Dominique Palombo has been making beautiful dance films, largely under the radar, for years. He has a particular eye for finding talent, shooting on days with perfectly overcast skies, and finding visually compelling locations … usually in Paris where he lives. And even though he works with amazing choreographers and dancers, ultimately he is as much a choreographer as a filmmaker himself. He chooses a site, lets the dancers improvise, frequently finds the music for a particular film after shooting, then edits with an amazing feel for embellishing movement and phrases with varying speeds of motion and musicality. Most of his films are shot frontally with a locked down camera and the majority of movement coming from framing, editing, and the subjects themselves within the dance proper.

This is much the case with “N’arrete Pas,” featuring the humorous and talented dancer and choreographer John Degois. In this gem of a short created with assistance from his partner Gaelle Henry (an amazing dancer herself), we see Palombo’s astute eye for composition, especially in relation to site and subject. Degois clearly sees with a similar eye, judging from how he responds to each location’s particular idiosyncrasies within his dance. I love how in this piece — as is the case with many of his shorts featuring exemplary street dancers — the line between walking and dancing is beautifully thin, as if to remind us that life should always have dance just within reach. Dominique Palombo’s feel for music, movement, editing and the camera, make each film a particular treat. Enjoy.

[embedvideo id=”4XCu7TKEk4A” website=”youtube”]