Thoughtful curation of Dance on Screen (USA) wraps us in raw experiences
By Langi Ramashia
The hour-long viewing showcases an array of multifaceted representations of American experiences. Each with their own unique style and all created for the screen, USA DANCE ON SCREEN, as part of the Digital JOMBA! offerings is necessary viewing for our contemporary palette.
Gravity is defied in Revel In Your Body as dancers Alice Sheppard and Laurel Lawson levitate seamlessly in slow motion on a rooftop parking lot, whilst tightly bound to their wheelchairs. The pair’s mutual trust and unwavering concentration as they lock eyes, serve as gridlines in watching the performance unfold. Though laced in athleticism and strength, the film captures an essence of movement rich in feeling. The dancers appear weightless and at one with their machinery. Their close-up shots radiate utter elation and contentment whist maintaining military focus. As the sunset’s gleam leaks through the spokes of their wheelchairs, we share in the ecstasy and zeal for what their bodies are able to conjure.
Separate Sentences uncovers the trauma born of mass incarceration as it filters down generations. The black and white film follows a young African American boy, as he steps into the shadows of his paternal lineage. Its scenes depict themes of loss and bewilderment through effortless punctuation by a skilfully choreographed ensemble. The group of Bay Area performers mould and dissemble various platforms throughout the piece, personifying prison life as lived by its inhabitants and those they leave behind. A noteworthy moment is foregrounded as the detainees descend lifelessly from the sand hill, relegated as mere bodies in the justice system. This idea is finely juxtaposed against the intense vulnerability of coming face-to-face with their family members.
The above speaks to only two of ten highly compelling films steeped in raw experience. To hear the voice of the varied existences shaped through very distinct lenses is a privilege in its own right. We tend to overlook perspectives with which we are not accustomed and as such those stories are often lost to history. Through the thoughtful curation of the USA JOMBA! contingent of Rachel Miller, Lauren Warnecke, Tara Aisha Willis and Peter Chu, USA DANCE ON SCREEN provides an opportunity to acknowledge them.
The USA DANCE ON SCREEN has a second screening on Sunday 6 September at 19:00 (SAST), visit http://www.jomba.ukzn.ac.za for details and stream links which are posted daily.
