REflect Film Series -- see. think. dance. + Black Choreographers' Festival

SAT – FEB 12 – 2011 – 7:00pm
Ase (6 minutes) - Nicole Brooks, 2010; Canada
A celebration of the lives of African slaves in the Caribbean who managed to preserve their religious worship rituals.

Ebony Goddess (24 minutes) - Carolina Moraes Liu, 2010; Brasil
Ebony Goddess: Queen of Ilê Aiyê follows three women competing to be the carnival queen of Ilê Aiyê, a prominent and controversial Afro-Brazilian group with an all-black membership. The selection is based on Afro-centric notions of beauty, in counterpoint to prevailing standards of beauty in Brazil, a country `famous for slim supermodels and plastic surgery. Contestants for the title of Ebony Goddess dress in flowing African-style garments, gracefully performing traditional Afro-Brazilian dances to songs praising the beauty of black women.

SUN – FEB 13 – 2011 – 12pm-4pm
Free to Dance, Episode 2: "Steps of the Gods" (60 mins, Documentary)
What shall the Negro dance about?  "... the pulse of African-American life, its melodies and rhythms echoing hopes and frustrations, humor and anger, warmth and hostility -- about, in fact, anything that matters to African Americans," was the reply of the man who created America's most popular multiracial dance company and broke the mold by showcasing works by other choreographers alongside his own brilliant ballets, such as "Revelations" and "Blues Suite."

Free to Dance, Episode 3: "Go for What You Know" (60 mins, Documentary)
Through the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, a "dance explosion" made it America's newest spectator sport.
Any given season, an uncanny number of ballet and modern dance companies strutted their stuff on the stages (and even rooftops) of New York City -- the dance capital of the world.
At the same time, cultural, social, and political upheaval gripped the nation. The times, they were a-changin' -- the civil rights movement inspired the women's liberation and gay rights movements, and more. 

The Spirit Moves (parts 2 + 3) - A History of Black Social Dance On Film, 1900-1986
Part 2: Savoy Ballroom of Harlem 1950's
Part 3: Postwar Era

SAT – FEB 19 – 2011 – 6:30pm
Shake Off (9 minutes)
Starring Prince Credell, Shake Off is a HD recorded dance film in one continous shot. The smooth camera, not interrupted by cuts, follows an exceptional dancer as he moves magically through different times and spaces.  The athleticism and bold surprises lure the viewer into a dynamic world which teeters between the impossible and the real. The dancer can’t or won’t stop dancing till he finds his goal.

Caution (7 minutes) -  Helanius J. Wilkins - choreographer/soloist; Susannah Newman - Filmmaker
EDGEWORKS Dance Theater's CAUTION, created in 2008, is a screen dance that explores the frustrations and stereotyping of young, urban black men in America.  Shot in HD, Final Cut editing weaves loosely structured movement images and an evocative sound score into a waking, fragmented dream / nightmare.

Quarantine (9 minutes) -- Gabri Christa
An elder observes a young man exploring an abandoned quarantined building, once a house for African slaves, creating an empowering ode to those who came before him.  Starring Kyle Abraham.

SAT – FEB 26 – 2011 – 6:30pm
Karahano (9 minutes)
Dancers from South African dance company Inzalo, and Madagascan dance company Vahinala fuse video technology with urban dance energy to depict aspects of masculine identity.

Black Spring (26 minutes) -- Benoit Dervaux (France) 26 min., 2002 Choreographer: Heddy Maalem
The simplicity and purity of the filmmaking approach is deceptive, as the film challenges Western notions of African bodies in movement. The dance is interspersed with scenes of contemporary life in Africa which serve to heighten awareness of the social and political sensitivities inherent modern African dance.