Together with Cynthia Mazzant, theatre artist, teaching artist, and artistic director of Tempest Productions in State College, VanDance proposes a new community arts educational event, REEL-izing Dance & Theatre on Film. Our mission is to curate dance, performance art, and spectacle films for a mini-series of monthly showings hosted by local professional artists/teaching artists. Offered on Sunday afternoons, we have scheduled Tempest Studios on 3/19 and 4/16 at 4pm and possibly 6/11 at 7:30pm to build excitement and awareness for the Central PA Theatre & Dance Fest. We are looking at films such as El Amor Brujo, Billy Elliot, Honey, Ballet Russes, Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Strictly Ballroom, Tap, and an evening of shorts such as Dance on Camera distributed by Insight Media.

The purpose is to build and to serve audiences knowledgeable about dance film, dance, performance art, and theatre in film through a series of two to three film screenings in an intimate, arts-based setting in State College. Local teaching artists will discuss/workshop aspects of the films with the audiences. It is a community friendly way to enjoy choreographic storytelling and creative expression through classic and innovative media works.

To this end I have already begun to identify key individuals in our local dance and theatre arts community such as studio owners with instructors and students of dance, and college faculty with students of film and dance in the School of Theatre at Penn State. A screening of the classic film “The Red Shoes” also provided for a discussion of films that could further enhance community education and training. Our goal is to continue to build a dance/performance art community and audience and dialogue with facets of this niche community that don’t often intermingle. This is another goal for the series. An Awesome Grant will would allow this project to meet its potential of having 2-3 films of excellent quality, high interest and educational value for this niche.