. VHS 5161

The world of Alwin Nikolais. 1996. 5 videocassettes (222 min.). Documentary look at various excerpts of dances choreographed by Alwin Nikolais that introduce his work in dance, music and abstract theater. Film also describe his use of sound, lighting, costumes and choreography together  to create a new form called "multimedia." Director Murray Louis uses lighting carefully duplicating Nikolais' original stage presentation and edits to reveal the uninterrupted dance structure in order to be as faithful as possible to Nikolais' original theatrical intent. VHS 4851