Waterdrops

An extremely leggy ballerina, unpretentiously dressed in a black leotard and baggy white top with bare legs and pointe shoes, makes shapes and inverts momentum and gravity in a puddle.  Such is the basic essence of Waterdrops, a very short and sweet film that explores all of the above at the exact intersection where dance meets film.

A moment of rest in Waterdrops
A moment of rest in Waterdrops

Directed by Altin Kaftira and originally produced for Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam, the short Waterdrops was created in 2012 and screened the following year at Dance Camera West. With a sound score made up of the amplified sounds of water dripping, mixed with what presumably must be spoken word (in Dutch no less!) and finally the swishing sounds of the movement itself, it has the all the earmarks of an experimental film, except that it is belied by the amazing pointed feet and flawless classical line of dancer Laura O’Malley.

I like Waterdrops in part because it exemplifies beautifully and oh so simply some of what is possible using both the mediums of dance and film, and much of what I personally explore in movement as a choreographer: defying gravity while being earth bound.  Just a minute and forty-five seconds long, Waterdrops requires no big commitment and offers ample reward. Enjoy.

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