Research dance film

Jos Neutgens (josneu@wxs.nl)
Sun, 26 Apr 1998 01:02:04 +0200

Hi to all of you,

Tuesday 21 April 1998 I wrote:

"Hi to all of you!
At the moment I'm doing research for the production of a dance film.
Our aim is, to fully integrate dance and the medium film. Surely not
an easy enterprise!
I was wondering, are there existing dance films or web sites I
defenitely should look at?
Thanks for helping me!"

I think, my question was of a very general kind, and it may be wise to
specify a few things. Let me try to explain what exactly I'm working on.
I am doing research for the production of a short (about 10 minutes)
artistic
16mm dance film, working title: "80/120". The project will be a
collaboration between a dancer/choreographer, a composer and myself as
filmmaker.
The central theme of the film is about specific visions concerning the
human body.
This will be the point of departure. This means that "80/120" will
combine and
confront images of the choreography with other images. For instance,
there is this project called the Visible Human Body, which I find very
fascinating. It shows
crossections of human cadavers and animations through the human body
which for me
are typical and very specific visions about the nature of the human
body.
I think, it can be very interesting, to confront this medical, clinical
and materialistic way of looking at the human body with the way a dancer
experiences his or her own body. By using a central theme as point of
departure for the choreography, as well as for the music and the film, I
hope to integrate dance and film in a meaningfull way. There are a lot
of dancefilms that can best be described as some kind of registration of
a choreography. For me, this is not an interesting way to work with
dance and film. Film should add another dimension to the choreography.
However, after seeing a lot of dancefilms, I realize that the making of
such a statement is much easyer than the making of an interesting
film...
Hopefully the above will give you some kind of idea of the things I'm
working on! If you think, it could be of interest for others, please
feel free to pass this message...
So I was wondering, are there existing dance films or web sites I
defenitely should look at? Of course, relevant books/articles are very
welcome too!

Thanks for helping me!

Greetings,

Jos Neutgens / filmdirector

Jos Neutgens Filmproductions
Olivier van Noortstraat 13
5021 SL Tilburg
Holland
phone/fax +31 13 53 52 678
e-mail: josneu@wxs.nl