(A)lter (A)ction

“Hallelujah” is a queer/circus concept about religion and the importance of choosing kindness regardless of our differences or beliefs. Religion is a tough subject for many in the LGBTQ community, and this piece is a reflection of the struggle and rejection we often feel. It tells the story of an individual troubled by the hate in the world and his partner who is fighting to lift him up, to remind him he is beautiful exactly how he is. My message is that religion should inspire more kindness and open arms, even towards those you may not understand.

Joseph Zitt’s film dreamtext דברי חלום is a feature-length dream of coming to life in Israel. Four images of dancer Cheryl Nayowitz move past and through images of Israel and words spoken by the Holon Scratch Orchestra, along with music by the ensemble Gray Code. The film and its music are anchored by the song “Sachki Sachki,” sung by Vered Forbes. The film has no story, dialogue, or characters (other than the dancer). While there is text in Hebrew and English, you don’t need to know either language to enjoy the film. The English is a dreamlike text scrambled to approximate what you might hear while falling asleep. The Hebrew words which are heard and seen onscreen during much of the film are streams of consciousness, improvised by women’s voices on the themes of segments of the film. When we hear the song “Sachki Sachki,” the words appear onscreen both in the original Hebrew and in an English translation.

An elegant, powerful and sometimes provocative look at life and death presented in BalletBoyz’s inimitable style.

Fourteen Days is a thought-provoking exploration about the methods artists employ to create their work. Given just fourteen days, 4 internationally acclaimed choreographers worked with 4 world-renowned composers to make 4 new commissions that challenge and stimulate both the audience and the dancers. Highlighting the diversity of styles and approaches, the show plays with the concept of balance and imbalance and proves to be an exciting, varied programme of dance and music.

Featuring indigenous women of various generations, Pidikwe integrates traditional and contemporary dance in an audiovisual whirlwind that straddles the border between film and performance, somewhere between the past and the future.

A group of 12 teenagers from various backgrounds enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York to make it as ballet dancers and each one deals with the problems and stress of training and getting ahead in the world of dance.

On a summer day in the 1950s, a native girl watches the countryside go by from the backseat of a car. A woman at her kitchen table sings a lullaby in her Cree language. When the girl arrives at her destination, she undergoes a transformation that will turn the woman’s gentle voice into a howl of anger and pain.

A couple dances a choreography by Angelin Preljocaj.

Four days without sleep, jumping into Morpheus World is her only chance.

This athletically vibrant and sensual experience explores love across a lifetime. Using dance to inhabit a common mortal story of love born, lived, lost, burned, and seemingly gone forever, THROUGH YOU is a live-action VR richly infused with an atmosphere of passion. Dancers Joanna Kotze and Marni Thomas Wood, along with actor Amari Cheatom, take us through the coursing periods of time, from the 1970s to 2046 and beyond, where the question is harbored, “Can love be found again?

A woman and her husband Jackson welcome their baby boy the same day the King of Pop Michael Jackson died. A dance enthusiast, she names her son Michael, making his full name Michael Jackson. Michael goes on to become a great dancer, winning a reality show title. Owing to this, he becomes very famous in his college as well. However, one day, he mysteriously goes missing from college, leading to a string of unexpected events.

A provocative and wholly unique hybrid of dance, theatre and music, FELA! explores the world of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Winner of three 2010 Tony Awards including Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones). Featuring many of Fela Kuti’s most captivating songs and Bill T. Jones’ visionary staging, FELA! – an original new creation – comes via Broadway to London and the National Theatre. FELA! explores the extravagant, decadent and rebellious world of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Using his pioneering music (a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies), FELA! reveals Kuti’s controversial life as an artist and political activist.

A performance film following the young ballerinas of Na Ponta dos Pés, an art school founded by Tuany Nascimento in Rio de Janeiro.

For two hundred years, the Shakers have been America's most successful utopian society. While seeking harmony, order and perfection in every aspect of their lives, they built minimalistic furniture and buildings that influenced modern design. The Shakers wrote songs of exquisite beauty and danced to the point of ecstasy during their religious meetings. Inspired by this music and dance, choreographer Tero Saarinen created Borrowed Light, a dance piece about communal life and individual sacrifice. Shot in Finland and the United States, featuring interviews and excerpts from Borrowed Light, this documentary explore the cultural legacy of this religious group devoted to creating heaven on earth.

The Merry Widow, a beguiling, romantic ballet starring Patricia McBride and Peter Martins.

Honey Daniels dreams of making a name for herself as a hip-hop choreographer. When she's not busy hitting downtown clubs with her friends, she teaches dance classes at a nearby community center in Harlem, N.Y., as a way to keep kids off the streets. Honey thinks she's hit the jackpot when she meets a hotshot director casts her in one of his music videos. But, when he starts demanding sexual favors from her, Honey makes a decision that will change her life.

In the early summer of 1980, eleven-year-old Hanna and the rest of her childhood band aim to bring criminals to justice when a threat to destroy the last dance of school comes their way. Their ensuing adventure pits good vs. evil and disco vs. punk, and ends with love and unity conquering all.

From the rains of Japan, through threats of arrest for 'public indecency' in Canada, and a birthday tribute to her father in Detroit, this documentary follows Madonna on her 1990 'Blond Ambition' concert tour. Filmed in black and white, with the concert pieces in glittering MTV color, it is an intimate look at the work of the icon, from a prayer circle before each performance to bed games with the dance troupe afterwards.

To mark his forty-year career, choreographer Angelin Preljocaj has revived ‘Le Parc’, one of his most iconic works, at the Paris Opera. Set to music by Mozart, this romantic ballet depicts the games of love and chance, starring Alice Renavand and Mathieu Ganio.

An inverted Looking 4 U, a dance undetected by modern computer vision.