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Modern Dance (9)
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Anik Bissonnette: The Gift of DancePhilippe Baylaucq 2014 8 minThis short film pays tribute to ballet dancer Anik Bissonnette as she takes the reins of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec. Having dazzled audiences for decades with her astounding talent, she now teaches the rigorous fundamentals and secrets of movement that underlie her art. Bissonnette's grace is reflected through the mirror of time. As we watch the steps and movements of the young dancers she has inspired, we realize that we are witnessing the most beautiful of dances—the transmission of knowledge.
This film was produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2014 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards. -
Inhabiting DanceJulien Cadieux 2009 25 minThis short documentary is a portrait of Sylvie Mazerolle, a young woman for whom dance is as vital and fundamental as breathing. Tracking her process, the film also takes a look at dance in her home province of New Brunswick. In French with English subtitles.
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Louise Lecavalier: Body SpeechPhilippe Baylaucq 2014 7 minThis short film profiles contemporary dancer Louise Lecavalier as she performs in her studio. With searching steps, she crosses a space defined by her past. Her movements are framed by the aura of her acclaimed performances, each one a testament to a facet of her immense talent. The language of her body expresses the journey of a fiercely independent artist who is always moving forward and who has remained in perpetual motion for 30 years.
This film was produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2014 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards. -
LockLouise Archambault 2010 5 minChoreographer Edouard Lock believes that movement embodies our interests and desires. In this short documentary, we see the celebrated founder of La La La Human Steps working with dancers in his studio space. The film uses unusual camera angles and slow-motion cinematography to capture the artistry of Lock’s signature high-energy, high-impact style.
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Linda Rabin: Everything Is MovingChristine Chevarie-Lessard 2022 4 minFor Linda Rabin, all is movement. That has been the guiding principle for this pioneer of modern dance in Quebec, who has been a dancer, teacher, choreographer, somatic educator and the cofounder with Candace Loubert of l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal in 1981. In Linda’s view, dancers’ gestures are not merely technically well executed movements, but expressions of life itself. Spirituality, openness to the world and the fluidity of bodies are here conveyed with subtlety.
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Mélanie Demers: Artistic FrictionsGilles Doiron 2024 4 minFiercely defying categorization, Artistic Frictionsenters the world of iconic dancer and choreographer Mélanie Demers. Throughout a versatile and multifaceted career, Demers has reinvented the language of dance with her company, MAYDAY. Taking a cue from Demers’ reputation for highly imaginative works, this cinematic portrait invites audiences to a sumptuous banquet with dynamic contemporary dancers and performers.
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Peggy Baker: Four PhrasesHowie Shia 2009 5 minBuilt around an intimate interview with the acclaimed Canadian dancer and choreographer, Peggy Baker Four Phrases is an artful animation and documentary hybrid that travels through a variety of techniques to celebrate Baker's work and legacy. This film was produced for the 2009 Governor General's Performing Arts Award.
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Song for CubaTamara Segura 2014 7 minThis short experimental documentary about memory and music follows a young Cuban couple charting a new course for their lives on an island in the North Atlantic. The film features the original music of Patrick Boyle and the songs “Preferi Perderte” by Benny Moré and “Suavecito” by Ignacio Piñeiro.
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Show GirlsMeilan Lam 1998 52 minShow Girls celebrates Montreal's swinging Black jazz scene from the 1920s to the 1960s, when the city was wide open. Three women who danced in the legendary Black clubs of the day - Rockhead's Paradise, The Terminal, Café St. Michel - share their unforgettable memories of life at the centre of one of the world's hottest jazz spots. From the Roaring Twenties, through the Second World War and on into the golden era of clubs in the fifties and sixities, Show Girls chronicles the lives of Bernice, Tina and Olga - mixing their memories with rarely seen footage of the era. Their stories are told against a backdrop of the fascinating social and political history that made Montreal a jazz and nightclub hotspot for decades. It is a story of song and dance, music and pride.
