News:
  • A History of Asian Americans
  • I Am Not A Virus
  • The Third Line
  • LIFE AFTER MILKBONE
  • eating the gods
  • Kaduna
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Contact us
  • About
    • What is Cultural Weekly?
    • Advertise
    • Contributors
    • Masthead
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions: Write for us
    • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
Cultural Weekly logo
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Film
  • TV + Web
  • Poetry
  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Literature
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
ScreenDance Diaries

RED BETWEEN THE LINES

By Sarah Elgart on September 9, 2020 in Art, Dance, Film, OUR WORLD

Click Here To View Comments

In March, as the gradual dawning of the extent to which we needed to shelter ourselves from the spread of CORONAVIRUS was hitting full force, cinemas, theaters, and all of Broadway shut down with optimistic prognoses of reopening by mid-April. Especially in response to the latter, I remember being shocked – even though I am not a frequent Broadway goer – and thinking well this is historic.  Little did we know…  Within a week or so of course it extended much further into the dance, arts, performing arts worlds and way beyond, and already financially challenged dancers, dance schools, dance companies, and dance festivals all over the world began to see their classes, gigs, seasons, and tours cancelled full stop, and their annual incomes reduced to pennies.

As usual, the ever resilient dance community rallied for themselves and for one another, raising money for individual artists, challenging funding organizations to do the same, and re-inventing ways to share dance both done live and for film.  Choreographers and companies offered Zoom classes to raise money – both for those affected by the pandemic and for organizations in support of the long overdue public outcry against systemic racism.  Savvy choreographers came up with initiatives to get dancers creating in the Zoom space, or doing socially distanced live performances, dance films, podcasts, etc. Dance Festivals like Jacob’s Pillow and American Dance Festival reorganized to have online celebrations also became fundraisers. We were (and still are) all left collectively wondering: Is there a future for anything performed live?

One such similar cancelled event was RED BETWEEN THE LINES—a would have been live, immersive performance at NY’s Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. Six choreographers from Los Angeles and New York from within the contemporary and street dance worlds had been selected out of over one hundred, one of them being choreographer and movement director Zoe Rappaport.  When that gig hit the skids as well, Rappaport reached out to each of the other choreographers and over a zoom meeting they mutually decided to not just do a work in response to the Pandemic, but to each create a one-minute condensed and self filmed version of their original intended work, informed by the quarantine. What emerged as a recurring theme in each of the works was the color red, perhaps Rappaport says, “because it’s the color of emergency, of alarm and of passion.”

Rappaport deftly edited it into a one minute whole that stands alone both as a film of the times, and as a promo for the original six, one minute works, all of which will be live-streamed on September 17th by the Social Distancing Festival. “What emerges is (the artists’) collective and art under quarantine – intrinsically woven into a tapestry and expression of our time – as well as a testament to the resilience of the dance and arts community as a whole.”

RED BETWEEN THE LINES as a one-minute film is conceived and edited by Zoe Rappaport.  The live-stream event is Produced by Pizarts Global Dance Hub and features: HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness’ Movement Director Damani Pompey, LA- Based Movement Composer Darrel “Friidom” Dunn, Rising Lebanese Choreographer Dolly Sfeir, Legendary Artist Linda Mason, “The Flexing Ballerina” Martina ‘Android’ Heimann, and of course NYLA-based Movement Director & Choreographer Zoe Rappaport.

Watch the beautifully realized dance film of our times for RED BETWEEN THE LINES, below. And for further information and to see the six choreographers one-minute works, go to The Social Distancing Festival at Eventbrite.

Click Here To View Comments

Tagsalvin ailey citigroup theaterCOVID-19dancered between the lineszoe rappaport

Previous Story

How to Make a Comeback

Next Story

they shot jacob on kobe’s birthday

About the author

Sarah Elgart

Sarah Elgart

Founder/Director of Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival, Sarah Elgart is a Los Angeles based choreographer and director working under the auspice of Sarah Elgart | Arrogant Elbow. Sarah creates original content for stage, screen, and site-specific venues. Her stage and site-works have been performed at alternative spaces including LAX Airport, The Skirball Center, Mark Taper Forum, Van Nuys Flyaway, The Bradbury Building, Jacob’s Pillow, INSITU Site-Specific Festival NY, and Loft Seven, where she created a rooftop work lit entirely by a hovering helicopter accompanied by Nels Cline (Wilco). Her work has been produced by venues including The Music Center, MASS MoCA, Dance Place, Los Angeles Theater Center, Mark Taper Forum and The International Women’s Theater Festival. In film Sarah has worked with noted directors including JJ Abrams, David Lynch, Catherine Hardwicke, and Anton Corbijn. Her own films include award-winning music videos, dance shorts, and an Emmy nominated PSA, and continue to be accepted into festivals internationally. In addition to teaching dance and film, Sarah writes a regular column, ScreenDance Diaries that focuses on the intersections of both genres internationally for online magazine Cultural Weekly. Sarah’s work has received support from organizations that include the Rockefeller Foundation, the NEA, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, California Arts Council and more. She is an alumna of the Sundance Institute’s Dance Film Lab, a Fellow of AFI’s Directing Women’s Workshop, and a director member of the DGA.

Related Posts

  • A History of Asian Americans

    By Allan G. Aquino
    Asian Pacific Americans (or, “APIs”)...
  • I Am Not A Virus

    By Lina "digitalina" Finley
    I Am Not a Virus Artist...
  • The Impact of the Pandemic on Gambling Culture and Behavior

    By Our Friends
    The coronavirus pandemic has changed the...
  • In Loving Memory of CPAL: An Obituary for COVID-19 Relief

    By Olga Garcia Echeverria
    DECEASED: CPAL TERMINATED December 31,...

Support Our Friends

Follow Us

Join Our Mailing List

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @CulturalWeekly

Comments

  • Lisa Segal Lisa Segal
    Valentine’s Day Redux: a Second Chance at True Love
    Marvelous!!!!!!!
    2/14/2021
  • maurice amiel maurice amiel
    Shakespeare on Despots, Power, and Finally… Transition
    Timely and educational this post Your scholarship...
    1/31/2021
  • maurice amiel maurice amiel
    Abigail Wee: “Growing Home”
    A first place well deserved While the particular...
    1/24/2021

New

  • How to Add Texture to the Wall and the Wall Hangings for Decoration
  • A History of Asian Americans
  • I Am Not A Virus
  • The Third Line
  • LIFE AFTER MILKBONE

Tags

art dance film Los Angeles music photography poem poems poetry tomorrow's voices today

Like us

Please Help

Donate

Who are we?

Cultural Weekly is a place to talk about our creative culture with passion, perspective and analysis – and more words than “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” Our mission is to draw attention to our cultural environment, illuminate it, and make it ... read more

Site map

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Contributors
  • Cultural Weekly Style & Formatting Guide
  • Food
  • Home
  • Masthead
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Submission Form
  • Submissions: Write for us
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Thank You

Links

Adam Leipzig
Entertainment Media Partners
This Is Crowd
CreativeFuture
Plastic Oceans Foundation
Arts & Letters Daily
Alltop
Alexis Rhone Fancher
Jack Grapes
Ethan Bearman
Writ Large Press

Mailing List

* indicates required


  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy/Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Contact us
Cultural Weekly is the digital magazine and public platform of Next Echo Foundation. DONATE HERE.
Copyright © 2010-2020 by Adam Leipzig. All Rights Reserved.