43rd Annual Dance on Camera Film Festival Kickoff Gala at Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas | Festival Review

More than just dancers and choreographers packed into Chelsea’s Bow Tie Cinemas on Wednesday night: photographers, filmmakers and every other artist under the sun ventured up to the tiny mezzanine level to kickoff the 43^rd annual Dance on Camera Film Festival. While predominately a celebration of synthesizing dance and filmmaking, the focus Wednesday night was on honoree Lois Greenfield, dance photographer extraordinaire. 

The evening opened with cocktails, then guests retreated to the presentation theater of Bow Tie Cinemas. The 150 seat plus theater hosts many film events, including a majority of opening night screenings of the Tribeca Film Festival. 

First to the stage was NYU Tisch Dance and New Media director Paul Galando, who introduced the student-faculty collaborated short film Let’s Move on Greenfield’s photography. The short was an homage to how Greenfield can work in any environment, specifically in one day with Tisch dance students. The film was also part of Michelle Obama’s proactive Let’s Move initiative. 

Following the film, acclaimed choreographer Elizabeth Streeb presented the Dance in Focus award to Ms Greenfield. Having worked in the field of Dance photography for over 40 years, Greenfield captured the medium in a totally unique style; what Galando equates to “stopping time”. As she accepted the award, the famed photographer thanked those who have given her a chance to succeed and looked forward to the future.

To end the presentation portion of the evening, guests were treated to a sneak peak of a segment from the hybrid dance-documentary film Limited Spaces. In the selected episode, director Lucas Smith brings to screen dance company Third Rail Projects’ Then She Fell. A retelling of Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland, the hypnotic and vividly colored adaptation is a pleasing synthesis of dance and narrative.

As the kick-off of the 43^rd Dance on Camera wrapped up, guests returned to the mezzanine for hor d’oeuvres as well a silent auction of selected photographs from Greenfield. Despite a relatively short evening of film screenings, the Dance on Camera Festival is certainly an awesome five days of dance and film not to miss.

Daniel Engelke
Photos Bodgan Seredyak

 

The 43^rd Dance on Camera Film Festival runs from January 30^th until February 3^rd 2015 at Film Society Lincoln Center. for further information about the 43^rd Dance on Camera Film Festival visit here. For further information about Lois Greenfield visit here.